Realities in Politics

Politics is possibly the most hated word in the English language. Most people hate politics and government without really knowing what they are. Many different definitions of politics exist. One definition defines politics as the conflict between groups over something they both want. Another similar definition calls politics the "who gets what, when, and how."

Government is defined as the institution that has the enforceable right to control people’s behaviour. But why do people hate politics and politicians? Is it because politicians cannot be trusted, or maybe because they spend too much money? Whatever the reasons are for hating politics and government, both are needed as a mechanism for people to protect themselves. Possibly, if people developed a better understanding of politics and government, they would change their views about the subject. This could come about by looking at the various types of government and how they evolved.

One of the social problem in the Philippines is the so-called Political Dynasty. It is very rampant in most of the government positions in the Philippines. There maybe pros and cons regarding this matter but our history is replete with accounts that political dynasty brings more harm than good to our nation. Political dynasty is considered as one of the root causes why it is difficult to address the problem of graft and corruption. The prominence of many dynastic politicians may make it seem like Filipino politics is largely a family affair. Political power in the Philippines is self-perpetuating and that the presence of political dynasties does not merely reflect differences in ability across families. We define self-perpetuation as a power-treatment effect, whereby holding political power for longer increases the probability that one’s heirs attain political power in the future regardless of family characteristics.