by Maurice Sassoon

Created on: September 19, 2008

As a branch of social sciences dealing with the study of society and the development of ideas thereof, the science of politics reflects administrative techniques practiced by politicians, as a basis on which the fundamental aspects of government can function. Politics had its origin in ancient Greece, when the philosopher, Aristotle, was the first to make a systematic study of existing governments that were formulated and classified analytically, with respect to the governments of the city-states of the Athenians, Spartans, Cretans and Phoenicians.

Aristotle is universally recognized as having been the founder of political science which included the classification of governments as monarchies, aristocracies and democracies, whether it existed under the control of one person, a select few, or a large number of persons within the political circle.

The Greek philosopher, Plato, embraced Aristotle's theory of the nature of governments, except that, in his Republic, he projected the idea of an utopian community in which property could be owned in common, but governed by philosophical aristocrats, engaged in the training of young, would-be politicians. Plato later extended his theory by taking the position in which the institution of private property was accepted. He was also the first person to come up with the idea that government is a form of art that must be responsibly conducted to protect the people against external dangers.

The English philosopher, John Locke, in his Treatise on Civil Government, expounded the theory that sovereignty resided in the people and that governments were trustees in charge
of fulfilling their needs. There were also those among the French philosophers, such as Montesquieu and Jean Jacques Rousseau from whose theories the United States Constitution was framed. Most contributions to the theory of government were later refined to reflect the present system of the politics of the United States. Unfortunately, slavery was the "fly in the ointment" in the politics of the United States and the antithesis of theories advanced by those from which the Constitution was modeled.

Today, politics in the United States, under its system of democracy, embodies a variety of forms, one of which is authority, legitimately exercised, by representatives and legislators that are elected, in accordance with the popular will of the people.

The major features of modern democracy include personal freedom, entitling every citizen to the liberty of shaping his or her own career, equality, universal suffrage and education, as contained in the United States Declaration of Independence.

The wrangling and disagreements, occurring in U. S. electoral campaigns, should be considered normal, although, in some respects, the candidates tend to cross the line of reasoning when they engage in mud-slinging accusations, in order to impress voters. It has been going on since America had gained its independence from the British, and has become part of the fabric of U. S. politics.

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