POL111H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Limited Government, Direct Democracy
Document Summary
Politics is the activity or process by which groups reach and enforce binding decisions affecting the collectivity as a whole. Politics is a collective activity, occurring within and between groups. A castaway on a deserted island could not engage in politics. Politics involves making decisions on matters affecting the group. These decisions can be reached by a variety of means, from informed deliberation to violent imposition. Political decisions become authoritative policy for the groups as a while, binding and committing its members. Government: consists of institutions responsible for making collective decisions for a society. More narrowly, government refers to the top political level within such institutions. Broader sense, government is the entire terrain of institutions endowed with public authority. Governance: denotes the activity of making collective decisions, a task in which government institutions may not play a leading, or even any, role. In world politics, many issues are resolved my negotiation: governance without government.
