by Sasha » 04 Feb 2009, 14:06
But I am Not.
Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. The term is generally applied to behaviour within civil governments, but politics has been observed in all human group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. It consists of "social relations involving authority or power"[1] and refers to the regulation of a political unit,[2] and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy.[3]
Political science (also political studies) is the study of political behaviour, and examines the acquisition and application of power. Related areas of study include political philosophy, which seeks a rationale for politics and an ethic of public behaviour, and public administration, which examines the practices of governance.
"Politics" ultimately comes from the Greek word "polis" meaning state or city. Politikos describes anything concerning the state or city affairs. In Latin, this was 'politicus' and in French 'politique'. Thus it became 'politics' in the English language.