Tools of Politics

What tools does politics involve?  Compromise, cooperation, bargaining, discussion, debate, even bribery and deceit

--Example of bribery and deceit:  Watergate

--Success at politics requires bargaining and compromise

----simple issues plus trust in participants equals success

----Examples:  bargaining regarding prolonged exchange of proposals and counterproposals between teenagers and parents—may be all that’s needed to reach a collective decision

--Successful bargaining generally ends in compromise or a settlement in which each side concedes some preferences to secure others

Preferences—regarded as ‘givens’—individuals and groups know what they want—must be reconciled if they are to agree to some common cause of action

---may reflect individual’s economic situation, religious values, ethnic identity, or some other valued interest 

----example:  we commonly associate preferences with some perception of self-interest 

----we commonly associate preferences with some perception of self-interest, but they need not be so restrictive. 

----Millions of Americans oppose capital punishment, but surely very few of those who do expect to benefit from such a ban  (Think about the most heinous crimes requiring capital punishment and if they weren’t carried out) 

Reconciling preferences

--a fundamental problem of governance

--example:  Constitution

----James Madison, who played a role in drafting the document explains that the new government must be devised to represent and reconcile society’s many, diverse preferences “sown in the nature of man”:

“A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other points…have, in turn, divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to co-operate for their common good.  So strong is this propensity of mankind to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions and excite their most violent conflicts”  excerpt from Federalist No. 10. 

Meaning:  Madison took into account the human nature of all—there are many preferences and the government must be made to represent and reconcile those diverse preferences. 

What is politics?

1.       What are ‘Politics

--Anything that involve political power; the power of causing people to behave in a way that conforms to one’s will

 --It is our capacity to be political—to cooperate, bargain, and compromise

--It allows us to reach more exalted heights than we could ever achieve alone

----Examples:  dedication of a new public library, dismantling of the Berlin Wall, establishment of democratic elections in Iraq

Famous definition from Harold Lasswell for politics:  “who gets what when and how”

--Who gets power and resources in society and how to get them 

What is power?  The ability to get other people to do what you want them to do. 

--Resources in question?  Governmental jobs, tax revenues, laws that help you get your way, or public policies that work to your advantage

Politics is the process through which we try to arrange our collective lives in some kind of social order so that we can live without crashing into one another at every turn, and to provide ourselves with goods and services we could not obtain alone. 

It is also about getting your own way.  It may be a noble goal for society or pure self-interest, but the struggle you engage in is a political one 

Politics is about power and scarce resources.  There will always be winners and losers in politics 

For everyone to get his or her own way, there would be no politics.

To get your way all the time—no politics

           --no resolution or compromise between conflicting interests
            --no agreements struck, bargains made, or alliances formed
            --Example:  the desire to change an AP class into an honors class
            -----there has to be bargaining and compromise with those who want the class to stay AP. 
            --Example 2:  needing to get something during class and rules are to take care of business before class
             ----could bargain and compromise something:  i.e. let the person go during class; give them a certain number of chances to do this until he or she runs out of opportunities (ie during a 9 week period) 

 Without bargaining or compromise – what would happen? 

             --life would be constant conflict as Thomas Hobbes said – “war of all against all” 
             ----Individuals unable to cooperate with one another (because cooperation is essentially political), would have no option but to resort to brute force to settle disputes. 

 That is why we have politics