POLSCI 2: Politics and Governance with Philippine Constitution

Objective:

1) To introduce to the students the basic concepts and vital elements of politics and governance;

2) To explain how the important features of our country’s political structures/institutions, processes, and relationships developed; and

3) To help students gain a better appreciation of their rights and responsibilities as individuals and as members of the larger sociopolitical community to strengthen their civic competence.

I. Definition of Terms

a) Politics – originated from the word “polis” or the Greek word for city-states; “Politicus” adjective used to describe anything “of the state”. May be defined as the art of government, public affairs, compromise, consensus and power

b) Political Science – it is the systematic study of the state and the government; “Polis” meaning city, or what today is the equivalent of a sovereign state and “Scire” meaning “to know”.

II. Objective of Political Science

a) Education for citizenship – preparation of students for careers in politics, law, teaching, the civil service, and the foreign service;

b) Essential part of liberal education – well-informed and responsible citizenry;

c) Knowledge and understanding of the government – one must know how his government operates, what interests and forces are behind particular policies, what the results of such policies are likely to be, what his rights and obligations are, who his elected representatives are, and what they stand for.

III. Concept of State and Government

a) State – a community of persons more or less numerous, permanently occupying a definite portion of territory, having a government of their own to which the great body of inhabitants render obedience, and enjoying freedom from external control.

b) Essential elements

1. People – refers to the mass of population living within the state: small enough to be governed and large enough to be self-sufficing.

2. Territory – it is the domain of the state over which its jurisdiction extends: terrestrial, fluvial, maritime and aerial.

3. Government – refers to the agency through which the will of the state is formulated, expressed and carried out.

4. Sovereignty – supreme power of the state to command and enforce obedience to its will from people within its jurisdiction and corollarily, freedom from foreign control. Internal or the power to rule within its territory and External or the freedom to carry out its activities and affairs without subjection to control by other states (Independence).

c)