• The term ‘politics’ refers to both a social phenomenon and a systematic study of that phenomenon.
• Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, used the term Politics as the title of his famous work, indicating it as a distinct branch of study.
• Modern writers like Henry Sidgwick (“The Elements of Politics”; 1891), Harold J. Laski (“A Grammar of Politics”; 1925, “An Introduction to Politics”; 1931), G.E.G. Catlin (“Systematic Politics”; 1965), J.R. Lucas (“The Principles of Politics”; 1967), and Seymour Lipset (“Politics and the Social Sciences”; 1969) have treated ‘politics’ as a particular subject of study.
• When discussing ‘Comparative Politics’ or ‘International Politics’, the term ‘politics’ refers to specific branches of study.
• In many universities, ‘Politics’ and ‘Political Science’ are used interchangeably for their academic departments.
• For example, the University of Mumbai has a Department of Civics and Politics, while the University of Delhi has a Department of Political Science.
• Other institutions, such as the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics and the London School of Economics and Political Science, reflect this variation in naming.
• In essence, the term ‘politics’ is often used synonymously with ‘political science’.

POLITICS AS A PROCESS

• The subject of study, whether ‘politics’ or ‘political science’, focuses on a specific type of human activity, known as ‘politics’.
• A layman’s view of politics often associates it with the public sector, including parliaments, elections, cabinets, and party politics.
• According to Alan Ball (“Modern Politics and Government”, 1988), there are two misconceptions:
  • Politics is only related to the public sector and has little relevance to other spheres of life.
  • Politics is solely about party politics, associated with having political opinions or distaste for the intrigues of party politicians.
• A common layman’s image of politics includes public meetings, processions, slogans, demonstrations, strikes, and violence such as tear-gas, lathi-charges, and elections with false promises.
• Ernest Benn sarcastically describes politics as “the art of looking for trouble” and applying the wrong remedies.
• Due to such impressions, politics is often viewed as a ‘dirty game’, and individuals like students, judges, and intellectuals are advised to stay away from it.
• For a systematic study of politics, it is necessary to move beyond these vague impressions and approach politics with scientific precision.
• The word ‘politics’ comes from the Greek word ‘polis’, which referred to the city-state in ancient Greece.
• Ancient Greek thinkers associated politics with the activities of citizens in their role as members of the state.
• Traditionally, political science was considered the science of the state, focusing on:
  • The study of state institutions.
  • Developing ideas about the nature of a perfect state.
• Modern writers argue that politics is not confined to institutional frameworks but affects the entire social fabric.
• Politics is now viewed as a social process, rather than merely the study of formal state institutions.