politicE

Politics is the set of activities associated with governance, public policy, and the distribution of power within a society. The term derives from the Greek polis, referring to city-states and citizenship, and in modern use denotes the means by which collective decisions are made and contested. Politics operates through institutions, actors, and processes that shape who gets what, when, and how.

Core political institutions include legislatures, executives, judiciaries, electoral bodies, and civil service agencies. Political actors range from political parties, interest groups, and social movements to individual lawmakers, bureaucrats, and voters. Media and digital platforms also influence political discourse and participation.

Key processes include elections and representation, policy formulation, lawmaking, implementation, and accountability. Public deliberation, coalition-building, and lobbying mediate collective choices in pluralistic systems.

Public policy emerges through a cycle: agenda-setting, policy design, adoption, implementation, and evaluation, with feedback shaping subsequent decisions.

Political systems vary across regimes, including democracies, authoritarian or semi-authoritarian states, and hybrid forms. Ideologies—such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, nationalism—provide frameworks that influence goals and methods. International politics examines relations between states, organizations, and non-state actors.

Political study—often called political science—seeks to explain how power is acquired, exercised, and constrained, assess the effectiveness of governance, and understand the impact of politics on rights, security, and well-being.