What is politics?

Professor Bernard Crick believes that politics is a peaceful resolution of conflict. Disputes in ideas and Interests are solved through organised and legal methods that have been agreed beforehand. This then suggests that the opposite is some form of violence. This may be civil war, a form of armed conflict or Revolution. He believes the process by which politics is ruled cannot exist without the ideas and values behind it. These are ideas such as capitalism, socialism and fascism.

The famous leader Mao Tse-tung has ideas on politics which coincide with both these views. He once said that ‘Politics is war without bloodshed, while war is politics with bloodshed.’ Mao Tse-tung is saying that war and politics are the same thing, however politics can be without fighting. He is saying that there are two approaches to politics one is with blood being shed and the other is through peaceful means, which will solve the dispute fairly and democratically. War is a battle of ideas between different parties. An example of this is the English civil war, which was between parliamentarians and monarchists. Mao Tse-tung feels you should do whatever it takes to secure political power as this quote shows ‘Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.’ Mao Tse-tung believes that violence should be used when it comes to securing power.

I think that politics is a fact of life. Some people will see a positive side to it and believe it is about building a better society, this may mean making it safer for the next generation, more equalitarian and a richer country and economy. It concerns the maintenance of law and order and the process that allocates scare resources, such as money, between different groups. Others may see the cynical side of politics the corruption and dirty tricks. Politicians may only get into politics to further there own wealth and success rather than the success of the country.

These conflicting views demonstrate that there is not one simple answer to the nature of politics. You can look at it broadly as the manner in which a state is run, or as conflicts in interests. The disputes politics encounters can be resolved peacefully or by using violence.

Politics is about Power and who has it.