What is politics and political. The concept and essence of politics

Politics is a purposeful activity of the state in solving social problems, setting and implementing generally significant goals for the development of society or its individual areas. At the same time, politics is also a means that allows the state to achieve certain goals in a particular area.
There are many classifications of politics. According to the criterion of orientation, they distinguish, as you know, internal

early and foreign policy. Domestic policy is connected with the solution of problems within the country, and foreign policy - in the international arena. Depending on which sphere of public life is affected, the following areas of domestic policy are distinguished: economic, social, state-legal, cultural. Sometimes cultural policy is considered as a component of social policy. Each of the directions of domestic policy is divided, in turn, according to sectoral characteristics. Thus, economic policy includes industrial, agricultural, tax, monetary and other policies.
Social policy is represented by health policy, demographic, national, youth policy, etc. The components of state policy are legislative, administrative, judicial, personnel, and legal policies. Cultural policy is a policy in the field of education, cinema, theater, etc. According to the completeness of coverage and impact on society, such types of policy as scientific, technical, environmental, and informational are distinguished. They permeate all spheres of public life and therefore do not belong to any of them. Policy directions have their own structure and objects of influence. For example, agricultural policy includes the following elements: agricultural policy, agro-industrial policy, foreign agricultural policy. The objects of agrarian policy are agro-industrial associations, farms, etc.
Foreign policy also has directions: defense, foreign (between individuals and legal entities of different states), foreign economic, etc.
Structural detailing of state policy makes it possible to more purposefully implement programs and projects in a particular area.
According to the criterion of long-term, strategic and tactical (current) policy are distinguished. The strategic policy for the time interval is long-term (10-15 years), medium-term (3-5 years) and short-term (1.5-2 years). Tactical policy is an activity aimed at the implementation of the planned strategic goals.
IN modern world a great influence on domestic policy has an external factor - international politics.
The process of development of public policy includes four main stages, representing a kind of political cycle: the definition of social problems and policy goals; development (formation) of policy; implement-
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the development of public policy; evaluation of the results of public policy.
At the first stage, socially significant problems and their causes are identified. For example, the deterioration of the demographic situation in Russia is associated with two factors: low birth rate and high mortality, which, in turn, depend on other factors (remember the facts you know). To develop a policy in this area, it is necessary to understand the main reasons for this situation: the inefficiency of domestic health care, poverty, unsatisfactory ecology, the growth of alcoholism, drug addiction, etc.
Second phase. Based on the analysis, goals (tasks) are determined. Thus, in the given example of the demographic situation, policy objectives are aimed at eliminating these causes. A hierarchy of goals is built in each of the areas of public life. State institutions play a certain role in this process. For example, the general strategy of foreign and domestic policy is determined by the President of the Russian Federation. He also sets common goals for the federal executive authorities, which is reflected in his annual Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the situation in the country and the main directions of the state's domestic and foreign policy. The Government of the Russian Federation determines the general specific goals, as well as the strategy of state policy in certain areas. The main document of the Government is the medium-term program of socio-economic development Russian Federation. Parliament also takes part in policy-making through deliberations actual problems, during the adoption of the budget, legislative acts relating to certain areas of state policy. The complexity of social problems leads to the fact that when developing policies, public authorities (political leaders) resort to the help of not only professional officials (experts, analysts, speech writers, etc.), but also special research organizations - "think tanks" aimed at development of new ideas, approaches or programs.
Third stage. With the adoption of government programs, the policy development phase ends and the implementation phase begins. Here, the executive authorities, primarily ministries, services and agencies, come to the fore. Their work is coordinated by the Government of the Russian Federation and the President of the Russian Federation. Federal ministries adopt by-laws (directives, orders, orders, etc.). federal services control and supervise their implementation. They are also responsible for issuing permits.
niya (licenses) for the implementation of certain types of activities to legal entities and citizens, register acts, documents. federal agencies exercise the powers of owners in relation to state property, provide services to others federal authorities(for example, in the development of standards), legal entities, citizens. The provision of quality services to the population is one of the urgent problems of public administration in all countries, including Russia. The main thing in the provision of services is continuous service and speed of response to the needs of the population. Failures in the work of transport, criminal police, housing and communal services, etc. are unacceptable. Currently, many states are guided in their work by the list of basic services adopted in the EU countries. It provides, for example, for citizens, payments from the social insurance fund (student scholarships, family benefits, etc.), actions in response to applications for assistance (in particular, theft, carjacking), issuance of documents (passports, driver's licenses) , registration of acts of civil status. Public services for businesses include the registration of new companies, etc.
In general, the policy implementation stage is a system of activities focused on the final result, which is reflected in the work plans of the ministries. In them, a program of actions is thought out in advance for the implementation of the tasks set: the goals of the activity, the main performers, performance standards (terms of reference), resource allocation, standards and criteria for performance results. When implementing plans, various methods are used, primarily legal ones. Socio-psychological methods (persuasion, agreements) and administrative methods (control, restrictions, quotas) are also widely used. Economic (taxes, tariffs, subsidies) and organizational methods have acquired great importance. For example, to identify suppliers of goods or performers of work and services, open tenders are held to help improve government orders.
At the fourth stage, the results and consequences of the state policy are analyzed. The final assessment of the current policy (program), the work of state bodies is given. Thus, the activities of the UK ministries are evaluated on the basis of a single methodology in the following areas: efficiency, effectiveness and economy. In the United States, it is recommended to evaluate the work of the city administration in terms of such indicators as the achievement of planned goals, unplanned effects, the volume of services, the time it takes to complete the work, and the degree of satisfaction of the population.

It should be noted that a great influence on public policy are provided by various interest groups, including lobbying groups, whose activities will be disclosed in the following paragraphs.

Each of us knows a lot about politics. We know everything about the policy of the state, our company, and even pursue our political line in family relationships. What is politics? Let's try to understand this issue.

What does "politics" mean

The word politics came to us with ancient Greek. It comes from the word politike, which translates as public or state affairs. Many famous philosophers gave their definition of politics. For example, Plato believed that politics is the art of managing all other arts (judicial, oratory, military, etc.) in order to improve the lives of citizens. Machiavelli believed that politics can be called knowledge about the correct and wise government state.

What is politics: a modern definition

Politics is the general direction for decision-making and actions that facilitate the achievement of the set goal. The policy sets out the directions to follow in order to achieve the goal. In addition, she explains why it is necessary to follow these directions. Although politics directs actions towards the fulfillment of a set task or the achievement of a certain goal, however, at the same time, it leaves freedom of action.

What is the essence of politics

The concept of "politics" has long been part of our speech and everyday life. But did it become clearer from this? Let's try to explain what the essence of the policy is:

Politics is created by state structures and social movements, so it is inextricably linked with them.
Politics is a struggle for power, the use of it and its retention.
Politics can be seen as a procedure for making decisions in a society in which there is no complete unity. These decisions can satisfy the interests of a large group of people or vice versa, a very narrow circle of people.
Politics can be compared to an art form. After all, a skilled politician always achieves the goal with minimal losses, is able to try on the warring parties, take into account both the long-term and short-term interests of his party, people and state. And all this is not possible if the politician does not have deep knowledge, talent, intuition.

What does politics do

Politics plays a significant role in the development of any society. Let's take a closer look at what politics in society does:

Ensures the stability and integrity of society.
Ensures the effectiveness and mobilization of all types of social activities.
Regulates and manages the public interest.
Provides socialist socialization by drawing the individual and entire groups of the population into social life.
It creates the rights and freedoms of the individual, and is also the guarantor of their observance.

What about politics

Politics can be attributed to everything that is in any way connected with social movements, political parties and state structures. This can be explained by the fact that it is all of the above that creates a policy, and, therefore, is inextricably linked with it. Any problem, if it falls into the sphere of attention of the state, a social movement or a party, immediately becomes a political problem.

What is included in the policy

Politics is a rich and varied world that includes:

Various sciences, as politics is inextricably linked with them.
Goals, interests and attitudes of various political institutions and social groups.
Mechanisms for coordinating and regulating interests that prevent a split in society.
Direct interaction of objects and subjects of policy.

The elements of politics can also include political relations, political power, political organization and culture, political consciousness, as well as subjects of politics.

What is an accounting policy

Accounting policy is the documentation that regulates the maintenance of tax and accounting at an enterprise or in an organization, as well as a whole set of rules for reflecting expenses and incomes on the organization’s accounts, putting property on the balance sheet and compiling reporting documentation.

In other words, an accounting policy can be viewed as a whole set of documents that facilitate accounting and reduce taxation.

Well designed accounting policy allows you to legally reduce the taxation of an enterprise or organization.

The accounting policy is developed by the chief accountant, and approved by the head of the organization, who issues an order on its implementation.

Countries are the maintenance of ties and stability within the country and beyond its borders. Significance of both aspects state activity cannot be overestimated. Domestic policy provides support for the government's course, promotes peace and harmony, and forms the integrity of the state.

The essence of the concept

Any state strives for self-preservation, development and stability. Therefore, the policy aimed at maintaining order in the country and uniting peoples in the world, Long story. Domestic policy as one of the most important functions of the state arises along with this social institution. In a global sense, this concept refers to the activities of the state to establish, maintain or reform the socio-political system through the solution of problems of a social, economic, cultural order. Domestic policy is designed to perform the following functions: organize the economic component, maintain the country in a state of stability, establish social justice in the distribution of benefits and rational, safe use of the country's resources, maintain law and order and preserve the unity of the state.

The Significance of the Domestic Policy of the State

Any state relies on its people in carrying out reforms aimed at developing the country and ensuring its integrity. Domestic policy in this case is a condition for the satisfaction of the population with their government. Only people who feel the care of the state about themselves are ready to work for its benefit, to connect their future with it. Human capital is the main wealth of the country, and people need to be taken care of.

This is the highest significance of domestic policy. A satisfied population will help the state achieve high results in foreign policy and in the implementation of the most ambitious plans. Internal and foreign policy are thus closely related. They influence each other and their results affect all areas of the life of the population and the state. For the population of the country, domestic policy should be understandable and close, only then it will be successful and supported. Therefore, the state must establish special communication relations with the population in order to talk about goals and plans.

Principles of domestic policy

The state in carrying out its course relies on the main law - the Constitution. In addition, internal policy is based on several principles:

the state always and in everything protects the dignity of the individual;
the realization of the rights and freedoms of one person must not violate the constitutional guarantees of other people;
citizens of the country have the right to participate in the government of the country both independently and through their representatives in power;
all people are equal before the law and the court;
the state always guarantees the equality of citizens regardless of any circumstances, such as place of residence, race, gender, income, etc.

The internal policy of the state is built on the foundation of morality, justice and humanism. The government puts the interests of its people above everything and seeks to create the most comfortable living conditions for them.

Domestic policy structure

Numerous challenges ahead internal politics, lead to the complexity of its structure. In general, it is divided into two areas: activities at the national level and actions at the regional level. These areas have different resources: primarily financial, as well as their own areas of responsibility.

In addition, traditionally, such areas of domestic policy are distinguished as economic, social, national, demographic and the sphere of strengthening statehood. There are attempts to identify smaller areas, but in general, this typology well reflects the main goals and zones of influence of the state within the country. All directions are even documented and visible in the structure of the country's governing bodies and regional regions. They can also highlight other areas, for example, protection environment, military, agrarian, cultural and law enforcement policy.

Strengthening statehood as a base for domestic policy

Preserving the integrity and unity of the state is one of the most important tasks that domestic policy solves. This is especially important in large, multinational countries like Russia, for example. Prevention of national strife and separatist attempts to single out certain regions as independent subjects of politics is very important, especially today, in times of growing national consciousness among small peoples. Keeping a region within a country, like Spain's Catalonia, for example, requires complex action at many different levels. This area also includes the promotion of national values, symbols and history. The state implements this function together with the media and various social institutions.

Economic policy

The most important is the economic domestic policy, which guarantees the stability of the country. Ensuring free competition, strict enforcement of antimonopoly legislation is one of the aspects of economic policy. An important part is also maintaining the stability of the financial system, this aspect includes the formation of the budget and control of its execution, as well as assistance to the national currency, and promotion of business development in the country. The main indicators for economic policy is the size of the GDP of the state's external debt. Also, the policy stimulates the renewal and modernization of the country's production capacities, creates a favorable environment for attracting investments, and regulates tax legislation. The country should create conditions for entrepreneurs who want to start their own business, as well as help retain young professionals and highly qualified personnel.

Social politics

The Department of Domestic Policy is most often associated with social policy. Indeed, it is one of the most important, as it directly concerns every person in the state and is felt by the inhabitants of the country every day. The state must provide the population with an acceptable standard of living, focusing on the protection of socially disadvantaged groups: orphans, the disabled, single parents, pensioners, the unemployed. An important part of social policy is the protection of the health of citizens, which includes the organization of a qualified medical care, providing those in need with medicines, organizing sanatorium treatment, monitoring the quality of food and the cleanliness of the environment. Social policy also includes the regulation of disproportions in the incomes of the population, mitigation of the consequences of social inequality. In addition, it includes the regulation of the education sector, the creation of a system of preschool and school education, and the control of their quality. Often, the social sphere includes the work of the state in the field of culture and ecology.

Demographic policy

The number of the population, its natural increase and decrease is the subject of concern of the state. It controls the demographics in the country, strives to achieve the optimal ratio between different age groups, the number of births and deaths of citizens. For example, for Russia it is important to increase the birth rate, since there is a decrease in the working-age population, while in China, on the contrary, it must be reduced due to too rapid population growth. The solution of demographic problems is impossible only by changing the legislation. Here it is necessary to conduct propaganda work, to use material mechanisms of influence.

National politics

The internal policy of the state pays great attention to the problems of relations between people of different nationalities and religions. Especially today, when ethnic conflicts are becoming more acute. The importance of state activity in this area is only increasing. The internal policy of Russia is aimed primarily at restoring friendly relations between people of different ethnic groups and cultures. It is also very important for the government to regulate migration processes that can provoke conflicts. Therefore, to anticipate and warn them in time is the goal of national policy. The task of the state is to create favorable conditions for the life of all citizens, regardless of their nationality, to stop possible discrimination on the basis of race and to promote the development of cultures and languages of the peoples living in the country.

Policy- this is a special way of regulating relations between large (masses, estates, nations), based on written laws and based on.

Politics is a very diverse social phenomenon that is difficult to "fit" in one definition. Therefore, our definition is provisional. Below we will consider various ideas about politics and try to determine the essence of the phenomenon under study.

Basic policy definition

In modern political science, there are many definitions of the concept of "politics". Moreover, in each definition, as a rule, attention is focused on one or another aspect of this complex phenomenon. For example, N. Machiavelli gave priority to the instrumental (pragmatic) approach in defining the policy. For him the essence of politics was the struggle for power. He defined politics as "the totality of the means that are necessary in order to come to power, stay in power and make good use of it."

M. Weber considered politics as certain actions aimed at gaining, retaining and using power. According to him, politics means the desire to participate in power, be it between states, be it within a state, between the groups of people that it contains. In this definition, along with action, the key word is "power".

The French sociologist R. Aron considered politics as a specific concept (program of action) and politics as an area of public life in which various political concepts collide, giving rise to conflicts and consensus.

Conflict-consensus the idea of politics suggests that real politics, on the one hand, is impossible without social conflict, and on the other hand, without finding public consent (consensus). Thus, K. S. Gadzhiev believes that “the phenomenon of the political is between two extreme interpretations, one of which considers politics entirely as the result of a clash of conflicting interests, and the second as a system for managing order and ensuring justice in the interests of all members of society.”

The very concept of "politics" is often defined as the struggle of subjects pursuing incompatible interests and goals, the result of which is the establishment of a certain legal order. The social reality is such that, under any system, social classes and strata occupy an unequal position in society and have unequal access to public resources. At the same time, the policy pursued may be more or less humane, more or less competent, but its ambivalent (conflict-consensus) essence does not change from this. In any system, people are fighting for power, and in order to preserve their society (the state), they are forced to find compromises.

Supporters cognitive approach see in politics the science of the goals of the state and the best means to achieve them, as well as the art of living together and a way to fight for power and keep it.

Politics, political methods are often understood as activities aimed at solving complex social problems in non-violent ways. In real politics, there are even the following concepts: “political solution to the problem”, “political settlement of the conflict”, etc.

Quite capacious in its content is, in our opinion, the definition of policy proposed by V.P. Pugachev: with the help of the government." In this definition, politics is characterized as an activity; the subjects of activity are indicated - social groups and individuals; object of activity - collective interests; the essence of politics is the development of decisions binding on the whole society; means of implementing policy - state power.

However, no, even the most universal definition is able to cover the entire diversity of such a phenomenon as politics. Based on this, D.P. Zerkin believes that in scientific analysis it is necessary to consider politics in three dimensions:

institutional- a set of political institutions within which ruling and managerial activities are carried out;
regulatory- a set of values and norms, goals and objectives of political activity;
procedural - a system of actions to protect and implement common interests and goals for the exercise of power and government.

The well-known Western political scientist E. Heywood defines politics as “the creation, preservation and enrichment of the most general rules hostels". He identifies and analyzes four main ideas about politics: politics as the art of public administration; politics as a public process; politics as compromise and consensus; politics as power.

After analyzing and summarizing the above definitions of policy, we can identify the main components (forms of manifestation) of this phenomenon.

Policy is the process of regulating relations between large social communities, elites and leaders.

Therefore, she assumes publicity"public" activities. However, it cannot be argued that only public policy is the only "correct" policy, and everything else goes beyond the concept of "politics". In our opinion, this means moving away from real problems to the realm of ideal theoretical constructions. In reality, public policy is not always possible and not always beneficial to certain actors. Elites and leaders can solve political problems without initiating "large social communities" in them. In such situations, the following concepts are usually used: “latent politics”, “shadow politics”, “backstage politics”, “undercover struggle”, etc.

Politics can also be interpreted as the art of organizing and management society (state) with the help of state (political) power. It is only one of the types of management of social relations in society. In addition to political, there are other types of governance, such as administrative, legal, economic, socio-cultural, etc. But political governance, due to the fact that it has a monopoly on political power in society, dominates all other types of governance. Therefore, where all other types of management in solving emerging social problems and conflicts are ineffective, there is a need to apply political methods of management.

Another important attribute of a policy is its legal component. Politics, in fact, begins with the introduction of contractual relations and written laws into the management system of society. Legal norms (laws) give politics a certain logic of development, make it predictable, create a common legal field, and determine the limits of competence of subjects and participants in the political process.

Policy- this is a relationship about the capture, retention and use of state power.

Therefore, the next policy component is power. It is the attribute of power and the possibility of its application that distinguishes political management from all other types of management. The struggle for and power in society is one of the main activities for all political actors. Therefore, politics can be understood as the art of organizing and managing society with the help of state (political) power. Possession of political power allows its holder (individual, group, institution) to impose his will on other people, to control others.

The struggle for power presupposes conflict, and the regulation of relations between large social communities presupposes consensus. Therefore, policy can be defined as relations between political subjects, which are characterized by permanent states conflict And consensus. At the same time, political stability can be viewed as the art of "balancing" between various political forces and trends (the art of compromise).

The most important component of politics are, between which there are, first of all, political relations, that is, relations about power. The subjects of political relations can be separate individuals representing certain political forces, social and political groups, organizations and movements, large and small political communities, public and political institutions, the state. But most often the subjects of politics are political elites and leaders who may be members of certain political groups, parties, movements, lead state institutions. In Western sociology and political science, the subjects of politics are usually called actors.

For example, in English language Three keywords are relevant to the term "politics":

"politics" - the political sphere of society;
"polity" - political system;
"policy" - a political strategy pursued by various power structures.

Therefore, in modern foreign literature, politics is often defined as: the exercise of influence and power; form of domination; way to resolve conflicts; achievement of collective goals; social activity associated with the production and distribution of resources.

A number of foreign researchers believe that the meaning of politics most accurately reflects its definition, firstly, as a course on the basis of which decisions are made, measures for the implementation and formulation of tasks (for example, domestic policy, international policy, social policy, etc.) ; secondly, as a specific area where people and political entities are fighting for state power(in this sense they say: "Engage in politics", "Stay away from politics"); thirdly, as the art of managing people in society (therefore they say: “Everything is politics”).

In Russian, the word "politics" is used in such meanings as:

political life of society;
strategy of activity in a certain area;
management of public affairs;
power struggle;
form of social consciousness.

A variety of approaches to the study of politics in modern political science allows us to consider politics as a multidimensional social phenomenon. Some researchers see the multidimensionality of politics in the fact that it acts as a unity of sin-related aspects: 1) as a sphere of public life; 2) as one of the types of activity of social subjects, their combined activities and individual behavior; 3) as a type of social relations (between individuals, social groups).

as the most general definition policy, reflecting its multifaceted social nature, we can suggest the following.

Policy- sphere social life and activities associated with relations of power-subordination in society, with the conquest, retention, use of power.

At present, there are two main understandings of politics - as a subsystem of society and as a management activity.

Styles and Policy Types

Politics as a management activity is always associated with the adoption of political decisions. Actors participating in political life, as well as making political decisions, in political science are called political actors. These include the masses, social groups, communities (nations), collectives, individuals through the relevant organizations and directly.

The procedure for making political decisions is called politics style.

The basis for the selection of policy styles are:

1. approaches of a political subject to solving managerial problems, which can be:

reactive, characterized by the installation of response to the situation (the policy of "patching holes");
creative, characterized by anticipation of a possible change in the situation and creative activity aimed at changing the situation in the right direction ("development policy");

2. relations of a political subject making political decisions with other participants in the political process, which can be built on the basis of:

making management decisions by coordinating various interest groups;
imposing political decisions on other political actors.

The development of policy style is significantly influenced by:

political culture of "managers";
"massovization" of the political process, associated with the activation of various interest groups, which makes it difficult to achieve agreed decisions in certain sectors of politics;
the emergence of various forms of non-traditional political participation that are contrary to established political norms.

Most modern societies This style of politics dominates, where the government's approach to solving managerial problems is more of a reactive nature, and political changes are achieved by imposing their decisions by the government despite the resistance of certain interest groups.

In political science, there are also various policy types as a managerial activity:

directive, based on direct coercive violence. The main organizational resource of such a policy is the cohesion and will of "their own" who are harshly and hostilely opposed to "them." This is a politics of power, where opponents seek to inflict damage on each other, and the one who has the least damage “wins”;
functional, focusing on the "rules of the game", taking into account the diversity of existing social roles and institutions. This is a policy of compromise, when in the end everyone should receive exactly as much as he gives, and the general and particular "gain" lies in the avoidance of "damage";
communicative, also based on the "rules of the game", which, however, can be changed along the way on predetermined principles. It is a policy of cooperation that leads to a common "win".

The listed policy types are its “ideal types”. In real political life, there is a contradictory combination of them.

What is politics? In its most simplified form, it is a special form of activity aimed at managing society, gaining and retaining power, as well as providing guarantees for the security of citizens. In this regard, politics, in the narrow sense of the word, ends where revolutionary processes begin - the creation of other "rules of the game", which, in turn, give rise to new standards of political activity.

Ideology and parties

In addition, when saying what politics is, it is necessary to take into account ideological views, party strategies and public interests as structural components of politics. Ideological views are often formed on the basis of established cultural, mental and historical traditions. By their nature, they express the mental interests of various social groups living on the territory of one state, but united by a common understanding of political processes. For example, the structural dichotomy of the German CDU and the SPD. Christian Democrats are Catholics, they are liberals and right. The Social Democrats are Protestants and leftists. Accordingly, various party strategies are formed based on the interests and views of social and professional groups supporting, respectively, the CDU and the SPD.

People and institutions

Describing what politics is, it is necessary to immediately emphasize that any political activity is carried out within the framework of the institutions of power, legitimate mechanisms that allow incorporating social interests into political ones. This does not mean that one person cannot concentrate all power in his hands (unfortunately, this is often the case), but in this case the ruler himself becomes a classic example - the famous expression of Louis XIV: "The state is I".

Politics manifests itself in various forms, has various dimensions. Political activity is just one of the forms of its manifestation, but it does not reveal the whole essence of the “political”. Take, for example, corporate structures. What is a policy in an organization or in a business? Often we come across the expression "company policy", "our policy", "trade union policy", etc. In fact, in this case, we are not talking about public administration. We are faced with the choice of a certain set of values and "rules of the game". In fact, we are offered to limit our freedom to common, corporate interests and act no longer in our own, but in common interests, which are tacitly recognized as priority in relation to the interests of an individual.

conclusions

Thus, when defining politics, we must proceed from three main premises: the ratio of personal and corporate; ideological choice and value set; the goals of politics and the state, as well as their providers - parties and political institutions. As a result, it turns out that politics is an activity (philosophy of activity) focused on strengthening and developing dominant corporate ties based on certain principles and strategies for the development of the organization. And it doesn't matter what the social nature of the organization itself is. Only its dominant position in relation to the individual is important.