G&P Basic concepts

Basic concepts

Politics

all social activity that involves collective decision making

Policy

a decison, non-decision or intention to make future decisions in accordance with an overall objective

Power

the capacity to make and enforce political decisions

Authority (definition)

the acknowledged right to act

Authority by

tradition, charisma, rule-rational norms

Legitimacy

the validation of political decisions because of efficiency and effectiveness

(nation)State

territory, population, government

Government (definition)

the institutions that make binding decisions for society and offer security and predictability

Government branches

executive, legislative, judiciary

The executive branch functions:

govern, policy making, lead

The legislative branch functions:

represent citizen interest, form government, law making

The judiciary branch functions:

Upholding and reinforcing laws, rules, principles

Who? (executive)

president, prime minister, cabinet

Who? (legislative)

parliament, congress

Who? (judiciary)

courts

Governance (definition)

the process and quality of ruling

Public Governance includes:

economy actors, civil society actors, government

Examples of economy actors:

companies, international corporations, businesses

Examples of civil society actors:

NGO’s, social movements, unions

Government in governance:

3 branches + political parties

Difference between state and government

The state is permanent and abstract, government is temporary, concrete and leads the state

Difference between politics and policy

Politics is the process and struggle of decision making, policy is the substantive outcome from that process

Difference between government and governance

Government is who holds institutional power, governance is about how governing is carried out