Difference Between Government vs Politics
Election day arrives. After months of pondering, you finally get a chance to select from a list of politicians. A politician, then, gets voted for by the majority to be a government official. You recognize what happens after they get elected for office, but you can’t help but wonder. What is the difference between government and politics? Are they the same?
Being in a world that gives its citizens the liberty and the chance to select its leaders, it is vital for every inhabitant to recognize the difference between politics and government. It is essential that citizens have more awareness to be able to select wisely. To discriminate these two concepts, this article will compare and contrast government and politics and will clarify the difference between politics and government.
Definition of Government
Government is defined as an organization consisting of a group of select individuals with the authority to see to the affairs of a larger group of people for a period of time. It can also be defined as an institution that grants its members the power to exercise certain rights over a group of people or subjects.
Usually, the subjects or citizens are united by a common basic bond like religion, race, custom, language, etc. and are allegiant to an organized system of government. They may be referred to as a nation, country, or state.
There are different levels of government. In the US, for instance, there are federal, state, and local levels. They are all charged with the following responsibilities.
- Protecting basic human rights
- Ensuring peace both nationally and internationally
- Managing the economic conditions of the people by initiating development
- Redistribution of income and resources through taxation
- Making and seeing to the enforcement of laws and order in the society
There are several types of governments. The most common of them all include the following types.
- Military dictatorship
- Communism
- Aristocracy
- Democracy
- Oligarchy
- Socialism
- Theocracy
- Monarchy
- Totalitarianism
- Colonialism
Definition of Politics
Politics is defined as any activity that is backed up by a government usually to improve the condition of the subjects or citizens either directly or indirectly. From another perspective, it can also be defined as the art of maneuvering events to assert rival interests. In light of these definitions, we can see how government vs politics compare to one another.
While the former defines an institution of individuals that wield power, the latter defines the events centered around the offices of such individuals and how they express their powers. According to anthropologists, politics may be classified as centralized or decentralized.
When it is centralized, it means the system has its legislative and executive authority concentrated centrally at the higher levels. This power centralization is common in nations like China, the UK, Ukraine, Indonesia, Spain, etc.
Main Differences Between Government vs Politics
Do you want a clearer comparison? Below is the table with main differences between these two concepts.
| Basis of Comparison | Government | Politics |
| Definition | A system that governs | The art or science of government |
| Individuals involved | Elected/ appointed individuals | Common people or elected/ appointed individuals |
| Power | Able to make laws, interpret laws, and implement them | Participation does not supply official governance capabilities |
| Ruling | Over a group of individuals, or country | Symbolic or representative |
| Mechanism | Systematic and organized | May or may not be orderly |
| Academic Study | Political Science | Political Science |
Difference Between Government and Politics: Conclusion
The government and politics are differing concepts, but these two subjects are related in terms of the influence to lead and allocate the nation’s reserves. Their difference lies in the individuals involved, extent of eminence, ruling, and mechanism. Government electorates or appointees may get ensnared in politics one way or another.
They may also be part of a political party who helped them acquire or keep hold of a spot in the office. Lobbying parties or allies may rebel vs or engage with the régime to realize a joint vision. An official of the government can equally be a part of the administrative group and be connected in undertakings of political intentions. Nonetheless, everyone’s yearning is to have rulers who will lead them towards peace and order with the help of good politics.
