Introduction to politics

People enjoy politics for different reasons. Some view it primarily
as a spectator sport-watching the votes come in on election night can
be exciting. Others enjoy participating in the political process-working
in a campaign or demonstrating for an important issue. An Introduction
to Politics has been written for both spectators and participants, as well
as the politically unaware.
The text's basic assumption is that politics affects all of our lives.
A functioning political system is essential to a functioning society. So,
to the political spectators, I hope this book makes politics even more
fascinating; to active political participants, I hope this book opens up
new avenues for your interest and activism; and to the politically un-
aware, I hope this book demonstrates how valuable involvement in pol-
itics is both for the individual and for society.
This text covers as many political topics as possible, but its major
strategy is to emphasize the functions of politics. In particular, politics
is examined as a function of how societies distribute benefits and costs.
This approach gives the book a framework, yet it is not a constricting
one.
While a book written primarily to introduce students to politics
will draw on the American system for examples, it should not be an
American government text. An Introduction to Politics draws on many
cross-national comparisons and examples to illustrate the concepts and
relationships discussed.
The text is organized in five parts. Part I analyzes several defini-
tions and conceptions of politics. A chapter on "Models of Politics” at-
tempts to explain politics by comparing it to familiar games such as
football and chess. This Part concludes with the notion that politics
develops as a means of deciding who gets what in a society.
Part II examines politics within the environments of power, polit-
ical culture, economic and ideological systems.
Part III discusses the roles of institutions—legislatures, execu-
tives, bureaucracies, and courts—in political systems.
Part IV looks at politics from the standpoint of the individual or
group who wants to have an impact on the political process. It is here
that we discuss various forms of political participation, including vot-
ing, and the activities of political interest groups. We also consider why