Politics
What is Politics?
Politics is the process by which decisions are made in groups. It is an activity that everyone engages in, whether they realize it or not. From the decisions made in families and friendships to those made by governments, politics is inescapable.
The study of politics can be divided into two broad categories: macropolitics, which deals with the structure and workings of political institutions, and micropolitics, which focuses on the behavior of individuals and interest groups.
Macropolitical analysis might focus on the study of institutions such as the United Nations, the European Union, or the government of the United States. It would examine how these institutions make decisions, how they are structured, and how they interact with one another.
Micropolitical analysis would focus on the behavior of voters, interest groups, or individual politicians. It would examine why people vote the way they do, how interest groups influence politicians, or how individual politicians make decisions.
The study of politics can be both exciting and frustrating. It is exciting because it allows us to understand the world around us and the forces that shape our lives. It is frustrating because the world of politics is often complex and difficult to change.
Despite its challenges, the study of politics is essential to understanding the world we live in and the people we share it with.
Politics Resources
POLSC101: Introduction to Politics
This is a survey course, and as such it can either be used by students who are looking to take just one general overview course, or for students who want to go on to more advanced study in any of the subfields that comprise the political science disc...
Political Animals Game
Political Animals is an election simulation game set within a fictional world populated by corrupt crocodiles and meritocratic mice. In a political contest where corruption is always around the corner, we want players to find out how incorruptible th...
Vote Smart - The Voter's Self Defense System
Vote Smart provides free, unbiased, in-depth information about current officials, candidates, issues, legislation, and voting. Non-partisan and nonprofit since 1988....
Chinese Politics Part 2 – China and the World
One of the most significant changes in the world in the past 30 years is the opening of China to the outside world and its engagement with that world. In the initial years of the opening, external forces influenced China’s economy, regional balances,...
Moral Foundations of Politics
About this Course When do governments deserve our allegiance, and when should they be denied it? This course explores the main answers that have been given to this question in the modern West. We start with a survey of the major political theories o...