Politics and Government
Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions. It refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance—organized control over a human community, particularly a state. The academic study focusing on just politics, therefore, more often than not, refers to a branch or field of social science that focuses exclusively on understanding political behavior within government systems. Political science, as an area, encompasses the analysis of governments, public policies, political processes, political behavior, and ideologies, among many other topics related to power dynamics between individuals in society.
At its core level, politics involves making decisions that apply to members of a group, such as citizens in a country or representatives in an organization like parliament or congress. These decision-makers must consider various competing interests when formulating policy choices for their constituents, while also seeking out solutions that will satisfy all parties involved, even if it means compromising some ideals along the way. In addition to this basic definition, there are several branches associated with politics, including comparative studies (which looks at how different countries' governments function), international relations (focusing on interactions between nations), and law and public policy research (examining legal implications surrounding current affairs, etcetera).
government can be defined simply as any organized system used for governing people, either through laws passed by legislatures or executive orders issued by leaders within those systems. However, there are numerous types depending upon where one lives (e.g., democracies versus dictatorships). Some common forms include representative democracy, wherein elected officials represent their constituency's views; direct democracy, whereby citizens vote directly on matters without intermediaries; federalism, whereby states have certain powers reserved for themselves yet remain subject to overarching national authority; monarchy, wherein hereditary rulers reign supremely over subjects, etc. Regardless of what type prevails, each has its own set-up regarding who holds ultimate power, whether it be a president, prime minister, figurehead leader(s), or a ruling council composed of multiple party representatives, distinguishing them apart from one another, politically speaking.