Understanding Politics: From Common Good to Citizen Action

What is Politics?

The human being is a social creature who lives and organizes in groups. This social life also involves tensions and conflicts. Therefore, being social doesn't just mean being part of a group, but actively participating in community life to make it viable and respond to new needs. This active participation is called politics.

Core Principles of Politics

The common good is the set of conditions that ensures the dignity and full development of all people, allowing everyone's needs to be met. Therefore, politics should seek the best outcome for everyone, while also responding to specific needs such as health and education.

Democracy is a formula for reconciling various interests with the common good.

Political Ideologies

The diversity of political proposals stems from two major ideologies: liberal and social democratic. The former was born as a reaction against absolutism, and the latter from workers' struggles to achieve social rights. Our political system incorporates elements of both.

The word 'politics' is derived from the Greek word polis, which means city. Politics, therefore, is everything that affects the city and its citizens—all that is public.

The Crisis in Modern Politics

Negative Aspects of Politics

These are the detrimental elements often seen in politics, such as:

• The use of power for personal interest or for a small group to remain in power, which can involve limiting freedom of expression, suppressing opposition, denying election results, and deceiving the public.
• Corruption, where political decisions are made to achieve personal economic benefits.
• The 'reason of state' (raison d'état), used to justify actions that benefit a majority at the expense of a minority.

Hallmarks of Good Politics

Good politics upholds value and dignity through:

• Transparency, such as the publication of official gazettes.
• Participation, ensuring parliamentary sessions are public and open to citizens.
• Justice intervention, where the legal system intervenes in criminal proceedings.

The rule of law is a system of public institutions governed by law, a system in which fundamental rights are paramount.

The Importance of Civic Participation

Values for Participation

To participate effectively, three core values must be respected: Tolerance, which is respect for other opinions or beliefs; Responsibility, where an individual is accountable for the consequences of their actions; and Solidarity, where equality and commitment are made real through collective action.

Forms of Participation

While elections are the primary way to choose political representatives and governments, there are many other forms of participation:

• Political parties
• Associations
• Referendums
• Popular legislative initiatives
• Commissions of inquiry
• Strikes
• Demonstrations