CHAPTER I 2.

2 Constitutional Law: is the body of law which

defines the relationship of different entities
What is Political Science? within a state, namely, the executive,
- It is the study of state, government and the legislature, and the judiciary.
politics
2.3 Administrative Law: is the body of law that
- The art and Science of Governance. governs the activities of administrative
What is politics? agencies of government. Government
agency action can include rulemaking,
From the historical point of view the term adjudication, or the enforcement of a
politics came from the Greek word polis or City- specific regulatory agenda.
state
3. International Relations, International Law,
Fields of Political Science: and International Organization: The focus in
this field of political science involves inquires
1. Political Theory
into foreign policy of nation-states in their
2. Public Law
mutual relationships on the different forces.
3. International Relations, International
Law, and International Organization 4. Government: it is a distinct branch of study,
4. Government dealing with the government set-up of a state
5. Comparative Government on both national and local levels. It covers the
6. Public administration state constitution, laws, citizenship, structures
7. Political Dynamics of various levels of government, the election
8. Government and Business process, the judicial system, political parties,
9. Legislature and legislation and interest groups, foreign affairs, etc.

1. Political Theory: Is a branch of political 5. Comparative Government: this study uses

science which deals with the study of state descriptive analytical or sociological method in
through a systematic body of principles relating seeking the similarities and differences among
to the origin, form, behavior, and purposes of states as regards their executive, legislative and
the state, and upon which its political system judiciary bodies, their constitution, laws,
operates. Political theory is all about political administrative organizations, foreign policies,
though from great political thinker or political parties and process, economic, social
philosopher about political phenomena. and political functions, and their cultures and
traditions.
2. Public Law: It refers to the constitutional and
legal principles/rules governing sovereign 6. Public administration: it bring forth a
states, governments and individual in their fountain of knowledge on the techniques and
relationship with one another. method of managing and administering
government in the phases of administrative
2.1 International Law: the body of generally
organization, personnel administration,
accepted principles that governs and regulates
financial of fiscal administration, and the
the international relationship and conduct of
management of good public relations.
nation-state.
7. Political Dynamics: it refers to the study of Sovereignty: The supreme and final legal
political science which is concerned with the authority of the state to enforce its will on its
interplay of different societal forces that member.
influence political decision and action.
- Internal Sovereignty: the ability or
8. Government and Business: it is the field that power of the state to enforce its will on
gives emphasis to governmental exercise of the people within its territorial
corporate, or business function, as well as its jurisdiction.
regulatory function affecting the national - External sovereignty: Independence of
economy. the state of a state from control by
other state.
9. Legislature and legislation: as a branch of
political science it brings political limelight the Characteristic of Sovereignty:
vital role of the legislature is to make law.
Number game. 1. Absolute: The exercise by the state of
its sovereign powers is absolute in a
sense that the state is not subject to
restriction by any other power.
However, in reality, we cannot say that
CHAPTER II the sovereign power of the state is
What is a State? absolute especially when the state has
treaty agreements with other states.
State is a community of persons more or less Treaties are the chief basis of
numerous, permanently occupying a fix and international law, and if a nation-state
definite portion of territory, having a is a signatory to a treaty, let us say, a
government of its own rendering habitual and defence treaty or a military agreement,
free from external control. then it has to surrender some sovereign
rights that infringe upon certain
Essential elements of the State: provision of the treaty. A perfect
1. People example for this would be the
2. Territory Philippines although it declared its
3. Government independence from Spain on June 12,
4. Sovereignty 1898 it became again a colony for
another Foreign Power which is the
People: Living human being inhabitants of the United States, when the latter granted
state the Philippines political independence
on July 4, 1946, it did not have an
Territory: A fix portion of the Earth wherein the
absolute independence during the
people of the state resides.
ensuing years for it remained a vassal of
Government: An Agency through which the will United States economic imperialism.
of the state is formulated and carried out
2. Comprehensive: The sovereignty of a
Nation-State is comprehensive for its
 supreme legal authority to extend to all manifestation of how it is exercised. It is
the citizens, aliens, associations or important to understand about the
organization within its boundaries. indivisibility of sovereignty is that such
There is an exemption to this supreme authority or supreme will is
characteristic of sovereignty. Rules of the monopoly of the state. The exercise
international relations, however, of authority may be delegated to
provided several exemptions to this various organ of the government.
characteristic. Under the mutual This concept may be best applied to a
respect or international courtesy, federal system like the United States.
diplomatic immunity is extended to Between the latter and Hawaii, a
foreign ambassadors, ministers component part, which is sovereign? In
together with their respective families this case, there can be no two supreme
during the period of their assignment in powers in a state; only the United
the host nation-state. Under the States is sovereign: It is only the locus
principle of ex-territoriality, diplomatic or central source.
immunity means that diplomatic However, Hawaii can be independent
representative and their families are from the federal government when it
exempted from local jurisdiction of the exercises governmental powers on local
state. matters but the exercise of such power
should conform to the political system
3. Permanent: Sovereign is perpetual in of the United States. Moreover such
the sense that as long as the state exercise of power by Hawaii as a
exists, sovereignty also exist. This is “STATE” is not an exercise of
because sovereignty is an inherent sovereignty. If it ever exercises a
attribute of the state. Rulers may be sovereign power for a certain purpose
ousted through elections, or they may that power is only delegated by and is
be overthrown from power through derived from the supreme authority of
revolutions. Government may be the United States.
changed from one form to another. But
as long as the state exists, sovereignty is Type of State Sovereign:
always present as one of its elements. 1. Legal Sovereign: is defined as the
supreme authority of the state
4. Indivisible: Sovereignty is indivisible expressed by the law and the
power as “to divide sovereignty is to constitution. As per John Austin in
destroy it” in fact, the exercise of his lectures on Jurisprudence
sovereignty may be distributed but not describes law as a supreme
sovereignty itself. Thus the power of command enforce by the ruler upon
the government are apportion to his people who in turn render
Legislative, Executive and Judiciary and/ habitual loyalty and obedience to
or distributed into Central and local the rule and the latter calls that as
government. However these are not Positive Law
evidence of division of sovereignty, but
Whichever authority has the power to the revolutionary government as de
make the law or amend the facto..
constitution, that authority exercise
legal or constituent sovereignty. In the 5. De jure Sovereignty: The theory of
Philippines it is the Congress, de facto sovereignty is that the
Constitutional Convention and the supreme legal authority of the state
people which exercise legal authority to is based on the supremacy of the
change the constitution. law this means that sovereignty is
formally expressed by the
2. Political Sovereignty: The supreme constitution and by the laws
will of the state expressed by the enacted conformably with its
electorate. Political Sovereignty is provision. In reference with the
also called electoral sovereignty in revolutionary government as
the sense that this supreme explained above, it was at its
authority if the state is exercised by inception illegal for lack of
the electorate in the choice if public constitutional basis. But it acquired
officers at least during election. de jure Status when it gained wide
acceptance from the people and
3. Popular Sovereignty: Popular recognition from the community of
Sovereignty is supreme authority of nations.
the state which resides in the
people. This authority possess Theories of State Origin:
coercive power to control
government through which they 1. Divine Right Theory: The Idea that the
allow themselves to be governed. It ruler was God’s appointed agent on
was said that sovereignty resides in Earth legitimated the king’s rule, and
the people and all government that no matter how absolute his power
authority emanates from them. (i.e. were, such power could never be
Martial Law/People Power) question or assailed by anyone. To
challenge the ruler was to challenge
4. De Facto Sovereignty: Power was God’s authority.
vested on a person or a group of 2. Force Theory: in this theory state came
persons who have succeeded in a to existence out of conquest, force or
legitimate sovereign. From a legal coercion. One good example of this
stand point, the revolutionary theory is the Philippines.
government that was established 3. Natural Theory: Under this Theory the
after the installation to the state is just like a living organism which
presidency of Corazon Cojuangco- is natural because it has the capacity to
Aquino was not sanctioned by the grow, develop and attain fully civilized
constitution for the power that it life.
exercise was not found in the
constitution or in the laws, hence,
4. Patriarchal Theory: the state started peace and order provide them with
through the process of evolution from essential services. Maintain natural
family it gradually form a Clan and later rights; surrender their rights to govern
on the clan expanded and for a tribe them. Democracy. According to Locke,
and tribe grew bigger and for a nation all humans have natural rights to
and lastly the nation form a State. life, liberty and property. These
rights predate the formation of
5. Instinctive Theory: in this theory the
governments, so governments must
state was created because of the
uphold them if they wish to remain
natural inclination of men toward
legitimate in the eyes of their
political association. A social being by
nature, man associated himself with subjects. Subjects, in turn, consent
other men for self-preservation and to government power only when
security. their rights are being protected.
Subjects withdraw consent when
6. Economic Theory: associated with their rights are violated.
other men in order to provide Government, according to Locke’s
themselves with their various need theory, is based on a social contract
through exchange of goods and services between rulers and their subjects. If
and led a societal existence.
kings, generals, prime ministers fail
to uphold their side of the social
7. Social Contract Theory: individuals have
consented or explicitly surrender some
contract by violating the natural
of their freedoms and submit to the rights of their subjects, those
authority of the ruler. subjects are immediately freed from
their duty to obey government
a. Social Contract by Thomas Hobbes: The decisions. This means that subjects
Stronger animal despoiled the weaker have the right and duty to rebel
one. Man’s desire for Self Preservation, against rulers when the latter fail to
order and peace could be attained only uphold their responsibilities.
if they surrender their natural rights c. Social Contract by Jean Jacques
and submitted their will to the absolute Rousseau: He believed that the only
monarchy, the Great Leviathan or the free government was a direct
“Mortal god” in return. This great democracy in which the citizens actually
Leviathan would preserve the peace participated in a town meeting to
and give his people the security they perform functions of the government.
need. Pick or Select who will protect All citizens, have equal right to
them. participate in the making of laws and in
b. Social Contract by John Locke: men the decision-making process. Under the
were rational beings and could make theory of general will, Rousseau
use of natural law for their own Good. belittled the importance of government
But they need the state to maintain
 because it did not exercise sovereignty may be king, queen, emperor, empress,
which rightfully belongs to the people tzar or tsarina, or any royal title of a
as a corporate body. Government is monarch ruling the state.
merely agent with delegated powers a. Absolute Monarchy: The monarch
which could be withdrawn or altered as exercises the absolute powers and
the general will of the people dictates. wields executive, legislative and judicial
powers.
b. Limited Monarchy: Also known as
State versus Nation Enlightened Monarchy, the monarch is
willing to part with some of his powers
A state is a political concept, legal fiction. It is and delegates them to some
perpetual existence as long as its four essential government agencies. Example
elements (People, Territory, Government, and Legislative power is exercise by the
Sovereignty) are intact. Compare to Nation it is Legislative body, the judicial power by
an ethnic concept, a sociological collectivity of the court and the executive power by
individuals who possess in common certain non- the king himself. He rules in accordance
political characteristics such as common racial with the law, especially the
origins, common language, common religion, constitution.
common historical experience, a common 2. Dictatorship: A form of government
cultural and social tradition or common beliefs came from the military or civilian class.
or creed. During the time of stress or emergency
in the past, the people sometimes
Even if some of the essential elements of a
vested tremendous emergency powers
nation may not be present, like absence of
in military commander, to be
common racial origins, religion, common
withdrawn after the emergency
culture or those of a state, like absence of
vanished. But the ambition of the
sovereignty or lack of territory, provided the
dictator with many pretensions would
spirit of nationalism is strong among the people
insist that emergency still exist. Usually
they still constitute as a nation although they do
the dictator proclaims himself as the
not form a state.
champion and protector of the poor
people.
CHAPTER III

According to Plato government by one, few or a. Totalitarianism: it is when the dictator

the many may be good or bad, each form of controls everything – all the means of
government has its counterpart in the bad. communication, homes, schools and
Mobocracy churches, the nation’s economy and
even the people’s lives, their minds and
Government by one Person souls. The leader dictator favors ultra-
1. Monarchy: A form of government nationalism.
where the ruler is a monarch who
comes from a royal family. His royal title
Totalitarianism Characteristic: society and their social status, wealth and
political power are inherited.
a. Built on Ideological Function: The
government utilizes ideology to 4. Oligarchy: also a government of wealthy few
captivate the people’s belief in and but do not come from nobility like the
Loyalty to the leader dictator. aristocrats. The wealthy few in the government
b. Totalitarian Leader wields absolute believes that the most important requisites to
power: In the totalitarian regime there claim power are Wealth, Good Social Position
is a hierarchy of the elites led by the and Education.
leader dictator who is closely identified
with his followers. He cultivates the Oligarchs are the enemy of the poor. That is
loyalty and obedience of the people to why the poor have reason to rebel against an
oligarch government that tries to entrench itself
maintain the power.
c. Totalitarian Dictatorship uses to power. They are in the government to
Terrorism: To control people they use control it for their own personal benefits as
terrorism, coercion or intimidation I they use the government to build economic
usually accompanied by brutality and empires for themselves and their family.
violence Oligarchy and aristocracy are also authoritarian
d. Totalitarian control the nation’s (enforcing strict obedience to authority
economy: Every business enterprise is especially in the government at the expense of
regulated coordinated and directly by personal freedom), just as monarchy and
the existing regime. Decision pertaining dictatorship are. Since there are no elections in
to economic policies are made or a which the citizen participates. In fact majority of
group of elite persons in the the people does not participate in policy making
dictatorship or more probably the and have no chosen representatives. This is
dictator himself, usually for political more plutocracies (Rule by the rich) these
end. authoritarian government does not allow
e. Totalitarian dictatorship is against non- people to organize political parties and interest
conformists: this are those people who groups.
are or do not merge themselves to the
system in addition no one can question Government by the Many
the policy of the dictatorship. Hitler
4. Democracy: from the Greek word Demos
eliminated the intellectual those are
means people, and Kratia or kratos, Rule
lawyers, doctors, even generals who
In other words, democracy means “People
goes against him.
Rule”
Government by the Few
A democratic government must be a living and
3. Aristocracy: is defined from the Greek working instrumentality to institutionalized
etymology, aristo which means best and kratia democracy ideals in order to make them more
or Kratos, rule. “rule of the best" Aristocracy is a effective and more meaningful wherein a
government of the “best” member of the government composed of public officers so
community. They belong to the elite in the chosen or selected by the people must act
responsively in accordance with the will of the elect into public office able and
people wherefore a responsive society prevails qualified officials who govern
in which people follow government as it does its responsibly.
best for them. A democratic government is The relationship between elected
identified by two essential features: leaders and the citizenry is called
Polyarchy (the control of the political
a. Majority Rule: the citizen has mandated leaders by their followers through the
to choose the men and women who electoral process). The fear that their
have the authority to govern and make supporters will vote for their rivals in
public policies. the next election enables these leaders
b. Minority Rights: minority citizens to perceive the will and aspiration of
openly attempt to in majority support the people and thus try their best to
for leaders and policies without loss of fulfil them.
individual rights just as these rights are 3. Political Parties: they are the driving
enjoyed by the majority. forces of democracy. Without political
“Follow the interest of the majority; protect the parties the government can be despotic
interest of the minority” or Tyrannical in rule as there will be no
opposition to counter the action of
Means in making democracy work: administration. (i.e. Liberal Party, PDP-
Laban) do not be confused with Political
1. The Citizens: the citizen plays a vital
Parties as their main goal is to represent
part in making democracy work. A
the marginalized sector of the society
militant and responsible citizenry is
(i.e. ACT-CIS, Construction worker
needed to prevent government from
Solidarity CWS, ACT Teachers Party-list).
committing abuses short of tyranny.
4. Interest and Pressured Group: Interest
Moreover, such citizenry can effectively
and pressured group are effective
act as a lever to maintain the balance
means of mobilizing the government to
between power and authority of the
function in accordance with the
government leaders.
principle that the government exist for
Citizen should exercise their liberty and
the greatest happiness for the greatest
freedoms within the bounds of the
number of people in the society. (i.e.
constitution and law, just as the
ANAKBAYAN, GABRIELA, ANAKPAWIS,
government should exercise its
KMU)
authority within its limits.
2. Suffrage and Electoral Process: suffrage Weaknesses of democracy: we can classify
is a right conferred by the law upon a the weakness of democracy through
qualified group of citizens to choose oligarchies because political authority is
their public officials and to participate exercise by few elite groups whose wealth
in the determination of proposed and influence are their insurance to power.
policies whenever these policies are
submitted to them for approval. The
citizens therefore must use this right to
Defence of Democracy: it allows the citizen to immediate action on important matter
participate in electoral process in which they of local concern.
choose the candidate that will uplift their 2. National officials are responsible for
general interest for a better government as the determining policies to regulate the
power of democracy resides in the peoples conduct of local affairs. They may not
vote. be able to formulate effective policies
that are suitable to a certain locality
The Institutional types of Government because they lack adequate knowledge
1. Unitary Government: Concentrates its of the local condition prevailing in a
governmental power in one organ, the central particular area.
or national government to which the 3. Restrains local initiative and interest in
constituent or local government owe their managing the affairs of the local
existence and from which they derive their government. Local officials shall
power and functions. The unitary system has administer local affairs only within the
been found to have a strong foundation and a limits of certain powers delegated to
more effective political authority of the them by the national government. Even
sovereign ruler over the people, to attain with they want to undertake a project for
faster facility the desirable goals and objectives the urgent needs of their community
of the state. they cannot do so unless approved by
the central government.
Advantage: 4. Hastens the creation of a large
centralized bureaucracy (Complex with
1. Simple structure
multilayered system and process). Thus,
2. No duplication of public or government
in a centralized bureaucracy there is
office
much red tape in the solution of
3. Unified law, public policy, and
people’s problem.
administration of government
5. Not suitable for large country why?
4. There is no conflict of jurisdiction
Local problems require appropriate
between the national and local
measures for the solution of these
government units
problems.
5. Easy to pinpoint responsibility for any
misdeed or anomaly committed by
government officials.
2. Federal Government: Government powers
Disadvantages: are divided between the central government
and its local Government unit as specified in the
1. Over Centralized administrative control
constitution of the state.
over local affairs overburden the central
government with numerous local Advantage
problems. Local government initiative in
public affairs will have very limited 1. Each government is independent in its
authority and cannot take an sphere of jurisdiction within scope of
authority.
 2. Provides uniformity when it is needed time as mandated under the constitution.
in terms of federal laws, policies and Appoints member of his cabinet.
administration, and allows wide
diversity of local policies to be Essential element of presidential system is the
separation of power of the executive, legislative
determined and promulgate by local
officers or respective localities. and judiciary branch which is made more
3. Enhance people’s interest in the local effective by check and balances of the three
government; they are more cooperative branches.
in maintaining peace and order, Parliamentary System: under this form or
promotion of health and sanitation. government the power of executive belongs to
4. Relieves the national government time the prime minister and his cabinets. They are
consuming effort in solving local the leaders of the majority party in the
problems. parliament and they can remain in the office as
5. Provides great opportunity for local long as they have confidence and support of the
government to experiment on new parliamentary majority.
legislative and administrative method of
solving peoples problem Prime minister and his cabinet can be removed
by means of parliamentary censure on the
Disadvantage minister.
1. The structure and organization of the Sources:
political machinery is complex
2. Duplication of office and personnel, and 1. Fundamentals of Political Science. F.G.
maintaining the operation of the Ayson, D. Aligada-Reyes
government system would cause heavy 2. Introduction to Political Science: a
financial burden to the government. simplified textbook in Political Science. J.
3. Overlapping of function may occur in Donato
many areas of government activity, 3. Philippine Government. R. Holmes
whenever governmental problems arise
on the boundary line of authority as
prescribe by the constitution. Both
federal and local governments may be
hesitant to act on these problem may
cause delay in solving problem
4. Lack of uniform legislation on many
matters makes the problems of
administration more difficult.

Presidential and Parliamentary Governments

Presidential System: The presidential power is

exercised by a single president elected by
popular vote. Hold office for a specific period of