Introduction to politics
- London "Scott, Foresman & Co." 1987
- 348p.
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