The political system is represented by a complex of institutions, organizations, ideas, interacting in which power is exercised. The state is represented among the most important institutions of the political system.
Instructions
Step 1
The political system is a broader concept than public administration. It includes in its composition individuals and institutions that influence the process of formulating and making government decisions. The political system integrates everything related to politics. It is characterized by ideology, culture, norms, customs and traditions.
Step 2
The political system performs a number of essential functions. Among them are conversion (or transformation of citizens' requirements into solutions), adaptation (or adaptation of the political system to changing conditions), mobilization of resources, consolidation, protection of the political system, allocation of resources, international or foreign policy function. A stable functioning system operates on the basis of a feedback mechanism. He assumes that the authorities make decisions based on the requirements that are formulated by civil society. This mechanism only works in truly democratic societies. Whereas in authoritarian, the interests of the broad strata are not taken into account, and society cannot influence the decision-making process.
Step 3
Along with the state, the political system also includes other non-state and informal institutions. Among them, in particular, political parties, national movements and organizations, churches, local governments, trade unions, youth organizations, etc. The state can act as an arbiter in disputes between these institutions, coordinate and stimulate their activities, as well as prohibit the work of institutions that can destabilize the functioning of the system. The presence of strong non-state institutions in the political system indicates a high level of development of democracy, since this ensures the representation of the interests of broad social strata.
Step 4
The state acts as a key element of the political system, which concentrates diverse political interests. The special role of the state is due to a number of reasons. Possession of power makes it the pivotal element of the system, since it is around power that the political struggle unfolds. The state is the only institution that has the right to legitimate violence and is the bearer of sovereignty. At the same time, he owns huge material resources that allow him to pursue his own policy.
Step 5
The state among all the institutions of the political system has the widest range of instruments for influencing citizens. In particular, he owns the apparatuses of control and coercion, which extend their influence over the whole of society. Whereas the possibilities of influence of political parties on citizens are rather limited. The state expresses the interests of the bulk of the population, and the parties - supporters of a certain ideology.
