Concept in Definition ABC
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
By Gabriel Duarte, on Oct. 2008
Politics is human activity concerning decision-making that will lead the actions of society as a whole.. The term is related to "polis" that alluded to the Greek cities that constituted states. In the context of a democratic society, politics is of significant importance, insofar as it is the discipline that guarantees the operation of the system. However, it is correct to say that the interaction between people with a view to leading the group to achieve a series of objectives is intrinsic to humanity since its inception.
The political model of a state is also complemented by a predominant economic model. Without the economy political action cannot be considered. At present, always within the capitalist system, two models can be clearly differentiated: the neoliberal where the action of the state is limited, and does not regulate the market, because it regulates itself and is capable of correcting its own shortcomings, and the populist model, which proposes an interventionist state, which regulates financial / economic activity, and seeks to balance the gaps between rich and poor.
Many famous authors have devoted themselves to the analysis of political action: Confucius, he related good performance as a ruler with ethical aptitude, considering that only a virtuous man should have authority; Plato argued that all political systems are corrupt by nature and that the government should fall back on an educated class for that activity; Aristotle He assured that politics is intrinsic to the nature of man, that it is necessary to live fully moral and that every form of government can have a correct and an incorrect aspect; Nicholas Machiavelli He asserted that the end justifies the means, summarizing a position consisting of accessing positions of power through the use of subterfuges; Thomas Hobbes He referred to a hypothetical state of nature in which men would have absolute freedom, an aspect that would trigger constant confrontations, for which a social contract would be necessary; John Locke he opposed the state of nature involving constant struggle; Jean-Jacques Rousseau he assigned other nuances to the idea of social pact developed by Hobbes and Locke; John stuart mill praised the democracy as a breakthrough; and finally, Karl Marx he claimed that every form of government up to that time represented a ruling class.
According to the latter, society is governed by a class struggle to be "the ruling class." In this sense, Marx posits that society is a constant class struggle, and the conflict it is imminent and permanent.
Within democracy, the representative form assumes that individuals elect their representatives by vote, but the representative form participation of these does not extend beyond this voting share. On the other hand, participatory democracy supposes a much broader activity of citizens in the political area, such as popular consultations or public hearings.
Beyond the posture with regard to the exercise of this activity, the truth is that it is necessary to live in society. The widespread opinion that associates it with situations of corruption may be true, but it does not invalidate its relevance. Only with education in this matter a better integration citizen, and therefore, greater and better participation.
In a global context of crisis and questioning of the activity of the representatives of the governments, the effervescence of political activity in society in general has been fostered in the last years. Protests, mobilizations, demonstrations in different parts of the planet allow reflecting social action in about fighting for citizens' rights and protesting for improvements in economic / political systems current.
Topics in Politics