Political View

Political views are views about politics. But what is politics? Political scientists do not agree on a single definition. Some say politics is what goes on in the government of a state and between the governments of states. Others would argue that politics can also be found in non-governmental institutions like labor unions, churches, and universities. Some prefer to define politics as the exercise of power and influence wherever it can be found.

In my “Introduction to Political Science” course, I go back to the origins of the word “politics.” It comes from the Ancient Greek polis, or “city-state.” People live together in a community. Problems and opportunities arise out of their living together. In any community, there are people who are dysfunctional to the community. They kill, steal, assault, and commit other acts which are seen as threats to the community. The community needs to decide what to do about such people.

Being human, members of the community will typically disagree about the nature of political problems and what to do about them. So, every community needs to adopt rules and institutions for deliberation and resolution of such issues. Rules need to be adopted, as well as ways of adjudicating and enforcing them. Different political communities have dealt with these things in different ways. In Ancient Athens, it was the assembly of all citizens (excluding slaves and women, of course) that made all the decisions. Throughout most of history, as the territorial state emerged, a single sovereign ruler was often seen as the best way to deal with the problems facing the state, that is, the territorial-extended community.

Around the middle of the 18th century, the idea of democracy, rule by the people began to grow in force. Political ideologies, that is, political philosophies simplified for mass consumption emerged to guide and inspire the political views of ordinary people. Liberalism, Conservatism, Nationalism, and Socialism are some of the most influential modern ideologies.

In sum, then, political views are views on issues facing the political community. Should government take responsibility for health care? How much should government be involved in the economy—if at all? Should one’s country have a space program? What should be the aims of a state’s foreign policy?