Why should you care about power, politics, and government?
Throughout our history, Americans have tended to be distrustful of power, government, and politics. Nonetheless, we look to our government to provide goods and services that we all want and need.
Power The term power is often defined as the ability to make people act in ways they might not otherwise choose to act. The power to influence others comes from many sources, from formal authority to coercion. Historically, rulers have used power for both good and ill.
Government Groups of people organize government to maintain order and provide public goods, such as roads and national defense. To fulfill these functions, governments must have the means to coerce the population and to extract revenue from it.
Politics When people work to influence the decisions made by groups, they are engaging in politics. Political activity is purposeful and involves collective action. Because politics involves competition, it is often described as a game. While most political competition is peaceful, it can turn deadly.