SCHOOL NAME

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

First Semester S.Y. 2020-2021

MODULE 1
PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND
GOVERNANCE

Name: _______________________________ Date :__________

Grade/Section: ________________________ Week
:_____1_____
Track/Strand: _________________________
 THE CONCEPT OF POLITICS AND
Lesson 1
GOVERNANCE

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

The concept of politics and governance is not new. However, it means different
things to different people, therefore we have to get our focus right. The actual meaning of
the concept depends on the level of governance we are talking about, the goals to be
achieved and the approach being followed. Thus, it is clear that the concept of politics and
governance over the years have gained momentum and a wider meaning. Apart from
being an instrument of public affairs management, or a gauge of political development,
governance has become a useful mechanism to enhance the legitimacy of the public realm.
It has also become an analytical framework or approach to comparative politics.
Consequently, this lesson introduces the students to the basic concepts and vital
elements of politics and governance from a historical-institutional perspective. In
particular, it attempts to provide a broad relevant definitions so that a more encompassing
understanding of the concept is appreciated. In the process, this will help the learners gain
a better appreciation of their rights and responsibilities as individuals and as members of
the larger sociopolitical community to strengthen their civic competence.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO LEARN?

Content Standard:
 The learners demonstrate an understanding of politics and political
science, governance, political ideologies, power, states, nations, and
globalization.

Performance Standard:
 The learners clearly identify a specific political phenomenon and how
it can be studied.

Objectives:
After the lesson, the learners should be able to:
1. articulate the definition of Politics, Political Science, Nation, State, and
Government;
2. explore the connection between the phenomenon (politics) and the method of
inquiry (Political Science);
3. differentiate nation from state;
4. determine the various types of government.
PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY

Imagine yourself alone and isolated in an island far from civilization.

What would you do? Can you survive without other people?
Write your response on the space provided below.

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WHAT IS POLITICS?

Politics is a very elusive term. It is very difficult to define and understand. The
reason 1s that the concept cannot be defined categorically. Analogously, it can be
understood depending on the perspective of person. However, we still need to establish
some form of definition for us to understand this complex concept.

According to Plato, POLITICS is the study of the affairs of the Polis (city-state),
which he defined as the most sovereign and inclusive association.

To Robert Dahl, POLITICS is the existence of rules or authority within the state. It is
therefore the study of power relationship among the people in a given society as well those
relationships among states in the international community (Lazo, 2009).

POLITICS is the exercise of power making of political decisions, practice of

deception and manipulation exercise of authority, allocation of limited resources. It is the
study that tries to complement extreme power and interests in the society, making of
common decision, and use of force to affect the behavior of another person or group.

Etymologically, politics came from the Greek word polis. Polis refers to the Greek
city-state. The most possible reason is that the human activity called politics started during
the time of the Greek city-states. This claim, of course, is debatable and probably is a result
of the dominance of the West (refers to Europe and North America particularly the United
States) in the field of political science. Ironically, the original of the term is in itself political.

Using this etymology of the word politics, we can discern what the concept is all
about. It would seem that when we talk about politics, it refers to the government. This is
probably the reason why some define politics as the art of government. Consequently, this is
not wrong. In fact, most people would look at politics as something that the government
does. Whatever the government does and whatever the people do in relation to government,
that is politics. The government is the one that is central to the activity of politics. Thus, the
government and the officials-both elected and appointed are the ones who can use politics.
Therefore, politics is really about the activity of the government.

Although the aforementioned concept of politics is true, it can still be challenged. The
reason is that if politics is limited to government, it will be a reductionist conception.
Similarly, as post-modern political scientists would remark, politics is not limited to the
activity of the state and government because politics is everywhere. Even in the most basic
unit of society - the family, politics is observable. For example, when a family decides on
where to go on their vacation, politics is manifested. The reason is that there is a call for
decision-making. Decision-making is a political activity since it would be like how the state
decides on what is the better policy alternative. The same can be said inside a family.

We can cite a lot more situations wherein politics is present in our everyday normal
lives. Thus, it is undeniably true that politics is not limited to the activity of the government.
In this light, we should try to understand politics in a broader manner. Here is a definition
of politics that can serve as our starting point. Politics is a human activity that deals to a
certain extent, with POWER, CONFLICT, and DECISION-MAKING.

Did you know that people who are unaware or an only partly unaware and
uninformed of what is going on is called as “ldiotes”. Idiots for ancient Greeks
means a person who does not vote, does not discuss public issues, and does not
involve himself in government affairs.

The concept of politics is an elusive one. Usually, the concept of politics is related
to the activity of the government.
Politics is an activity that can be found in society. It can be found in family,
friendships, and the Church. Also, simple everyday objects may also express
political relationships.
Politics is a human activity that deals to a certain extent, with power, conflict, and
decision-making.
Decision-making is a political process wherein one should make decisions based on
the utility of the choice. In light of the government, decision-making must be done
democratically and deliberately so that they can arrive with decisions that consider
the common good.

WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE?

 The different concepts related to politics, particularly, are power, conflict, and
decision-making. To study this human activity, discipline is called Political Science. To
define the discipline, POLITICAL SCIENCE is the study and research about the human activity
that deals to a certain extent, with power, conflict, and decision-making.

It is important to study Political Science because it enables us to understand how

political system works, the function and role of government, develop political awareness,
understand sociopolitical issues and their implications, and cultivate responsive citizenship
and effective participation in the government.

POLITICS VS. POLITICAL SCIENCE

There is no real difference between Political Science and Politics. Political Science
studies Politics, i.e. all political relations and interactions in society. Hence it cart be called
Politics. Modern Political Scientists do not make a distinction between the two. They reject
the traditional view which makes a distinction between these two.

Let us study both traditional and modern views regarding the relationship between
Political Science and Politics:

1. Traditional View

 Politics means the issues, problems and political activities which are actually taking
place in society. Against it, Political Science is a social science which studies the State
and Government.
 Politics is concerned with the day to day actual activities of the Government. Political
Science seeks to study the origin, nature, and functions of the State, Government and
its all organs.
 Politics differs from State to State and within a State from time to time. The principles
of Political Science are universal. Politics in India and Britain is different but the
theory of Political Science is the same in both the countries.
 Whereas each one of us is involved in politics, either, directly or indirectly, Political
Science is studied only by the students of this social discipline.

2. Modern View: No difference between Politics & Political Science

In contemporary times all political scientists believe that there is no real difference
between Politics and Political Science. Political Science studies Politics and hence can be
called Politics. State and Government are the two main institutions of political life of man.
These are the main objects of study in Politics. The terms Politics and Political Science are
synonyms.

Politics or Political Science means the study of all political relations and interactions.
Political relations and interactions are those which are involved in the exercise of power in
society. Modern Political Scientists do not accept any distinction between Politics and
Political Science. They hold that Politics is an appropriate name for describing the study of
state, government, political relations and political processes.
Explaining the difference between Politics and Political Science, Bluntschli
writes, “Politics is an art which is related to the practical problems of State and
Government; as against it, Political Science is the science of State.”
 WHAT IS A STATE?

In the study of political science, one of the more important units of analysis is the
state. To understand what a state is, we should first differentiate it with some concepts that
are usually confused with it. The first one is nation. At first glance, the use of state and
nation may be the same. In fact, some analysis use them interchangeably. However, they are
distinct from each other. Technically, when you say nation, it refers to a group of persons
belonging to one community, having one culture and language, and living the same
experience. It does not mean that nation would automatically have a territory and
government. It exclusively refers to the people.

Another concept confused with the state is the nation-state. Basically, we can say that
this is closer to the real concept of the state since this also includes all the elements of the
state people, territory government, and sovereignty. However, the main difference lies in the
characteristic of the populace. In a nation-state, the people are homogenous. This means that
the population has one culture, one language, one experience, and one ethnicity. Thus, a
country can be called a nation-state only when the population living in the state has no or
almost no difference. Thus, this would require a population that has no variety. This is the
reason why this concept is an ideal one because it is close to impossibility. The closest
country here is probably Japan. But, even in Japan, there are still ethnic differences.

In this context, then, what is a state? The traditional, formal-legal, definition of the
state is, it is a community of persons, more or less numerous, living in a specific territory,
having a government that commands obedience within the territory and is free from
external control. From this definition, we can derive the essential elements of the state –
people, territory, government, and sovereignty.

POPULATION

State is a community of persons. It is a human political institution. Without a

population there can be no State. Population can be more or less but it has to be there. There
are States with very small populations like Switzerland, Canada and others, and there are
States like China, India and others, with very large populations.

The people living in the State are the citizens of the State. They enjoy rights and
freedom as citizens as well as perform several duties towards the State. When citizens of
another State are living in the territory of the State, they are called aliens. All the persons,
citizens as well as aliens, who are living in the territory of the State are duty bound to obey
the state laws and policies. The State exercises supreme authority over them through its
government.

There is no definite limit for the size of population essential for a State. However, it is
recognized that the population should be neither too large nor very small. It has to be within
a reasonable limit. It should be determined on the basis of the size of the territory of the
State, the available resources, the standard of living expected and needs of defense,
production of goods and supplies.
TERRITORY

Territory is the second essential element of the State. State is a territorial unit.
Definite territory is its essential component. A State cannot exist in the air or at sea. It is
essentially a territorial State. The size of the territory of a State can be big or small;
nevertheless it has to be a definite, well-marked portion of territory.

Further, it must be noted that the territory of the state includes not only the land but
also, rivers, lakes, canals inland seas if any, a portion of coastal sea—territorial waters or
maritime belt, continental shelf, mountains, hills and all other land features along with the
air space above the territory.

GOVERNMENT

Government is the organization or machinery or agency or magistracy of the State

which makes, implements, enforces and adjudicates the laws of the state. Government is the
third essential element of the State. The state exercises its sovereign power through its
government.

This sometimes creates the impression that there is no difference between the State
and Government. However it must be clearly noted that government is just one element of
the State. It is the agent or the working agency of the State. Sovereignty belongs to the State;
the government only uses it on behalf of the State.

Each government has three organs - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Each of
these three organs of the government carries out its assigned functions. Independence of
Judiciary is also a settled rule. The relationship between the Legislature and Executive is
defined by law and it corresponds to the adopted form of government. In a Parliamentary
form of government, like the one which is working in India and Britain, the legislature and
executive are closely related and the latter is collectively responsible before the former.

Government is an essential element of State. However it keeps on changing after

regular intervals. Further, Government can be of any form—Monarchy or Aristocracy or
Dictatorship or Democracy. It can be either Parliamentary or Presidential or both. It can be
Unitary or Federal or of mixture of these two in its organization and working. In
contemporary times every civilized State has a democratic representative, responsible
transparent and accountable government.

SOVEREIGNTY

Sovereignty is the most exclusive element of State. State alone possess sovereignty.
Without sovereignty no state can exit. Some institutions can have the first three elements
(Population, Territory, and Government) but not sovereignty.

State has the exclusive title and prerogative to exercise supreme power over all its
people and territory. In fact, Sovereignty is the basis on which the State regulates all aspects
of the life of the people living in its territory.

As the supreme power of the State, Sovereignty has two dimensions:

(1) Internal Sovereignty:

It means the power of the State to order and regulate the activities of all the people,
groups and institutions which are at work within its territory. All these institutions always
act in accordance with the laws of the State. The State can punish them for every violation of
any of its laws.

(2) External Sovereignty:

It means complete independence of the State from external control. It also means the
full freedom of the State to participate in the activities of the community of nations. Each
state has the sovereign power to formulate and act on the basis of its independent foreign
policy.

We can define external sovereignty of the State as its sovereign equality with every
other state. State voluntarily accepts rules of international law. These cannot be forced upon
the State. India is free to sign or not to sign any treaty with any other state. No state can
force it to do so.

WHAT IS GOVERNMENT?

As discussed earlier, the government is an essential element of the state. It is the

agency wherein the will of the state is manifested. In democratic countries like the
Philippines, the will of the state is also the will of the people. On the other hand, in
autocratic countries, the will of the state is the will of the autocrat. Thus, governments vary
depending on how they are going to express the will of the state. Also the government is in
charge of making, implementing, and adjudicating laws to regulate the society. Hence, if
the government fails in doing their duty, society might fall into anarchy.

Government basically has three purposes based on the social contract theory. The
first one is the maintenance of peace and order. The government should use the power it
has to make sure that the safety of the people is given attention. The second purpose is to
protect the rights of the people. To avoid abusing its power, the state must also recognize
the rights of the people and protect it. The last purpose is to promote the common good. In
short, the government should work to promote the betterment of society.

Generally, a government has three (3) branches. The first one is the executive branch.
This branch of government is involved in the process of rule-implementation. Basically, this
branch is the one charge of enforcing the laws and rules in society. In the context of the
Philippines, the executive branch refers to the President and its cabinet members. The next
branch is the legislative branch. The duty of this branch has something to do with rule-
making. They make laws and policies that are essential in keeping society in order. The
Congress of the Philippines is seen as the legislative branch of government. The last branch
of government is known as the judicial branch. Apparently, this branch of government is in
charge of rule-adjudication or rule-interpretation. The aforementioned branch is in charge
of resolving conflicts on the rules and laws being implemented. Hence, this branch serves as
the arbiter of parties in case of different interpretations and conflicts in relation to the law.

The main reason why the government is divided into different branches is to
follow the concept of separation of powers. Observably, each branch has its own role and
does it independently. There should be no overlapping of roles and duties since it would
violate the principle per se. In this context, these branches are co-equal with each other. This
means that no branch is higher than the other. Moreover, if there would be interactions
among them, the interactions would be following the principle of checks and balances. The
reason behind this checks and balances is to avoid the abuse of power by a certain branch.
For example, when the legislature makes a law, it should first be approved by the executive
before it can be implemented. If there will be cases wherein the executive did not like the
law or part of the 1aw, the executive has veto power - a power that rejects a bill or part of
the bill. In response, if the legislature did not agree with the veto, the legislature can
override the veto by getting the number of votes required. In the case of the judicial branch,
it can declare a law made by the legislature or a decree made by the executive as
constitutional or unconstitutional since it is their duty to interpret if the law or decree is
consistent with constitution. In response, the legislative can impeach member of the
Supreme Court or the President is in charge of pointing the members of the judiciary. In
short, each branch can counteract each other's powers to prevent any abuse by one.

FIVE TYPES OF GOVERNMENT

(1) Democracy

A democracy can be defined as a government system with supreme power placed

in the hands of the people. It can be traced back to as early as the fifth century B.C. In fact,
the word democracy is Greek for “people power”. Philippines is as an example of a
democratic government system. Other examples of democratic states include Aruba,
Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

(2) Republic

In a republic government system, the power also rests with the people, as they are
in charge of electing or choosing the country’s leader, instead of the leader being
appointed or inheriting power. Broadly defined, a republic is a government system without
a monarch. A republic may be governed by a group of nobles, as long as there is not a single
monarch. Some examples of countries with a republic government system include
Argentina, Bolivia, Czech Republic and France.

(3) Monarchy

In a monarchy, state power is held by a single family that inherits rule from one
generation to the next. In a monarchy, an individual from the royal family holds the
position of power until they die. Today, the majority of monarchy governments have
transitioned to constitutional monarchies, where the monarch is head of state but only
performs ceremonial roles and does not have state power. Only a few countries still have
systems where the monarch retains control; these include Brunei, Oman, Saudi Arabia and
Swaziland.

(4) Communism

A communist government system is usually based on a particular ideology of

communism taught by Karl Marx or Vladimir Lenin. A single party or group of people
usually runs communist states. In some cases, citizens of a communist state are given
certain jobs or life duties in an effort to obtain collective citizenship for the state. Examples of
communist states include China, Cuba and Vietnam.

(5) Dictatorship

In a dictatorship, a single person, a dictator, has absolute power over the state. It is
not necessarily ruled by a theology or belief. It is an authoritarian form of government
where one person is in charge of enforcing and enacting the law. Aspects often include
military organizational backing, unfair elections (if any) and various human rights
violations. A dictator does not usually inherit their power like a monarch does; they either
seize control of the state by force or through (usually unfair) elections. Dictators are not held
accountable for their actions and thus are free to do as they please, including limiting
citizens’ rights. Burundi, Chad, Equatorial Guinea and North Korea are contemporary
examples of countries run by a dictator.

While these types of government systems all vary, they have at least one similarity:
the allocation of power. Whether it be the allocation of power to a single person, a
group of people, or evenly distributed to everyone, power is the shared theme of all
types of government systems.
–Hine, H. (2018)

f State.”

ASSESSMENT

I. MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. Write T if the statement is correct. If it is wrong

replace the underlined word with the correct answer on the space provided before
the number.

_________________________1. Legislative is in charge of enforcing the laws and rules

in society.

_________________________2. Nation refers to a group of persons belonging to one

community, having one culture and language, and
living the same experience.

_________________________3. Philippines is as an example of a dictatorship

government system.

_________________________4. Politics is the study and research about the human

activity that deals to a certain extent, with power,
conflict, and decision-making.
_________________________5. The state has 3 branches namely legislative, judicial, and
executive.

_________________________6. The executive branch of government refers to the

president and its cabinet members.

_________________________7. Judicial has the power to veto.

_________________________8. Monarchy is a kind of government that is described as

the government of the people, by the people, and for the
people?

_________________________9. The essential elements of the state are people, territory,

government, and politics.

_________________________10. Politics is a human activity that deals to a certain

extent, with power, conflict, and decision-making.

_________________________11. Idiotes refers to the Greek City-State.

_________________________12. Political ideology is a political process wherein one

should make decisions based on the utility of the
choice.

_________________________13. A communist government system is usually based on a

particular ideology of communism taught by Plato.

_________________________14. In a republic government system, the power also rests

with the people, as they are in charge of electing or
choosing the country’s leader, instead of the leader
being appointed or inheriting power.

_________________________15. North Korea is a contemporary example of country

under democratic type of government.

II. ESSAY. Explain the following principles. Write your answers on the space
provided.
1. “No man is an island” (anchor your explanation to the concept of Politics)
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2. Separation of Powers
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TEACHER’S FEEDBACK

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REFERENCES

Angeles, K. (2020). LESSON 1: Introduction: The concepts of politics and governance. The
meaning of politics. Retrieved from
https://www.academia.edu/35639700/LESSON_1_Introduction_The_concepts_of_
politics_and_governance_The_meaning_of_politics?auto=download

Francisco, P. & Francisco, V. (2016). Philippine Politics and Governance for Senior High
School. Mindshappers Co., Inc., Intamuros, Manila.

Ghai, K. (2020). Relationship between Political Science and Politics. Retrieved from
https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/politics-essay/relationship-between-
political-science-and-politics/40320

"Governance Barometer: Policy guidelines for good governance" Website of South Africa's
National Party. Retrieved from http://www.gdrc.org/u-gov/governance-
understand.html

Tadeo, C. (2017). Philippine Politics and Governance. Retrieved from

https://www.slideshare.net/CarlPatrickTadeo1/introduction-to-philippine-politics-
andgovernance90664747?fbclid=IwAR0uS2MKbq_2KGJgJ266NOBhtlx1LDFjUYWRi
VSW73k5dcalyiKHX-3u5VQ