Politics is the study of polities, or political arrangements in society, which includes various types of government. The field of political science is also known as political sciences. The focus of political science is to understand how power functions among political institutions, which include deliberative assemblies, political parties, governing bodies, national and local government and even private citizens. Politics can be viewed as a system of values that has been shaped by forces outside of democratic societies such as capitalism and classical liberal thought. There is some debate as to exactly what types of societies are left in the wake of political systems such as socialism and communism, however, the major portion of the world’s political structure is democracy.
One of the main purposes of studying politics is to gain understanding about how institutions organize themselves in society and how these institutions form the key terms on which societal decision making is based. One of the most important areas of focus in modern political science has been the analysis of politics as a social process, namely as the formation of social policy and the enforcement of those policies through diverse forms of government. Studying politics as a social process helps political scientists gain a better understanding of how groups come into being and how they interact with one another. In particular, studying politics helps political scientists gain an understanding of the rationality of public opinion and the legitimacy of public institutions.
Politics is considered to be a major force in shaping the modern world and many people do not see this. However, politics is actually one of the three major fields of study that play a role in the understanding of modern life. Politics, unlike science, has little direct bearing on the world as a whole. Nevertheless, politics have profound effects on the way people live their lives and the policies that are developed by public officials and private citizens.