Politics and Government

Knowing about what is happening around an individual is very important. Having a voice in what is going on around a person is also very important. The decisions that people make and especially political decisions affect many lives. It is, therefore, essential for individuals to have a better understanding of politics to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Politics encompasses how individuals and societies organize their affairs. Through politics, individuals can learn the accepted code of behavior in a community and the consequences individuals are likely to encounter if they violate the laws of the land. Through politics also, individuals can elect leaders of their choice to trigger the development agendas in the given societies (Haynes, 2001). However, the political way of life varies from culture to culture.

The government encompasses the institutions and processes that are employed by society to organize their affairs and to protect them from both internal and external threats. There exist different forms of governments in the world. In a monarchy, there is undivided sovereignty. The supreme power is vested in a single ruler who functions as the head of state and who rises to power through heredity (Haynes, 2001). Monarchies are of two types, absolute and constitutional monarchies. In absolute monarchies, the ruler has little or no legitimate restrictions on fundamental issues. In constitutional monarchies, the ruler holds a different constitutional and ceremonial role but exercises restricted or no political power. In a democratic form of administration, power is left in the hands of the people. Individuals can either directly participate in decision making or exercise their control through elected leaders. In an oligarchy administration, power is possessed by a few individuals or a dominant class of people within the society, like in the former Soviet Union. In a dictatorial administration, on the other hand, power is held by an individual or a few individuals with absolute power without practical constitutional limitations.

In conclusion, there exist different forms of government in the world. Politics and governments are shaped by the cultures of different people in different parts of the world.

References

Haynes, J. (2001). Democracy in the Developing World: Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Democracy in the Developing World, 1-256.

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Politics and Government

Paper details
Read p. 4-7 in the text, then discuss here:
what is politics?
what is government and the different forms of government?