What is the directional policy of the state called? Domestic and foreign policy

29.06.2020

Each of us knows a lot about politics. We know everything about government policy, our company, and even pursue our political line in family relationships. What is politics? Let's try to understand this issue.

What does "politics" mean?

The word politics came to us from the ancient Greek language. It comes from the word politike, which translates as public or state affairs. Many famous philosophers have given their definition of politics. For example, Plato believed that politics is the art of managing all other arts (judicial, oratory, military, etc.) in order to improve the lives of citizens. Machiavelli believed that politics can be called knowledge about the correct and wise government of the state.

What is politics: modern definition

Policy is the general guidance for making decisions and actions that facilitate the achievement of a given goal. Policy develops the directions that must be followed in order to achieve the goal. In addition, she explains why it is necessary to adhere to these directions. Although policy directs actions to accomplish a given task or achieve a certain goal, however, it leaves freedom of action.

What is the essence of politics

The concept of “politics” has long been part of our speech and everyday life. But did this make it any clearer? Let's try to explain what the essence of the policy is:

Politics is created by government agencies and social movements, so it is inextricably linked with them.
Politics is the struggle for power, its use and retention.
Politics can be seen as a decision-making procedure in a society in which there is no complete unity. These decisions can satisfy the interests of a large group of people or, conversely, a very narrow circle of people.
Politics can be compared to a form of art. After all, a skillful politician always achieves his goal with minimal losses, is able to try on warring sides, and takes into account both long-term and short-term interests of his party, people and state. And all this is not possible if the politician does not have deep knowledge, talent, and intuition.

What does politics do?

Politics plays a significant role in the development of any society. Let's take a closer look at what politics does in society:

Ensures stability and integrity of society.
Ensures the effectiveness and mobilization of all types of public activities.
Regulates and manages public interests.
Provides socialist socialization by drawing individuals and entire population groups into social life.
Creates individual rights and freedoms, and is also a guarantor of their observance.

What is involved in politics

Politics can include everything that is in any way connected with social movements, political parties and government structures. This can be explained by the fact that it is all of the above that creates politics, and, therefore, is inextricably linked with it. Any problem, if it comes to the attention of the state, social movement or party, immediately becomes a political problem.

What is included in the policy

Politics is a rich and varied world that includes:

Various sciences, tk. politics is inextricably linked with them.
Goals, interests and attitudes of various political institutions and social groups.
Mechanisms for coordinating and regulating interests that prevent a split in society.
Direct interaction between objects and subjects of policy.

Elements of politics also include political relations, political power, political organization and culture, political consciousness, as well as political subjects.

What is accounting policy

Accounting policy is the documentation that regulates the maintenance of tax and accounting records at an enterprise or organization, as well as a whole set of rules for recording expenses and income in the organization’s accounts, putting property on the balance sheet and drawing up reporting documentation.

In other words, accounting policies can be considered as a whole set of documents that facilitate accounting and reduce taxation.

A well-developed accounting policy allows you to legally reduce the taxation of an enterprise or organization.

The accounting policy is developed by the chief accountant and approved by the head of the organization, who issues an order for its implementation.

Countries are about maintaining connections and stability within and outside the country. The importance of both aspects of government activity cannot be overestimated. Domestic policy provides support for the government course, promotes peace and harmony, and forms the integrity of the state.

The essence of the concept

Any state strives for self-preservation, development and stability. Therefore, policies aimed at maintaining order in the country and uniting peoples in the world have a long history. Domestic policy as one of the most important functions of the state arises along with this social institution. In a global sense, this concept refers to the activities of the state to establish, maintain or reform the socio-political system through solving problems of a social, economic, and cultural order. Domestic policy is designed to perform the following functions: organize the economic component, maintain stability in the country, establish social justice in the distribution of benefits and rational, safe use of the country's resources, maintain law and order and preserve the unity of the state.

The importance of the state's internal policy

Any state relies on its people when carrying out reforms aimed at developing the country and ensuring its integrity. Domestic policy in this case is a condition for the population's satisfaction with their government. Only people who feel the state cares about them are ready to work for its benefit and connect their future with it. Human capital is the main wealth of a country, and people require care.

This is the highest significance of domestic policy. A satisfied population will help the power achieve high results in foreign policy and in the implementation of the most ambitious plans. Domestic and foreign policies are thus closely interconnected. They influence each other and their results affect all areas of life of the population and the state. For the population of the country, domestic policy must be understandable and relatable, only then will it be successful and supported. Therefore, the state must establish special communication relationships with the population in order to communicate goals and plans.

Principles of domestic policy

The state, in pursuing its course, relies on the main law - the Constitution. In addition, domestic policy is based on several principles:

the state always and in everything protects the dignity of the individual;
the implementation of the rights and freedoms of one person should not violate the constitutional guarantees of other people;
citizens of the country have the right to participate in governing the country both independently and through their representatives in government;
all people are equal before the law and court;
the state always guarantees the equality of citizens regardless of any circumstances, for example, place of residence, race, gender, income, etc.

The internal policy of the state is built on the foundation of morality, justice and humanism. The authorities put the interests of their people above all else and strive to create the most comfortable living conditions for them.

Domestic policy structure

The numerous challenges facing domestic policy lead to the complexity of its structure. In general, it is divided into two areas: activities at the national level and actions at the regional level. These areas have different resources: primarily financial, as well as their own areas of responsibility.

In addition, traditionally there are such areas of domestic policy as economic, social, national, demographic and the sphere of strengthening statehood. There are attempts to identify smaller areas, but in general this typology well reflects the main goals and zones of influence of the state within the country. All directions are even documented and visible in the structure of government bodies of the country and regional regions. Other areas can also be highlighted, for example, environmental protection, military, agricultural, cultural and law enforcement policies.

Strengthening statehood as a basis for domestic policy

Preserving the integrity and unity of the state is one of the most important tasks that domestic policy solves. This is especially important in large, multinational countries, like Russia, for example. Preventing national hatred and separatist attempts to separate individual regions into independent political subjects is very important, especially today, at a time of growing national self-awareness among small nations. Keeping a region, like Catalonia in Spain, within a country requires complex actions at many different levels. This area also includes the promotion of national values, symbols and history. The state implements this function together with the media and various social institutions.

Economic policy

The most important is the economic domestic policy, which guarantees the stability of the country. Ensuring free competition and strict implementation of antimonopoly legislation is one of the aspects of economic policy. An important part is maintaining the stability of the financial system; this aspect includes the formation of the budget and control of its execution, as well as assistance to the national currency and assistance to business development in the country. The main indicators for economic policy are the size of the GDP of the state’s external debt. The policy also stimulates the renewal and modernization of the country’s production capacity, creates favorable conditions for attracting investment, and regulates tax legislation. The country must create conditions for entrepreneurs who want to start their own business, as well as promote the retention of young professionals and highly qualified personnel.

Social politics

The Department of Internal Policy is most often associated with social policy. It is, indeed, one of the most important, since it directly concerns every person in the state and is felt by the inhabitants of the country every day. The state must provide the population with an acceptable standard of living, focusing on the protection of socially disadvantaged groups: orphans, disabled people, single parents, pensioners, and the unemployed. An important part of social policy is protecting the health of citizens, which includes organizing qualified medical care, providing those in need with medicines, organizing sanatorium treatment, monitoring the quality of food and the cleanliness of the environment. Social policy also includes the regulation of disparities in incomes of the population and mitigation of the consequences of social inequality. In addition, it includes regulation of the education sector, the creation of a system of preschool and school education, and control of their quality. Often the social sphere includes the work of the state in the field of culture and ecology.

Demographic policy

The size of the population, its natural increase and decrease is a matter of concern for the state. It controls the demographics of the country and strives to achieve an optimal balance between different age groups and the number of births and deaths of citizens. For example, for Russia it is important to increase the birth rate, since there is a decrease in the working-age population, while in China, on the contrary, it needs to be reduced due to too rapid population growth. Solving demographic problems is impossible only by changing legislation. Here it is necessary to carry out propaganda work and use material mechanisms of influence.

National politics

The state's internal policy pays great attention to the problems of relations between people of different nationalities and religions. Especially today, when interethnic conflicts are becoming more acute. The importance of government activities in this area is only growing. Russia's domestic policy is aimed primarily at restoring friendly relations between people of different ethnic groups and cultures. It is also very important for the government to regulate migration processes that can provoke conflicts. Therefore, anticipating and warning them in time is the goal of national policy. The task of the state is to create favorable conditions for the life of all citizens, regardless of their nationality, to stop possible discrimination based on race and to promote the development of cultures and languages of the peoples living in the country.

) were historically formed as urban communities with self-government, which constituted themselves as a political formation, a community - this form of self-organization of society was typical of Ancient Greece. It was developed and spread through Italy and directly through the Roman Empire. With the growth of states and empires, the politics of relationships with vast territories required variability in policy and improvement in the system of governance. Politics as a management methodology was formed in policies, where the managerial elite and various classes (crafts, arts, schools) were concentrated, in which the future elite was formed.

The term itself was introduced in the 4th century BC. e. Aristotle, who proposed the following definition for it: politics is the art of governing the state (polis). However, politics emerged as a separate area of social existence long before this event - although later than, for example, economic relations or morality. There are several different views about the nature and origin of politics:

Theological. In accordance with this view, politics, as well as life in general, has a divine origin.
Anthropological. This approach links politics with human nature: it is assumed that the appropriate type of communication and interaction with other people is dictated by the essence of a person (and, on the other hand, itself influences this essence, determining a number of self-restraints and other characteristic features that distinguish a person from an animal).
Biological. Such an interpretation, on the contrary, implies that the nature of politics should be understood on the basis of principles common to humans and animals - such, for example, as aggressiveness, the instinct of self-preservation, the struggle for survival, etc. Ethologist K. Lorenz, in particular, linked with The phenomenon of aggressiveness is war, revolution and other conflicts that take place in the life of society.
Psychological. According to this idea, the primary source of political interaction between people is needs, interests, emotions and other manifestations of the human psyche. Politics was interpreted in a traditional way, for example, by S. Freud, who associated the nature of politics with the unconscious.
Social. The corresponding approach assumes that politics is a product of society and was formed during the evolution of the latter - as its complexity grew and social stratification developed. The Neolithic revolution, which influenced both forms of economic management and the way of life of people in general, can be considered as the starting point of these social changes. The logic behind the appearance of the policy is approximately as follows:
- The growth in the productivity of human activity leads to the emergence of private property. The latter, in turn, contributes to the development of the economy, its specialization, as well as the formation of new social associations, deepens the autonomy and independence of the individual, providing it with the opportunity to achieve a certain position in society economically, and also strengthens the stratification of society along property lines, giving rise to conflicts.
- Social differentiation, including along ethnic and religious lines, is becoming more pronounced.
- Demographic growth and expansion of economic activity actualize the problem of the independence of a particular community from others, as well as the task of maintaining the integrity of the territories under the control of this community.

Accordingly, politics arises in connection with the loss of the opportunity to resolve the above problems and conflict situations using traditional methods - through customs, moral principles, etc. Along with law, politics acts as one of the new regulators designed to solve these problems; in addition, for the same purpose, the state is being formed as a new form of structuring and organizing people’s lives. Because of this, the concept of politics is directly associated with the concepts of state and power. In the concept of political scientist M. Duverger, three forms of power are distinguished - anonymous, individualized and institutionalized; the first two are defined as pre-state, and the third - as the state itself, having a public character and determining the emergence of politics.

The essence of politics[ | ]

In the course of the development of scientific and philosophical thought, various definitions of politics were proposed: the general “royal art”, which consists in mastering a set of specific ones (oratory, military, judicial, etc.), the ability to “protect all citizens and, if possible, make them better from the worst” (Plato), knowledge of correct and wise government (Machiavelli), leadership of the state apparatus or influence on this leadership (Max Weber), struggle of class interests (Karl Marx). Currently, it is common to interpret politics as an activity that is expressed in the behavior of social groups, as well as a set of behavior patterns that govern social relations and create power control as such, coupled with competition for the possession of power. There is also the idea that, in its most general form, politics can be defined as social activity aimed at maintaining or changing the existing order of distribution of power and property in a state-organized society (domestic politics) and the world community (foreign policy, global or world politics).

Politics is a multifaceted social phenomenon that can be considered as an instrument of conscious self-regulation of society. There are a number of definitions of politics proposed by various theoretical directions, which emphasize one of the main aspects of political activity: institutional, legal, economic, psychological, social, anthropological, etc.

Basic approaches[ | ]

In historical retrospect, the basic trends in determining the essence of politics, as well as in the area of its genesis, can be generalized within the framework of a set of different theoretical approaches. These may include the following:

Substantial. Definitions of politics are linked directly to the concept of power, defining politics either as management with the help of power, or as the desire to acquire and maintain it. Associated with this movement is the understanding of politics presented in the works of Niccolò Machiavelli, Max Weber and Karl Marx.
Institutional. Definitions in which attention is focused on a certain organization or some community of people performing power functions. As a rule, the state is designated as the key institution (such views were held, in particular, by Vladimir Lenin), but there are other variations that focus on other social institutions.
Sociological. Within the framework of this approach, society is considered as a set of structurally organized groups that realize their needs and interests through power, and politics, accordingly, as certain forms of activity of such social groups to realize the above-mentioned needs.
Teleological. Such an understanding of the essence of politics is associated with the concepts of organization, goal setting and goal achievement, due to which the field of action of the term “policy” is significantly expanded.

In addition, in modern political science there are two opposing approaches to understanding politics: consensus and confrontation. The first involves resolving problems using non-violent and non-conflict methods, through cooperation and search Compromises, and politics in it is understood as an activity to achieve agreement between citizens, while within the second approach, politics is considered an area of conflict of interests, an area of confrontation that involves the dominance of stronger subjects or organizations over weaker ones. It is necessary, however, to note that one should not exaggerate the significance and importance of any of these approaches: politics is the product of the struggle of two differently directed tendencies (conflicts of interests on the one hand and the search for balance on the other), which actually equates consensus and confrontational approaches.

Alternative definitions[ | ]

Politics is the struggle of many interests (the art of management, taking into account the interests of all layers of society). The definition is related to the etymology of the Greek. πολιτικός, where πολι (poly) means a bunch of, and τικός (ticos) - interest; (literally - “many interests”) [ ] . Thus, civil servants in the cities of ancient Greece were called politicos, and citizens who had little interest and participation in the political life of their city were called ιδιοτικός ( idiotikos) ;
Politics is the art of what is acceptable. History points to the manipulation and aggressive policies of many rulers. Politics is a management, a tool, and it must be distinguished from the goals and falsification (imitation nature) of politics;
Politics is an all-encompassing phenomenon of social life, permeating all its forms and including all forms of social activity of people, all types of activities for their organization and management within the framework of production processes;
Politics is the management of resource allocation;
Politics is a sphere of social activity associated with obtaining, maintaining and using power;
Politics is the desire to participate in power or influence the distribution of power, be it between states, be it within a state between the groups of people that it contains;
Politics is participation in the affairs of the state, the direction of the state, the determination of the forms, tasks, content of the activities of the state;
Politics is the activity of an organization (its behavioral model), including the activity of the state to realize its goals (interests), for example: - technical policy;
Politics is any program of action, all types of activities for independent management of something or someone. Accordingly, in this meaning we can talk, for example, about the currency policy of a bank, about the school policy of city municipalities, about the family policy of a wife in relation to her husband and children, etc.;
Policy is a set of measures and actions aimed at achieving a predetermined result;
Politics is a form of social consciousness that expresses the corporate interests of the community and manifests itself in civil society (state) in the form of trends, movements, trade unions and other public organizations and associations of specific interests. The most perfect and organized of them are the parties and the church;
Politics is the art of bringing people together;
Politics is a struggle for the right to set your own rules of the game;
Politics is the art of evil in the name of good (philosophical and ethical definition in a broad sense);
Politics is the enforced order of a third party;
Politics is someone's executable strategy to offer rights and freedoms. (Policy such-and-such may offer rights that are different from those offered by another policy);
Policy - measures and actions taken by a leader in order to implement the idea of how everything should be arranged in the environment under his control. For example, the policy of company “A” may change some functions in the equipment it produces in order to increase profits.

Functions [ | ]

In accordance with its purpose, the policy performs a number of fundamental functions:

Realization of the interests of social groups that are significant from the point of view of power.
Regulation and ordering of processes and relationships existing in society, as well as the conditions in which labor and production are carried out.
Ensuring both the continuity of the development of society and the adoption of new models of its evolution (that is, innovation).
Rationalization of relations between people and mitigation of contradictions in society, search for reasonable solutions to emerging problems.
Setting goals for the development of society, identifying related management tasks and ways to achieve them.
The distribution and redistribution of material goods and resources in society through political mechanisms, such as the formation of the state budget.
Maintaining political communication between various social groups through the media, mediation activities in creating platforms for contacts between the authorities and civil society organizations, representatives of the conflicting parties.
Guaranteeing the political rights and freedoms of citizens, observing the principles of social equality and justice.

Structure [ | ]

In politics, there are subjects or actors - free and independent participants in the political process (for example, certain communities of people, institutions, organizations, etc.), as well as objects - social phenomena with which subjects purposefully interact in one way or another. As a result of such interaction, political relations arise, which, in turn, are determined by the political interests of the subjects. All of the listed structural elements are influenced by political consciousness (a set of values, ideals, emotions, etc.) and political culture. The summation of these components forms phenomena of a higher level of abstraction: political system, political regime and political processes.

Kinds [ | ]

Classification of policy types is carried out on several grounds:

By target area of society:

and so on.

By direction or scale: internal and external.
By content and nature:

progressive,
reactionary,

scientifically based,
voluntaristic.

By subject: politics of the world community, state, organization, etc.

Political processes and society[ | ]

The acceleration or, on the contrary, a delay in the development of society.

The basis of political processes is a set of ideas and methods of their implementation. The policy is of a pronounced temporary nature, that is, it can change due to a change of leaders (managers).

Political systems and ideologies[ | ]

Today there are 20 known political and ideological systems:

Famous political figures[ | ]

The emergence of such a phenomenon as “politics” is due to the fact that society is asymmetrical in its structure. The existence of different classes and social groups (professional, demographic, ethnic, etc.) having divergent, or even directly opposite, interests, aspirations, and ideologies inevitably leads to their clash and struggle with each other.

The great ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle formulated the position that “... man by nature is a political being...”, which means that he is, to one degree or another, involved in political life. The only question is how consciously a person becomes the subject and object of politics, and deliberately makes his political choice in certain situations.

Without politics, our life would turn into what the famous English thinker T. Hobbes called “a war of all against all,” when people fight against people, city against city, street against street, house against house, and, finally, man against man. It is precisely this function of self-preservation of society that politics performs.

« Policy" is one of the most common and polysemantic words both in Russian and in many other languages of the world. In everyday life, politics is often called any purposeful activity, be it the activity of the head of a state, a party or a company, or even the relationship of a wife to her husband, subordinate to a specific goal.

However, most people, when using the term “politics,” practically do not think about its true content. Ancient Greek politician Pericles stated:

“Only a few can create politics, but everyone can judge it.”

At the same time, the insidiousness of familiar words lies in the fact that, having become generally known, they often lose their original meaning. Great German philosopher Georg Hegel warned: ". If something becomes common knowledge, then we don’t know exactly what it’s about.” Regarding political terms, the Russian historian V. Klyuchevsky wrote that they have their own history, and we will inevitably fall into anachronism if, when we encounter them in historical monuments of distant times, we understand them in the modern sense.” This also applies to the understanding of the term “politics”.

You can comprehend the essence and content of the category “politics” at three levels.

On an ordinary level. In this case, the citizen creates the primary, background image of politics, which allows him to adapt to a politically organized community and find ways of relationship with the authorities and the state that are consistent with his own goals. Ordinary consciousness paints a “natural” picture of politics based on individual empirical experience and traditionally established ideas, customs, and stereotypes.
At the scientific and theoretical level. Here a form of abstract thinking is formed, with the help of which a person builds in his mind ideas about the external and internal connections of politics on the basis of generalization and systematization not of individual, but of intergroup and universal experience. The specificity of this level consists in a rational-critical understanding of political reality and the creation of a picture of the political world that would describe and explain this phenomenon as a whole.
At the level of technological reflection, which serves as a qualitative variety of scientific consciousness, formed to solve a specific political problem and representing science as a special “art”, “craft”, “skill”. This level significantly influences the methods of formation and development of this kind of knowledge, methods of their organization and forms of implementation.

Today, despite the rapid development of scientific political science knowledge, the content of the category “politics” still remains open, subject to changes and additions as new theoretical models emerge. It demonstrates the futility of unambiguous definitions of the phenomenon of politics, the desire to capture its ever-elusive specificity within the boundaries of a once-found logic. The term "politics" is almost always used in more than one sense.

The origin of the term “politics” is interpreted differently by different authors.

Some researchers argue that the name politician comes from the Greek “polis” and its derivatives “politeia” (constitution), “polites” (citizen) and “politicos” (statesman).

Others believe that this concept came from “politike”, which meant the science and art of administering public affairs. Still others believe that the word politics itself comes from “politeia,” which denoted the legislative design of the social and state structure. Still others are convinced that the concept of “politics” comes from the Greek words “poli” (many) and “tikos” (interests).

The word “politics” became widespread after the treatise of the ancient Greek thinker Aristotle on the state and the art of government, which was called “Politics,” became known.

In Ancient Greece, the word “politics” meant everything that related to government activities. So, in particular, Plato and Aristotle They considered government management to be politics. Aristotle considered correct those forms of government (monarchy, aristocracy, polity) in which the goal of politics is the common good. Plato defined politics as the art of living together, that is, the art of coexistence. This approach is called communication.

Using a directive approach, classic of political science, Italian thinker Nicollo Machiavelli believed that there is nothing more than “the totality of means that are necessary in order to come to power, stay in power and use it usefully.”

And the German sociologist M.Weber emphasized that politics “means the desire to participate in power or influence the distribution of power, be it between states, be it within a state between the groups of people it contains... Whoever is involved in politics strives for power.”

Based on the functional approach, T. Parsons wrote:

“Politics is a set of ways of organizing certain elements of a total system in accordance with one of its fundamental functions, namely, effective action to achieve common goals.”

And D. Easton understood politics as the power distribution of values within society.

Based on the institutional approach, V. Lenin believed that politics is “the area of relations between classes of society, their relationship to the state as an instrument of the ruling class, a concentrated expression of the economy.”

If we turn to the interpretation of the concept of “politics” in scientific dictionaries, we see that in the Popular Political Dictionary, published in Moscow in 1924, politics is considered as the art of government and as a certain direction of action of the state, parties, and institutions.

S. Ozhegov in the Dictionary of the Russian Language defines politics as the activities of public authorities and public administration, reflecting the social system and economic structure of the country.

The Soviet Philosophical Encyclopedic Dictionary considers politics as an activity related to relations between classes, nations and other social groups, the core of which is the problem of conquest, retention and use of state power.

The presented interpretations of politics do not exhaust the diversity of its definition, but together they allow us to reveal the essence of politics as a social phenomenon as follows: “Politics is a field of activity associated with relations between classes, nations, and other social groups, with the goal of conquering, organizing and using state power , management of social processes".

Politics can classify for various reasons:

By area of public life: economic; social; national; scientific and technical; environmental; cultural; military, etc.
By object of influence: internal and external.
By subject of policy: party politics; politics of public associations and movements; public policy, etc.
By activity priority(goals): policy of neutrality; policy of national reconciliation; open door policy; “Great Leap Forward” policy; policy of compromises, etc.

Thus, politics is: participation in the affairs of the state, determining the forms, tasks, content of its activities; activities in the field of relations between classes, nations, parties and states; a set of events or issues of state and public life; characteristics of a course of action aimed at achieving certain goals in relationships between people. In a broad sense, politics is identified with all social reality. In a narrow sense, politics refers to the relations between large social groups of people regarding the implementation of their political interests.

From a functional point of view, the role of politics in any society (from a small group to society as a whole) can be reduced to the following:

Expression of powerfully significant interests of all groups and strata of society. Politics gives people the opportunity to satisfy their needs and change their social status.
Socialization of personality, formation of a person as an independent, socially active individual. Through politics, a person is able to acquire social qualities; it includes the individual in the complex world of social relations, constructs the individual as an independent socially active being, a subject of politics.
Rationalization of emerging contradictions, ensuring civilizational dialogue between citizens and the state. In the course of satisfying the needs and interests of individuals, contradictions are exposed and conflicts arise. The role of politics is to smooth out contradictions.
Management and leadership of political and social processes. Political processes taking place in the interests of certain segments of the population or society as a whole involve the use of coercion and social violence.
Integration of various social strata of the population, maintaining the integrity of the social system, stability and order.
Ensuring the continuity of social development of society as a whole and each person individually. In this case, the political course chosen by society must foresee not only the long-term consequences of the actions taken, but also be constantly verified by practical experience, common sense, and moral standards.
Ensuring innovative social development of society and people, expanding the scope of relations between peoples, man and nature.
Organizational.
Control and distribution.

It is clear that in this case we are talking only about the most important functions of politics. By the degree of development of these functions one can judge the degree of development of the society itself, its maturity and development of political life.

The structure of policy distinguishes content, form and process (relationships). The content of a policy is expressed in its goals, values, motives and mechanisms for making political decisions, in the problems that it solves. The form of politics is its organizational structure (state, parties, etc.), as well as norms and laws that give it stability, stability and allow it to regulate the political behavior of people. The political process reflects the complex, multi-subjective and conflictual nature of political activity, the manifestation and implementation of relations between various social groups, organizations and individuals. Based on this, considering politics as a social phenomenon, we can highlight the following: structural elements:

political interest is an internal, conscious source of political behavior;
political relations - the relationship between social groups and government institutions;
political consciousness - the dependence of political life on people’s conscious attitude towards their powerfully significant interests;
political organization - a set of institutions of political power;
political activity is the social activity of subjects in realizing their political statuses.

Politics has its subjects and objects.

Subject- is a carrier of any objective-practical activity, a source of activity aimed at an object.
An object- this is what confronts the subject in his objective-practical activity, in cognition. In other words, the subject acts, influences the object, strives to use it in his own interests.

In relation to politics, we can say that a subject of politics is someone who leads an active political life, participates in the political process: an individual, a social group, public and religious associations, the state or its bodies, international organizations, etc.

The object of politics is what the efforts of the subject of politics are aimed at: power, interests and values, the population as an electorate, the state, the individual, etc.

Policy can be implemented at several levels:

mega level - international and world politics;
macro level - highest central political institutions, government bodies, public organizations and associations;
meso level - governing bodies of regional, republican, regional, district scale;
micro level - direct political interaction of people, small social groups.

Thus, politics has a comprehensive social character and is relevant to almost every member of society. Political science, as a science, studies politics in all its manifestations, and the study of political science contributes to the formation of a socially active personality.

The entire history of mankind can be divided into pre-political and political periods. For several tens of thousands of years, society managed without politics in its organization. K. Marx associated the pre-political organization of society with the absence of classes. In pre-class society there was no private property, people lived in small ethnic groups connected by consanguinity - family, clan, tribe. In the twentieth century, the research of such scientists as C. Lévi-Strauss and L. Lévi-Bruhl expanded the understanding of the pre-political period of history. In this society, people lived according to rigid traditions, which formed the basis of organization. Their organization was based on cultural technologies in which life situations were realized. Since these situations were related to nature and small communities, they were quite simple. In this society there were no people in our usual sense yet. People were bearers of functions, had names that were given to them upon “coming of age”—inclusion in the community of “adults” as a result of an initiation rite. These people did not think independently, they did not have individual will and the right to choose. They were literally “cogs” of the social machine - an organization that programmed them with social rituals, taboos, supplied them with mythological dogmas, formed a pre-scientific, pre-logical consciousness, in which everything was explained and everything was dictated for each person - the performer of a social role. Such a social organization was characterized by indivisibility and unity (syncretism) of social institutions. They were not yet needed in society and were kept in embryo. The transition to political organization represents a significant leap in the change of social form. The emergence of politics contributed to the development of human culture. An appropriate structure is created in society, which makes a person freer, more aware of himself and his existence, and also more organized. So, politics is an activity in the sphere of relations between large social groups (classes, nations, states) regarding the establishment and functioning of political power in the interests of realizing their socially significant requests and needs. The understanding of politics as a sphere of interaction between various social groups and communities of people is called communication. Aristotle stood at its origins. According to his definition, politics is a civilized form of community that served to achieve the “common good” and “happy life.” At that time, politics was understood as the whole of public life. Various scientific definitions of policy can be systematized and divided into several groups, each of which is internally differentiated.

Sociological. Characterizes politics through other social phenomena: economics, law, morality, culture, religion.

-- economic. Politics is a superstructure over the economic base, a concentrated expression of economics.
- ethical. Politics is a superstructure over the economic base, a concentrated expression of economics.
-- stratification. Politics is the rivalry of certain social groups: classes or nations (Marxism) or interested groups (A. Bentley, D. Truman), ensuring balance and balance of public interests in a modern democratic state.
-- legal. Politics is a specialized activity to protect the fundamental rights inherent in every person from birth: life, freedom, security, property (the theories of the “Social Contract” of Spinoza, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant).

Substantial. Reveals the fundamental principle, the “fabric” that makes up politics.

- domineering. Politics are actions aimed at power, its acquisition, distribution, retention and use (M. Weber).
-- institutional. Politics is the activity of the state, as well as parties and other associations and unions.
-- anthropological. Politics is a form of communication between people, a way of collective human existence (Aristotle).
-- conflict-consensus. Politics is the activity of peaceful and violent resolution of conflicts (M. Duverger, S.F. Huntington).
- “friends-enemies” relationship. Politics is any social activity in which people interact as friends and enemies.

Processual - reveals the dynamic, procedural nature of politics.

- active. Politics is the process of preparation, adoption and practical implementation of decisions binding on the entire society.
-- teleological. Politics is the activity of effectively achieving collective goals.
-- systemic. Politics is a relatively independent system, a complex social organism, an integrity delimited from the environment (the rest of society) and in continuous interaction with it.

Naturalistic interprets politics as a set of natural factors.

-- geographical. Treats politics as a combination of natural factors.
-- biological. Politics is a tool for controlling human animal instincts.
-- psychological. Politics is the activity of people, determined by their desire for power and wealth.

Theological - politics as a manifestation of the divine will.

The interpretations of politics discussed above do not exhaust the diversity of its definitions, although they reflect the most important of them. The abundance of scientific characteristics is explained, first of all, by the complexity of politics, the richness of its content, the variety of properties and social functions.

Summarizing various definitions, we can define politics as the activity of social groups and individuals in articulating (awareness and representation) of their conflicting collective interests, developing decisions binding on the whole society, carried out with the help of state power.