Term Paper on "Andrew Heywood"

Quoted Instructions for "Andrew Heywood" Assignment:

For this week, I'd like you to consider the definitions of politics in the Heywood text.

Does one appeal to you more than the others and why? Would you prefer to propose a different definition and, if so, what would it be?

eywood offers us four definitions of politics. We will consider them from the narrowest, which places the smallest amount of activity under the heading of *****politics,***** to the broadest, which sees all human activity as political. These definitions are:

· politics as the art of government

· politics as public affairs

· politics as compromise and consensus

· politics as power and the distribution of resources

Each of these definitions understands politics in a different way.

The first of these definitions, politics as government, is the most restrictive view of politics. In this view, politics is *****what concerns the state.***** Governmental institutions and personnel (and perhaps not even all of these if we limit ourselves to partisan politics) define the outer limit of the political. Politics would certainly not include any individuals or groups that do not play a direct role in governance. Interest groups, corporations, think tanks, churches, families, and communities would be considered as lying outside the political realm. In this respect, the view of politics as government is an exclusive or limiting view. As Heywood notes, such a view also gives rise to negative views of politics. The pursuit of public office becomes associated with the personal ambitions of politicians. In addition, our involvement as citizens or members of a community becomes limited to the selection of public officials.

The second definition of politics as public affairs extends the realm of politics beyond government to public life as a whole. In this respect, this conception of politics incorporates a broader range of activity but exactly which activity is political remains questionable. Heywood outlines two competing conceptions of the public/private distinction. In the first, public (or political) activity resembles the understanding of politics contained in the first definition. Private, nonpolitical activity resides in civil society, the set of private associations that keeps the state in check. The associations of civil society need not possess an explicitly political purpose. The second version of the public/private distinction takes a much broader view of public life. This view, which figures prominently in feminist theories, sees the private sphere as including home and family. The public sphere includes government and politics but also includes commercial and cultural activities. In this view, the political or public life includes a much larger scope of activity. Nearly all human activity, with the exception of that pertaining to family life, would fall within the category of the political.

A third view understands politics as consisting of compromise and consensus. The focus of this view of politics is on the resolution of conflict through peaceful means. While all parties to a conflict will not get everything that they want, parties will be able to settle their disputes without resort to violence. This view also defines politics very broadly *****“ the process of building compromise and consensus can take place even within the private sphere of civil society or the family, the point at which politics stops in the previous understanding of politics.

In the final view of politics, the broadest of all, politics encompasses all activity in which power plays a role. Power infuses not only *****public***** relationships but also *****private***** relationships. This understanding of politics requires an understanding of power. Like politics itself, power is also a contested concept. As Heywood notes, there are two views on power. The most influential view of power in politics is that of *****power over,***** which refers to the ability to influence others. In this respect, we measure A*****s power by A*****s ability to get B to do something that B would not have done otherwise. An alternative conception views power as *****power to.***** This sense of power is best describes as autonomy. Here we measure A*****s power by A*****s ability to be self-determining, or to do what A chooses to do. Understanding politics as power, in either sense, encompasses an even greater range of activity than the previous conception of politics. While power can influence bargaining and shape its outcomes, politics as power can also include activities such as coercion and domination. Under such a view of politics, virtually all activity becomes political. Together we can consider the strengths and weaknesses of these conceptions in the discussion area.