Philippine Politics and Governance

( GRADE 12 First Semester)

MODULE 1
LESSON 1: Introduction: The concepts of politics and
governance
LESSON 2: Political Ideologies

Prepared by:
Ms.Erika D. General
LESSON 1: Introduction: The concepts of politics and governance

Activity 1
4 Pics 1 Word: Four pictures will be shown to students at a time. The students shall find the
connection of the pictures. A word that connects the pictures will be guessed by the students.

Answer: Answer: Answer:

The meaning of politics

Politics (from Greek: Polis definition "affairs of the cities") is the process of making decisions
that apply to members of a group, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance
— organized control over a human community, particularly a state. Furthermore, politics is the
study or practice of the distribution of power and resources within a given community (this is
usually a hierarchically organized population) as well as the interrelationship(s) between
communities.

Activity 2
Semantic Web Map
Give words associated to the word “ Politics”.

Politics

POLITICS
Activities of people where they create, preserve, and amend laws under which they live.

Study of WHO, WHEN and HOW--- Harold Laswell

--- who gets power, authority and leadership?
--- when they able to get it?
--- how they able to get it?
 is the exercise of power
 the science of government
 the making of collective decisions
 the allocations of scarce resources
 the practice off deceptions and manipulations
  Politics as the art of government
 Politics as public affair
 Politics as compromise and consensus
 Politics as power

Characteristics of Politics (Shieveley, 2013)

1. Politics always involves the making of collective decisions for group of people.
2. Those decisions are made by some members of the group, exercising power over other
members of the group
What is Political Science

 the scientific study of politics

 study of politics, political systems, and governments
 focuses on the theory and practice of government
 theory of state and government
 seeks to study the origin, nature and functions of the state, government and its all
organs
 Deals with the study of power in society, politics, and government

 Aristotle- father of Political Science

 Niccolo Machiavelli - father of Modern Political Science

Guide Question:
1. Why do you think we study politics?
2. What are the differences and the connection between politics and Political Science?

Activity 3
Answer the following:
1. “Explain the connection or relation of politics and Political Science.”
2. Why do you think that it is necessary for students who aspire to be lawyers to take
Political Science?
3. What is your own definition of politics and of Political Science

Differentiate governance from government

Governance is the act of governing or ruling. It is the set of rules and laws framed by the
government that are to be implemented through the representatives of the state. ... The difference
between “government” and “governance” may be clarified using an example of a business which
is run by a group of people.
The meaning of governance
• The process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented.
(Sheng, UNESCAP)
• A government's ability to make and enforce rules and to deliver services, regardless of
whether that government is democratic or not. (Fukuyama)
• The manner in which public officials and institutions acquire and exercise the authority
to shape public policy and to provide public goods and services. (World Bank)
GOVERNMENT
While government is defined as the group of people with the authority to govern a country or
state; a particular ministry in office. (Oxford Dictionary

EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE

1.PARTICIPATION
--- participation by both men and women is a key cornerstone of good governance.
Participation could be either direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or
representatives.

2. RULE OF LAW
--- good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartiality. It also
requires full protection of human rights, particularly those of minorities
3. TRANSPARENCY
--- it means that decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows
rules and regulations. It also means that information is freely available and directly accesible to
those who wil be affected by such decisions and their enforcement. It also means that enough
information is provided and that is provided in easily understandable forms and media.
4. RESPONSIVENESS
--- good governance requires that institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders
within a reasonable time frame.
7. EFFECTIVENESS and EFFICIENCY
--- Good governance means that processes and institutions produce results that meet the
needs of society while making the best use of resources at their disposal.
--- Good governance also covers the sustainable use of natural resources and the
protection of the environment.
8. ACCOUNTABILITY
--- is a crucial requirement of good governance. Not only governmental instutions but
also the private sector and civil society organizations must be accountable to the public and their
institutional stakeholders.
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. Is there a governance structure in place?
2. If so, what it is? Does it work? How does it work? How it can be improved?
3. If not, what do you think might be needed?

Activity 4
(True of False)

1. Politics is the actual process of how humans interact in groups.

2. Political Science is the process by which people try to influence their government.
3. Political science seeks to study the origin, nature and functions of the State, Government
and its all organs.
4. Politics is universal and is always the same.
5. Politics involve issues, problems, and activities taking place in the society.

SYMPOSIUM
TASK: Research and gather information about the following leaders. Discuss the government
assigned to them and the kind of governance it practiced in the Philippines.
1= MARCOS
2= C. AQUINO
3= RAMOS
4= MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
5= DUTERTE
LESSON 2: Political Ideologies

Activity 1
Review Activity: ACROSTIC: Let the students give characteristics of ideology based from the
letters of the word I-D-E-O-L-O-G-Y.

Example:

I- initiates improvements and projects

D- evelops projects

E- evolution of

O- ffer solutions

L- ead people

O- rganize programs

G- eared towards unity

Y- outh working together

WHAT IS IDEOLOGY?

 A systematic body of concepts especially about human life or culture.

 It deals with doctrine and philosophy
 A new “science of ideas”
 a systematic body of concepts especially about human life or culture
 a manner or the content of thinking characteristic of an individual, group, or culture
 the integrated assertions, theories and aims that constitute a socio-political program

 is a more or less coherent set of ideas that provides the basis for organized political
action, whether this is intended to preserve, modify or overthrow the existing system of
power

Characteristics of IDEOLOGY

 Ideologies provide an explanation for problems that confronts modern societies by

providing futuristic visions.
 Ideology is action-oriented.
 Ideologies mobilize a large number of people.
Ideologies associated with different fields of political spectrum
The Right:
Conservatism – preserve the status quo, oppose change
Fascism – mobilize the nation for war, suppress pluralism to achieve unity through orthodoxy
The LEFT:
Radicalism – go to the roots of problems, change the foundations of society
Socialism – advance the interests of society against the interests of elites
Communism – abolish private property to achieve equality and social harmony, suppress
pluralism to achieve unity through orthodoxy
The CENTER:
Liberalism – expand the scope of freedom, accept change, assert the primacy of individual rights,
develop market economy and political pluralism

WHAT IS POLITICAL IDEOLOGY?

 Is a person’s political belief and his/her belief about society as a whole.

 A political doctrine that claims a monopoly of truth
 It shapes our understanding of the society
 It guides people on what they should think, how and why they should respond to certain
issues, events, or policies.
 A commitments in order to change the political systems.
3 FUNCTIONS OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
1.Answering the question “what is wrong, or what went wrong, and why?”
2. Providing the answer to question “what ought to be?”
3. Bridges the first and second function and answer the most important question “how should
change be brought about, that is, how do we change the undesired-problem to achieve our
desired social order?”
Activity 2 “One-sentence summary”
Summarize the definition of ideology and political ideologies by doing “one- sentence
summary”. Write a single summary sentence that answers “( what and why )” questions about
the topic.
Possible answers:
What:
Why:
DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES

ANARCHISM

 Rejects the state outright, believing it to be an unnecessary evil.

 The sovereign, compulsory, and coercive authority of the state is seen as a nothing less
than legalized oppression operating in the intersects of the powerful, propertied, and
privileged.
 As the state is inherently evil and oppressive, all states have the same essential character

SOCIALISM

 emphasizes that human beings are social by nature, and individualism is fatal
 citizens have the right to participate in social decisions that affect them, that is production
of goods and services and the sole object of production would meet human needs
 nobody will sell, buy and have money

Karl Marx

 He was the foremost Socialist intellectual.

 His work Das Capital formed the basis of Marxism.
 With Friederich Engels, he published The Communist Manifesto, a radical agenda for
Communist revolution

Friedrich Engels

 Engels was a great supporter and collaborator with Karl Marx.

 He helped write and publish The Communist Manifesto

LIBERALISM

 Sees the state as a neutral arbiter among competing interests and groups in society, a vital
guarantee of social order.
 While classical liberals treat the state as a necessary evil and extol the virtues of a
minimal or nightwatchman state, modern liberals recognize the state’s positive role in
widening freedom and promoting equal opportunities

CONSERVATISM

 Links the state to the need to provide authority and discipline and to protect society from
chaos and disorder, hence, their traditional preference for a strong state.
 However, whereas traditional conservatives support a pragmatic balance between the
state and civil society, neoliberals have called for the state to be “rolled back” as it
threatens economic prosperity and is driven, essentially by, bureaucratic self-interest.

FASCISM

 Particularly in the Italian tradition, sees the state as a supreme ethical ideal, reflecting the
undifferentiated interest of the national community, hence their belief in totalitarianism.
 The Nazis, however, saw the state more as a vessel that contains, or tool that serves, the
race or nation.

COMMUNISM

 a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in
which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their
abilities and needs
 political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based
economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of
production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. 

FEMINISM

 Focuses on the position of woman in the society and the roles they play.
 They believe that improving the status of woman will also benefit all human-being
whatever their gender is.
 Feminism believes on the need to replace what they see as the system of male dominance
or patriarchy that affects all social institution.

Guide Questions:

Ask the students,

1. What is ideology?

2. What are the different types of ideologies

Activity 3

Give your ideas in about the picture below

Analyze how political ideologies impact on the social and political life of Filipino
In reality, political ideologies have little to almost no effect over Filipino’s social and political
life. This reason is due to the fact that existing political parties in the Philippines have either
muddled or twisted different political ideologies that they were supposed to be built on.
Nevertheless, what currently drives Filipinos’ socio-political life is populism.

Activity 4

“Compare and Contrast”

Have students describe different political ideologies. Compare and generate list of similarities.
Contrast the objects and generate a list of differences. Determine significant likenesses and
differences of political ideologies.

Political ideologies similarities differences