INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

Lesson 1

Introduction

Lesson 1 will introduce the concepts of politics and governance. You will also learn to
differentiate the various views on politics and learn about the relationship between politics and
government.

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. Articulate definitions of politics;

2. Explore the connection between the phenomenon (politics) and the method of inquiry
(political science);

3. Differentiate the various views on politics; and

4. Differentiate governance from government;

Topic Outline:

1. The meaning of politics & the various views on politics

2. The connection between politics and political science

3. The value of politics

4. The difference between governance and government

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 Try this!

Identification

Instructions: Read each term carefully and provide the definition for each. Write your answer on
the provided line.

1. politics - _____________________________________________________

2. political science - _____________________________________________________

3. government - _____________________________________________________

4. governance - _____________________________________________________

Think ahead!

Instruction: Draw a Concept Map that will show the relationship of political science to other
Social Science disciplines.

Political
Science

1. How does politics affect the lives of the Filipino people? Explain.

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 Read and Ponder

Politics is the way in which we understand and order our social affairs, and acquire greater
control over the situation. (B. Pomton and P. Gill, Politics, Introduction. (New York: Basil
Blackwell, 1982, p.6.)

It is also the strategy for maintaining cooperation among people with different needs and ideals
in life, or for resolving the conflict within the group, whether this is a family, a tribe, a village or
a nation-state. (Amable G. Tuibeo, “Politics and Governance: A Critical Introduction (Makati:
Grandwater Publication, 1998), p.1.

Political Scientist Harold Lasswell, author of a major study of the distributive consequences of
political activity, gave his book the title, Politics--Who Gets What, When, and How. Lasswell, in
effect, defined "politics" as involving questions as to "who gets what, when, and how." Politics,
according to Lasswell, is concerned with determination, by official governmental decision
making and action, of:

a. Who in the political society receives what benefits, rewards, and advantages and how
much of them they receive,
b. when they receive the benefits, rewards, and advantages, and
c. the methods by which they receive them.

Conversely, politics is also concerned with determining, by governmental decision making and
action, (1) who in society is denied what benefits, rewards, and advantages, (2) when and how
long they are denied them, and (3) the methods by which they are subjected to such deprivations.

Politics and Everyday Life

a. Politics is all about the way human beings are governed, which involves order, power, and
justice. It is not just an abstract study;
b. It involves the government’s day-to-day performance;
c. It does not affect only one individual, but is inextricably bound up with the perpetual quest
for what is fair or just in light of the interest of the entire community;
d. Issue is more or less political based on the extent that the use of political power affects the
lives and well-being of private citizens; and
e. An issue becomes political when the government must render a decision, which must always
be for the common good of the community.

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Politics in the Philippines

It takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic

republic. It revolves around the three separate and sovereign yet interdependent branches: The
Legislative branch (the law-making body, Article VI, 1987 Philippine Constitution); The
Executive branch (the law-enforcing body, Article VII, 1987 Philippine Constitution); and The
Judicial branch (the law-interpreting body, Article VIII, 1987 Philippine Constitution).

How is Politics Studied?

Political Science deals with the systematic study of political structures, political processes and
political behavior. A number of approaches and methods have been suggested and used by
thinkers and scholars of political science for the scientific investigation of political phenomena
and for the arrival at systematic generalizations and theories. 

But, as Giovanni Sartori has pointed out, “approaches and research methods are largely decided

by the kind of evidence which is available for the units, and the kind of problems with which one
deals" In using the term "approach" we mean a particular orientation or point of view in looking
at and interpreting the world of politics.

By making use of a particular set of concepts and assumptions about the salience of certain
factors, an approach seeks to provide a framework for analysis, explanation and prediction. In
the criterion of time dimension, approaches to the study of political science, can be broadly
classified into traditional and modern or behavioral. Philosophical, historical and legal-
institutional modes of analysis are often called traditional while value-free, empirical and
behavioral modes of enquiry come under modern approaches.

The dichotomy between traditional and modern approaches need not be stressed too far for the
simple reason that political analysis is characterized by a degree of continuity from the distant
past to the contemporary, both with regard to substance and approaches and methods of study.

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Traditional Approach

Traditional approach to the study of political science is a combination of views on and

orientations to politics in philosophical, ethical and institutional terms. Since the time of Plato
and Aristotle, the great issues of politics have revolved around the organization and functioning
of the state- the political institution par excellence. Traditional approaches exhibit certain well
defined features.

Characteristics of Traditional Approaches:

1. Traditional approaches are largely normative and stresses on the values of politics
2. Emphasis is on the study of different political structures and institution
3. Traditional approaches made very little attempt to relate theory and research
4. These approaches believe that since facts and values are closely interlinked, studies in
political science can never be scientific.

The traditional approach is further divided into various forms:

1. Philosophical-This approach firmly believes that values cannot be separated from the
study of politics and political system. Therefore, its main concern is to judge what is
good or bad in any political society.

2. Historical-As the name of this approach is related to history, it emphasizes on the study
of history of every political reality to analyze any situation.

3. Institutional-This approach is concerned with the study of formal structures and

institutions like legislature, executive, judiciary, political parties, etc.

4. Legal- This approach is concerned with the legal process, legal bodies or institutions,
justice and independence of judiciary.

Behavioral Approach

The behavioral approach to political science mainly emphasizes on scientific, objective and
value free study of political phenomenon. This approach stresses upon the use of empirical as
well as scientific methods of study political behavior. This approach shifts its emphasis from the
study of the state and government to the day-to-day problems, activities and behavior of
individuals and groups.

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Characteristics of Behaviorism:

1. Regularities -believes that there are certain uniformities in political behavior which can
be expressed in generalizations or theories in order to explain and predict political
phenomena.

2. Verification -emphasizes testing and verifying everything. According to the behaviorists,

what cannot be verified is not scientific.

3. Techniques -put emphasis on the use of those research tools and methods which generate
valid, reliable and comparative data.

4. Quantification -After collecting data, the researcher should measure and quantify those
data.

5. Values -believe that to do objective research one has to be value free.

6. Systematization -research in Political Science must be systematic. Theory and research

should go together.

7. Pure Science -believes that the study of Political Science should be verified by evidence.

8. Integration -Political Science should not be separated from various other social sciences
like history, sociology and economics, etc.

GOVERNANCE

Governance has been defined to refer to structures and processes that are designed to ensure
accountability, transparency, responsiveness, rule of law, stability, equity and inclusiveness,
effectiveness and efficiency and broad-based participation.

Good governance is understood through its eight indicators or characteristics: (1) Participatory;
(2) Rule of Law; (3) Effective and Efficient; (4) Transparent; (5) Responsive; (6) Equitable and
Inclusive; (7) Consensus Oriented; and (8) Accountability.

They are inextricably related to each other. For instance, without active participation among the
various actors in governance, there would be a concomitant lack of responsiveness. Likewise, if
decision-making is not transparent, then inevitably there would be no participation,
accountability, and decisions are not consensus-oriented.

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Elements of Good Governance

1. Participation - Good governance essentially requires participation of different sectors of the

society. Participation means active involvement of all affected and interested parties in the
decision-making process. It requires an enabling environment wherein pertinent information is
effectively disseminated and people could respond in an unconstrained and truthful manner. It
also means gender equality, recognizing the vital roles of both men and women in decision-
making.
Participation is one of the strengths of Philippine governance. The 1987 Philippine Constitution
is replete of provisions dealing with relational and inter-sectoral governance. The Local
Government Code of 1991 was borne out of the need for decentralization in Philippine
governance. As such, these and other related legislations may be considered as normative
standards for good governance.

2. Rule of Law -Democracy is essentially the rule of law. It is through the law that people
express their will and exercise their sovereignty. That the government is of law and not of men is
an underlying democratic principle which puts no one, however rich and powerful, above the
law. Not even the government can arbitrarily act in contravention of the law. Thus, good
democratic governance is fundamentally adherence to the rule of law. Rule of law demands that
the people and the civil society render habitual obedience to the law. It also demands that the
government acts within the limits of the powers and functions prescribed by the law. The
absence of rule of law is anarchy. Anarchy happens when people act in utter disregard of law and
when the government act whimsically or arbitrarily beyond their powers. In more concrete terms,
rule of law means “peace and order,” “absence of corruption,” “impartial and effective justice
system,” “observance and protection of human rights,” and “clear, publicized, and stable laws.”
Rule of law also requires that laws are responsive to the needs of the society. Archaic or
irrelevant laws must be amended or repealed to cater to modern demands.

3. Effectiveness and Efficiency - Good governance requires that the institutions, processes, and
actors could deliver and meet the necessities of the society in a way that available resources are
utilized well. That the different actors meet the needs of the society means that there is effective
governance. That the valuable resources are utilized, without wasting or underutilizing any of
them, means that there is efficient governance. Effectiveness (meeting the needs) and efficiency
(proper utilization of resources) must necessarily go together to ensure the best possible results
for the community. Concretely, effectiveness and efficiency demands “enhancement and
standardization of the quality of public service delivery consistent with international standards,”
“professionalization of bureaucracy,” “focusing of government efforts on its vital functions, and
elimination of redundancies or overlaps in functions and operations,” “a citizen-centered
government,” and “an improved financial management system of the government.”
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Professionalism in Philippine bureaucracy requires competence and integrity in civil service.
Appointments to civil service must be depoliticized and must be based solely on merits.
Effectiveness and efficiency also demands that the programs and objectives of the various
government agencies are aligned with individual performance goals. The increases in
compensation are likewise necessary for the economic well-being, sustained competence and
boosted morale of the civil servants. Although still insufficient, efforts were made to attain
effectiveness and efficiency in Philippine governance. The Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 (ARTA),
for instance, was passed to require the setting up of Citizen’s Charter for a simplified procedure
and to facilitate governmental transactions. Also, many government departments and agencies
pursued a rationalization program to check excessive and redundant staffing.

4. Transparency - As an indicator of good governance, transparency means that people are open
to information regarding decision-making process and the implementation of the same. In legal
terms, it means that information on matters of public concern is made available to the citizens or
those who will be directly affected. It also means that transactions involving public interests
must be fully disclosed and made accessible to the people. It is anchored on the democratic right
to information and right to access of the same. Transparency is necessary not just from
government transactions but also in those transactions of the civil society and private sector
imbued with public interests.

Reason why there should be transparency - To promote and protect democratic ideals. When
there is transparency, people are placed in a better position to know and protect their rights as
well as denounce corrupt or fraudulent practices in the public sector and in the private sector.

5. Responsiveness - Means that institutions and processes serve all stakeholders in a timely and
appropriate manner. It also means that actors and structures of governance easily give genuine
expression to the will or desire of the people. In other words, the interests of all citizens must be
well protected in a prompt and appropriate manner so that each of them can appreciate and take
part in the process of governance. While responsiveness is also a characteristic sought from the
private sector and civil society, more is demanded from the government or the public sector.

Gender equality is engrained in the egalitarian principles of democracy. Gender concerns that
respond to the women and their community must always be part of the agenda of public sector
and civil society. Thus, emerging as important areas in the study of democratic governance are
“Gender and Development” and “Gender Responsiveness.” The participation of women in
governance within the context of “gendered socialization” rests on how responsive the structures
and processes are to their roles and needs.
Some of the important efforts made to attain responsive governance in the Philippines are
decentralization, creation of citizen’s charter in all frontline agencies and gender sensitivity
programs.
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First, through decentralization, local governments, which are more proximate to their
constituents, serve more promptly the people, who in turn become more involved in decision-
making. Second, every government agency now has it Citizen’s Charter, which provides
timeframes for every step in attaining frontline services. Agencies now must also respond to
written queries sent by the stakeholders or interested parties within a period of ten days,
otherwise there will be delayed service. However, this aspect of governance still remains to be
one of the causes for the decline of public’s confidence in the public sector.

6. Equity and Inclusiveness - Equity and inclusiveness means that all the members of the
society, especially the most vulnerable ones or the grassroots level, must be taken into
consideration in policy-making. Everyone has a stake in the society and no one should feel
alienated from it. Particularly, those who belong to the grassroots level must not only be the
subject of legislation but they must be given the opportunity to participate in decision or policy
making. Social equity refers to a kind of justice that gives more opportunity to the less fortunate
members of the society. It is based on the principle that those who have less in life should have
more in law. Good governance demands that the actors must give preferential attention to the
plight of the poor. Laws must be geared towards this end and the society must actively
participate in the promotion of the same.

The Philippine Government has done extensive efforts in promoting equity and inclusiveness.
The current Constitution makes it as one of its state policies the promotion of social justice.
Pursuant to this, the Congress has enacted social legislations like the Comprehensive Agrarian
Reform Law which aims at freeing the farmer tenants from the bondage of the soil. Also,
representation in the Congress, under the party list system, is constitutionally mandated to have
sectoral representation of the underprivileged. Gender and Development programs are in the
process of being integrated with the various structures and institutions in the country. But
legislation is one thing; implementation is another.

7. Consensus-Oriented - Governance is consensus-oriented when decisions are made after

taking into consideration the different viewpoints of the actors of the society. Mechanisms for
conflict resolution must be in place because inevitably conflict that will arise from competing
interests of the actors. To meet the consensus, a strong, impartial, and flexible mediation
structure must be established. Without such, compromises and a broad consensus cannot be
reached that serves that best interest of the whole community. Fundamentally, democratic
governance is based on the partnership of the actors of the society in providing public services.
Decision-making must therefore entail recognition of their respective interests as well as their
respective duties. The essential of governance could never be expressed in a unilateral act of
policy making by the public sector or other dominant sectors. Public hearings or consultations in
arriving at a consensus are therefore inherently necessary in the process of governance.

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Among the things done by the Philippines in promoting a consensus-oriented governance are: (1)
creation of a wide-based of representation in the Congress; (2) a two-tiered legislature or
bicameralism which subject legislation to the evaluation of national and district legislators; and
(3) necessity of public hearings or consultations of various governmental policies and actions.

8. Accountability - Accountability means answerability or responsibility for one’s action. It is

based on the principle that every person or group is responsible for their actions most especially
when their acts affect public interest. The actors have an obligation to explain and be answerable
for the consequences of decisions and actions they have made on behalf of the community it
serves.

Accountability comes in various forms: political, hierarchical, and managerial accountability.

Political accountability refers to the accountability of public officials to the people they
represent. Hierarchical accountability refers to the ordered accountability of the various agencies
and their respective officers and personnel in relation to their program objectives. Managerial
accountability refers to employee accountability based on organization and individual
performance. A system of rewards and punishment must be in place to strengthen the processes
and institutions of governance.

The Philippines in the recent years had endeavored to comply with the requirements of
accountability. It had put in action the concept of political accountability as it held answerable
erring public officials involved in graft and corruption and for acts contrary to the mandate of the
constitution. It had also strengthened parliamentary scrutiny through legislative investigations
and creation of special committees exercising oversight functions. The Office of the
Ombudsman, considered as the public watchdog, has become ever so active in investigating and
prosecuting graft and plunders cases. Citizen’s Charter, as required by ARTA, was also an
important tool in promoting professional public service values. In this area, Philippine
governance has done relatively well.

Importance of Studying Governance

From the information learned in the discussion of governance, the people, most especially the
citizens, will be aware of the need for good governance. Consequently, such awareness should
move them to action. For their continued empowerment and sustainable development, they have
to know how to fight for their rights by knowing what to expect from Philippine governance.
Thus, what will follow is an exposition of the basic concepts of governance, the ideal type of
governance, and the status of the Philippines vis-à-vis the indicators of good governance.

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 See if you can do this!
Note: ONLINE STUDENTS MUST NOT ANSWER THESE ACTIVITIES.
Activity 1 – Give the meaning of the following words or phrases:

1. Politics _______________________________________________
2. Political Science________________________________________
3. Government___________________________________________
4. State_________________________________________________
5. Sovereignty____________________________________________
6. Nation________________________________________________

Activity 2 Compare and Contrast Traditional Approach from Behavioral Approach

Approach in the
Definition Characteristic Features
Study of Politics

Activity 3 Identify Which Characteristic of Good Governance Is Being Defined

1. active involvement of all affected and 2. information on matters of public 3. institutions and processes serve all stakeholders in a
interested parties in the decision- concern is made available to the timely and appropriate manner
making process citizens or those who will be
directly affected

4. answerability or responsibility for 5. decisions are made after taking into 6. demands that the people and the civil society render
one’s action consideration the different habitual obedience to the law
viewpoints of the actors of the
society
7. requires that the institutions, 8. all the members of the society must
processes, and actors could deliver be taken into consideration in
and meet the necessities of the society policy-making
in a way that available resources are
utilized well

Activity 4 Powerpoint Presentation

Instructions: Choose one (1) topic that was discussed and prepare a powerpoint presentation.

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