Politics
Taken from the word ‘politikos’ which is the Greek term for citizens, Politics is considered as the art and science of meeting the requirements of people and running of different institutions and the affairs of the state. Politics extend beyond the management of governmental institutions but will also cover diverse areas like religion, the corporate sector and even the academia. Right now, the term politics will generally refer to the interaction and linkage among people, the institutions and politics. Politics are now discussed freely in mainstream media in the form of Political Cartoons and other platforms like Diplomacy Monitor and Inside Beltway.
History of Politics
Politics is said to be influenced by warfare. It all started with the power given and attributed to Kings; hence kings are considered the ruler and maker of rules. It was only during the French revolution that this concept was taken down. Up until this time, the monarchy is an important institution. Under a monarchy, the realm managed through a Council and considered as the representation of the constitutional government. The Council is known to perform a number of functions including the preservation of the institutions, the social order and the ability to withstand negative talks. The earls, dukes and counts are among the most favored subordinates of the kings. Right now, governments form part of the United Nations, composed of country representatives who answer to the Roll Call and covered by the UN News Centre. Every country has its own modern council; in the United States it is called the US Congress.
Concepts under Politics
There are a number of concepts that one must understand about politics. For start, there’s the concept of the state and property. The concept of property will refer to the claim to a material thing or an intellectual concept. It was the state that started the conferring or transfer of properties to the general public.
There is also the relationship of the state and the justice system. The concept of treason was developed because it was the intent of the state to get the allegiance of its people. The traditional way of effecting justice is now taken out in favor of state justice.
Lawmaking is another contribution of politics to modern world. Lawmaking affects different aspects of everyday life. The development of lawmaking paved the way for the creation and development of taxation. Along with lawmaking is the acceptance of political representation. The party system is another important concept that was developed along the lines of lawmaking and political representation. The political machinery is composed of three important institutions that include party system, majority rule and the political representation.
Different Spectra of Politics
There are different spectra of politics that now define the beliefs and motivations of leaders, individuals and governments. There is the left-right politics. This is developed to come up with a distinction between the left and the right. This is a relatively new demarcation and the meaning has changed and become complicated through the years. A popular thinker, Karl Marx through his Communist Manifesto writing contributed to the development of the concept. There is also the authoritarian and the libertarian thinking. This will simply refer to the kind and amount of freedom that a person will get with the supervision of the state. The different political persuasions are normally seen in many speeches and policy pronouncements as reported on C-Span, National Review and the popular Drudge Report.
Political corruption also exists as reported on PoliticalWire and White House News. This is the use of political power and the institutions to favor only the selected few. There are different kinds of corruption and some of the more popular ones include nepotism and bribery. These are normally reported in leading media outfits and publications like the Briefing Room and D.C. Daybook.
Political Websites
Voting
- Open voting consortium – How to eliminate rigged elections
- Guide to voter registration for students – Which state: home or college address?
- How to register to vote – Get the form and do it now
- The Federal Paper Ballot Act – Demand that Congress require paper ballots for elections
- State Election officials – Telephone numbers and Websites for all 50 states and D.C.
- Project Vote – A nonpartisan get-out-the-vote organization
- VerifiedVoting.org – A site dedicated to making sure every vote is counted correctly
- Electronic voting – An M.I.T professor’s links to both technical and popular articles
Polling
- Pollster.com – A site devoted to polls and polling
- Politicalarithmetik – Polls, polls, and more polls
Websites Covering Political News
- Political Wire – News and scoops about politics and the election. My favorite.
- Congressional Quarterly – Political maps of the House, Senate, and more
- The Hill – News about Congress
- Memeorandum – Political news stories from many sources
- Politics1 – A political site with news, polls, and user comments
- Roll Call – More News about Congress
Political Commentary
- American Prospect – In depth political stories the administration would rather keep quiet
- The Atlantic – Serious political analysis
- The Cook Political Report – A nonpartisan analysis of electoral politics
- Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball – Analysis of the election by a Virginia professor of political science
- The Nation – Unconventional wisdom since 1865, now on the Web
- The New Republic – Another serious political magazine
- The Boston Review – A political and literary forum
- Salon – A well-written site with stories on politics, business, tech, etc.
Left-of-Center Blogs
- The Drudge Retort – Formatted like the Drudge Report, but slightly left of center
- HuffingtonPost – Lots of political news and opinion pieces
- MyDD – News, politics, and current events
- Talking Points Memo – Serious investigative journalism, often about administration malfeasance
- TheLeftCoaster.com – Current events, politics, and the media served with a large dose of vitriol
Right-of-Center Blogs
- The Drudge Report – News from a right-wing perspective
- Instapundit – A Tennessee law professor’s views on politics, the war and other topics
- Real Clear Politics – A view of politics from the right
- Andrew Sullivan – Thoughts from an HIV-positive, gay, Catholic, conservative blogger
- Spanking the Donkey – No, not S&M with animals, news and opinion for conservatives
Collections of Political Links
- Google’s List of Political Websites – Ranked by popularity
- Rollcall.com– Many links to Congress and especailly to the numerous special interest groups that lobby it
- Journalist’s Toolbox – Hundreds of links to political websites of all kinds
- Political Advertising – Yahoo’s collection of pages about political advertising
- Liberal Oasis – Hundreds of links to liberal Websites
- The Right Links – Hundreds of links to conservative Websites
Official Democratic Party Websites
- Democrats.org – The Democratic National Committee’s Website
- DSCC.org – The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s Website
- DCCC.org – The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Website
- Democrats Abroad – Site for Democrats overseas
Official Republican Party Websites
- GOP.org – The Republican National Committee’s Website
- NRSC.org – The National Republican Senatorial Committee’s Website
- NRCC.org – The National Republican Congressional Committee’s Website
- Republicans Abroad – Site for Republicans overseas
Miscellaneous
- Vote-smart.org – Nonpartisan information on voting records, interest group ratings, etc.
- Factcheck.org – Nonpartisan center checks campaign ads for possible truth
- Stateline.org – A site that tracks mostly state elections (governors, attorneys-general, etc.)
- The Living room candidate – TV commercials from 1952 to 2004
- Iowa election market – A political futures market
- Congress.org – A vast number of pages on the federal and state governments
Get Involved Yourself
- Moveon.org – A Website for political activists
- No vote left behind – A festival of music, art, and voting
- Lessonplan – Material for teachers to use on the election