A politician is a person active in
party politics
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
, or a person holding or seeking an
elected office
An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their ...
in
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a politician can be anyone who seeks to achieve
political power
In social science and politics, power is the social production of an effect that determines the capacities, actions, beliefs, or conduct of actors. Power does not exclusively refer to the threat or use of force ( coercion) by one actor agains ...
in a government.
Identity
![Discurso funebre pericles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Discurso_funebre_pericles.PNG)
Politicians are people who are politically active, especially in party politics. Political positions range from
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
s to
state governments to
federal governments to
international governments. All ''government leaders'' are considered politicians.
Media and rhetoric
Politicians are known for their rhetoric, as in speeches or campaign advertisements. They are especially known for using common themes that allow them to develop their political positions in terms familiar to the voters. Politicians of necessity become expert users of the media. Politicians in the 19th century made heavy use of newspapers, magazines, and pamphlets, as well as posters. In the 20th century, they branched into radio and television, making television commercials the single most expensive part of an election campaign. In the 21st century, they have become increasingly involved with the social media based on the Internet and smartphones.
Rumor
A rumor (American English), or rumour (British English; see spelling differences; derived from Latin:rumorem - noise), is "a tall tale of explanations of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in p ...
has always played a major role in politics, with negative rumors about an opponent typically more effective than positive rumors about one's own side.
Government job and spoils
Once elected, the politician has to deal with
government officers and
government employees
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, Executive (government), e ...
working for them. Historically, there has been a subtle conflict between the long-term goals of each side. In patronage-based systems, such as the United States in the 19th century, winning politicians replace the
government officers and
government employees
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, Executive (government), e ...
not protected under the
government services rules with their supporters. It was the "
spoils system
In politics and government, a spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward ...
".
Government job reform was initiated to eliminate the corruption of
government jobs. However, in many less developed countries, the spoils system remained in full-scale operation as of 1982.
Careers and biographies
Mattozzi and Merlo argue that two main career paths are typically followed by politicians in modern democracies. First, is career politicians. They are politicians who rule the
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
sector until retirement. Second, are the "political careerists". These are politicians who gain a reputation for expertise in ruling certain levels of
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
such as
International Governments,
Federal Governments,
State Governments and
Local Government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
s, then leave politics and start a new
business venture
Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth potential or which ha ...
making use of their political contacts.
The personal histories of politicians have been frequently studied, as it is presumed that their experiences and characteristics shape their beliefs and behaviors. There are four pathways by which a politician's biography could influence their leadership style and abilities. The first is that biography may influence one's core beliefs, which are used to shape a
worldview
A worldview or world-view or ''Weltanschauung'' is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and point of view. A worldview can include natural ...
. The second is that politicians' skills and competence are influenced by personal experience. The areas of skill and competence can define where they devote resources and attention as a leader. The third pathway is that biographical attributes may define and shape political incentives. A leader's previous profession, for example, could be viewed as of higher importance, causing a disproportionate investment of leadership resources to ensure the growth and health of that profession, including former colleagues. Other examples besides profession include the politician's innate characteristics, such as race or gender. The fourth pathway is how a politician's biography affects their public perception, which can, in turn, affect their leadership style. Female politicians, for example, may use different strategies to attract the same level of respect given to male politicians.
Characteristics
Numerous scholars have studied the characteristics of politicians, comparing those at the local and national levels, and comparing the more liberal or the more conservative ones, and comparing the more successful and less successful in terms of elections. In recent years, special attention has focused on the distinctive career path of women politicians. For example, there are studies of the "Supermadre" model in Latin American politics.
Many politicians have the knack to remember thousands of names and faces. United States Presidents
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
were renowned for their memories.
Criticism
Many critics attack politicians for being out of touch with the public. Areas of friction include how politicians speak, which has been described as being overly formal and filled with many euphemistic and metaphorical expressions and commonly perceived as an attempt to "obscure, mislead, and confuse".
[Vincent E. Barry (2007): ''Invitation to Critical Thinking'' p. 319 ]
In the popular image, politicians are thought of as clueless, selfish, manipulative, dishonest, incompetent and
corrupt
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
, taking money in exchange for goods or services, rather than working for the general public good.
[Arnold J. Heidenheimer and Michael Johnston, eds. ''Political corruption: Concepts and contexts'' (2011).] Politicians in many countries are regarded as the "most hated professionals".
See also
*
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, by which representatives are chosen or referend ...
*
Political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...
References
Further reading
* D. Putnam, and Bert A. Rockman, eds., ''Bureaucrats and politicians in western democracies'' (Harvard University Press, 1981)
* Heywood, Paul M. ed. ''Routledge Handbook of Political Corruption'' (2014)
* Stebbins, Robert A. ''From Humility to Hubris among Scholars and Politicians: Exploring Expressions of Self-Esteem and Achievement''. Bingley, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, 2017.
* Stebbins, Robert A. "Democracy’s Politicians: An Occupation Like no Other." ''Society'', 56(5), 461–462, 2019, .
* Welch, Susan, John Gruhl, John Comer, and Susan M. Rigdon. ''UnGovernment''. 8th ed. Belmont: Thompson Wadsworth, 2006
External links
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{{Authority control
Politician, Political
Legal professions
Positions of authority