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SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL DEPARTMENT
Philippine Politics and Governance
A. POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES
1. Liberalism
It is a political ideology that emphasizes individual rights, liberty
and limited government. It is based on the idea that individuals
have certain inherent rights, such as the right to life, liberty, and
property, and that the role of government is to protect these rights.
Liberalism also emphasizes free markets and free trade, and
advocates for the rule of law and limited government intervention
in economic and social affairs. Liberalism has had a significant
influence on the development of modern democratic systems, and
it is often associated with ideals like individualism, progress and
the enlighten.
Philosopher John Locke is often credited with founding liberalism
as a distinct tradition based on the social contract, arguing that
each man has a natural right to life, liberty and property, and
governments must not violate these rights.
Liberal can be traced back to the Latin word liber (meaning “free”),
which is also the root of liberty ("the quality or state of being free")
and libertine ("one leading a dissolute life"). However, we did not
simply take the word liber and make it into liberal; our modern
term for the inhabitants of the leftish side of the political spectrum
comes more recently from the Latin liberalis, which means “of or
constituting liberal arts, of freedom, of a freedman.”
2. Socialism
Socialism is an economic, social, and political system based on
public rather than private ownership of a country’s means of
production.
In a socialist system, all decisions regarding production,
distribution, and pricing are made by the government. Citizens in
socialist societies depend on the government for everything,
including food, housing, education, and healthcare.
The primary goal of Socialism is the elimination of socioeconomic
classes through equal distribution of income.
Socialist concepts embracing common or public ownership of
production date as far back as Moses and formed a major part of
the ancient Greek philosopher Plato’s theory of utopianism.
However, Socialism as a political doctrine evolved during the late
18th and 19th centuries in opposition to the abuses of
uncontrolled capitalistic individualism arising from the French
Revolution and the Industrial Revolution in Western Europe. While
some individuals and families quickly amassed vast fortunes, many
others fell into poverty, resulting in income inequality and other
social concerns.
3. Communism
Communism is a social and political ideology that strives to create
a classless society in which all property and wealth are
communally-owned, instead of by individuals.
The ideology of communism was developed by Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels in 1848. A true communist society is the opposite
of a capitalist society, which relies on democracy, innovation, and
the production of goods for profit. The Soviet Union and China
were prominent examples of communist systems.
Key Principles
While the most widely recognized communist countries, such as
the Soviet Union, China, and Yugoslavia, developed their own
models which varied from each other over time, six defining
characteristics of pure communist ideology are often identified.
Collective ownership of the means of production: All means of
production such as factories, farms, land, mines, and
transportation, and communication systems are owned and
controlled by the state.
Abolition of Private Property: As collective ownership implies,
private ownership of means of production is prohibited. In a purely
communist state, individual citizens are allowed to own nothing
except the necessities of life. The operation of privately owned
businesses is similarly prohibited.
Democratic centralism: The official organizing and decision‐making
principle of Communist Parties, democratic centralism is a practice
in which political decisions, while reached by a nominally
democratic voting process, are binding on all members of the party
—effectively all citizens. As conceived by Lenin, democratic
centralism allows party members to participate in political
discussion and state opinions but compels them to follow the
Communist Party “line” once a decision has been made.
Centrally planned economy: Also known as a command economy,
a centrally planned economy is an economic system in which a
single central authority, typically the government in communist
states, makes all decisions regarding the manufacturing and the
distribution of products. Centrally planned economies are different
from free-market economies, such as those in capitalist countries,
in which such decisions are made by businesses and consumers
according to the factors of supply and demand.
Elimination of income inequality: In theory, by compensating each
individual according to their need, gaps in income are eliminated.
By abolishing revenue, interest income, profit, income inequality,
and socioeconomic class friction is eliminated, and the distribution
of wealth is accomplished on a just and fair basis.
Repression: In keeping with the principle of democratic centralism,
political opposition and economic freedom are prohibited or
repressed. Other basic individual rights and freedoms may also be
repressed. Historically, communist states, such as the Soviet
Union, were characterized by government control of most aspects
of life. “Correct thinking” in adherence with the party line was
encouraged by coercive, often threatening propaganda produced by
stare owned and controlled media.
4. Fascism
Fascism is a mass political movement that emphasizes extreme
nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of both the nation and
the single, powerful leader over the individual citizen. This model of
government stands in contrast to liberal democracies, which
support individual rights, competitive elections, and political
dissent.
Most scholars understand fascism as a phenomenon that existed
between World Wars I and II, with Mussolini and Hitler as its
primary exponents. But that doesn’t mean that the characteristics
of fascism can never reappear or that leaders and groups can’t
replicate the fascist playbook to consolidate power.
Mussolini and Hitler rose to power swiftly, but their countries’
transformations from constitutional governments to fascist regimes
did not take place overnight. Rather, the two countries experienced
a similar pattern of a fascist party gaining a foothold in government
through initially democratic methods, consolidating power, and
ultimately dismantling democratic institutions and securing a
dictatorship for its leader.
5. Anarchism
Anarchy is the political ideology that entitles every citizen to
absolute freedom thus absolving them from the necessity to
conform to specific rules and standards.
Anarchism is an unusual ideology when viewed through the prism
of political power. In anarchy, legal and established sources of
power are deemed as illegitimate, with the greatest amount of
agency being given to individuals (Stringham, 2017). Any authority
outside of one’s own perception and political beliefs is dismissed as
ill-conceived and unjustified, which leads to power being granted to
everyone.
B. WHAT IS A STATE?
A political organization of society, or the body politic, or, more narrowly,
the institutions of government. The state is a form of human association
distinguished from other social groups by its purpose, the establishment
of order and security; its methods, the laws and their enforcement; its
territory, the area of jurisdiction or geographic boundaries; and finally by
its sovereignty. The state consists, most broadly, of the agreement of the
individuals on the means whereby disputes are settled in the form of
laws.
The word “state” (stato) appears to have been introduced into the modern
literature of political science by Machiavelli, who in his famous book,
“The Prince” ( Principe, 1523) observed at the outset that all the powers
which have had and have authority over men are states (stati) and are
either monarchies or republics.
1. ELEMENTS OF A STATE
a. Population/People
The population, sometimes called the “people”, is the group of
people who live in a given place.. Populations are part of States,
they configure them. Without population, the state could not exist.
All citizens have a number of rights (e.g. education, housing, the
right to a decent life, etc.) and duties (e.g. compliance with certain
actions, laws, obligations, etc.). In addition, they have the right to
vote and to cede their power to whoever they want to represent
them (we will see this in the fourth element of the State;
sovereignty).
The “ideal”, at least according to the philosopher Aristotle, is that a
population has a number of inhabitants neither too low nor too
high; its reason is that without a minimum of people the State
cannot supply itself, and if they are excessive, it cannot be
governed.
Although it is difficult to find the mid-point and all populations
end up finding their form of government, the ideal is a population
with an “average” number of inhabitants. Speaking of “sizes”, for
example we find Switzerland, which has a small population, and
we find China, with a very large population.
b. Territory
The second of the elements of the State is the territory, which
consists of the physical space where the state develops. That is, it
is a space on earth (not air or sea), physical, existing and real.
However, although it is a land area, the territory also includes the
different “bodies” found in the water (e.g. rivers, seas…), airspace
and coastal areas, if any.
Territories are well delimited, separating one State from the rest of
States. On the other hand, territories may contain islands.
These elements of the State can be of different sizes (large, small,
medium…). Thus, for example, Russia has a very large territory, as
does China, the United States, etc. In contrast, other countries or
states such as Vatican City, Monaco or San Marino, have small
territories.
On the other hand, the territory of a State plays a key role in the
politics and economy of a country, since the different resources
available to a State will depend on it (e.g. oil, building zones, green
zones, etc.). We are talking about the most “material” part of a
territory and its exploitation.
Finally, another function that the territory fulfils is to allow people
to live, that is to say, that the population of a State, the previous
element of which we have already spoken, be installed.
c. Government
Continuing with the elements of the state, we find the government,
which consists in the political organization of a State, and in the
entity that allows the political decisions of the State to be taken..
This is the pillar of it, of its highest authority. In this way, the
government allows the will of a state to be expressed, that is, what
the citizens want. The government also directs and controls a
number of institutions (which exercise state power).
What elements make up government? Basically different
institutions from different fields (politics, health, families,
education, protection…). On the other hand, the State exercises its
power from different organs of government; specifically, we are
talking about three types of power: the judicial, the legislative and
the executive. But what does each of them consist of?
The judiciary has the power to punish persons who break the law.
The legislative power has the mission of formulating laws that
incuntrate the citizens of the State. Finally, the executive
reinforces the law and has the function of enforcing it within the
territory. These three powers, if they function correctly, allow
coexistence to be possible in the society of the State, and for it,
moreover, to be peaceful.
d. Sovereignty
Another element of the State is sovereignty, that is, the supreme
power, the power of the State.. That power is supreme implies that
there are no powers above it. In other words, sovereignty is the
ultimate authority of the State at the political level. It represents a
kind of consensus on who decides and on which territory, another
element of the State.
Through sovereignty, other types of powers arise. On the other
hand, sovereignty allows multiple issues to be decided within the
territory of the State.
This type of power that corresponds to sovereignty “allows” the
State to govern and decide within its territory. In addition, it has
the function of ensuring that laws are complied with in this area.
But sovereignty is not simply the power of the State, but in reality,
it is the power of the people, of the citizens, who delegate their
power to politicians (it is as if they lent it to them, through their
votes in elections).
In other words, citizens choose who they want to be represented in
politics (this refers to presidents, ministers, deputies, etc.).
2. STATE VS NATION
Difference Between State and Nation
Definition
State is an independent political entity with fixed geographic
boundaries.
Nation is a large body of people united by common origin, history,
culture, ethnicity, or language.
Reference
State refers to a territory.
Nation refers to a group of people.
Territory
State has a fixed territory.
Nation doesn’t have a fixed territory.
Type
State is a political and legal entity.
Nation is a socio-cultural entity.
Origins
State can be created consciously.
Nation cannot be created consciously.
Stability
State is not as stable as a nation since it is a created concept.
Nation is more stable than a state.
Home
State can be home to more than one nation.
People belonging to different nations can live in different states.
Sovereignty
State cannot exist without sovereignty.
Nation can exist without sovereignty.
Unity
State is united by laws and regulations.
Nation is united by bonds and shared histories.
