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Politics is the study of decision-making power at the inter-social and societal levels. It concerns how we coordinate our actions for mutual (or personal) gain, or, as political scientist Harold Lasswell said, politics is "who gets what, when and how."

In addition to government, journalists, religious groups, special interest groups, and economic systems and conditions may all have influence on decisions. Therefore, politics touches on all these subjects.

Studies of politics have both reflected and influenced the political systems of the world. Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince, an amoral analysis of politics in a monarchy, in 1513, while living in a monarchy. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto in 1848 and it went on to be one of the most influential works of the twentieth century. Today, much study of politics focuses on democracies, and how their form affects the decisions they make.

Other lines of political inquiry attempt to answer philosophical questions: is there a moral justification for government? What is the purpose of government?

Political science

In the United States, a democracy, political scientists look at elections, public opinion (on matters ranging from Social Security reform to foreign policy), institutional activities (how congress acts, where congressional power gravitates toward, how and when the Supreme Court acted, or didn't act, etc) and a variety of other data to try to figure out what the next move of society or government would be.

Political Systems and Ideologies:

Anarchism -- Anarcho-capitalism -- Capitalism -- Communism -- Conservatism -- Corporatocracy -- Democracy -- Fascism -- Liberalism -- Libertarianism -- Libertarian socialism --Marxism -- Minarchism -- Nationalism -- National Socialism -- Oligarchy -- Republicanism -- Socialism -- Theocracy

Sector-Based Ideologies:

Masculism -- Feminism

Political Entities:

City -- Country -- Government -- Republic -- State

Political philosophy:

The justification of the state -- Anarchism and natural law theory -- Social contract theories -- Raw is moral philosophy -- Consequentialist justifications of the state -- The purpose of government

Classical and modern political theorists:

Plato -- Aristotle

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk -- John Locke -- Karl Marx -- John Stuart Mill -- Jean-Jacques Rousseau -- Johann Gottfried von Herder

Contemporary Political Theorists:

David Friedman -- Noam Chomsky

Electoral Systems:

Election--Voting system--Proportional representation--Tactical voting

Miscellaneous:

International organization -- Corporate Police State -- Crony capitalism -- European Union -- Police -- Propaganda -- U.S. Politics -- Political spectrum -- Political Party-- Political parties of the world -- Techno-democracy -- Techno-oligarchy

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