The Political Animal

The Political Animal

As it turns out, I probably should have majored in Political Science in college (I first majored in Economics, then Mathematics).  In my last term of enrollment I took a Political Science course (Political Science 201 -- Introduction to American Political Science, as I recall) and scored an easy B-plus.  I enjoyed every minute of the course and found no test, assignment or preparation onerous.  My interest in electoral politics is no keener than the average Joe or Jane’s (or Dave’s, for that matter).  I have, however, noticed that politics pervades our lives and our thinking.  Some people who claim no interest in politics are in fact quite political, and some of these people immerse themselves in it quite willingly.  Put simply, politics in everyday life cannot be avoided.

Politics is in the home; politics can be found on the way to and from work, school, or wherever; politics can be found in the meat market (pun intended!), stock market, and supermarket.  The word “politics” is in and of itself quite supple.  While the Greek source – politikos or citizen – is straightforward enough, an exact definition is hard to pin down.  Is politics a way to an end, or is it an end in itself?  Or both? 

There is little if any politics in the world of plants and insects.  There is simply the survival of the fittest.  Is there politics in the world of dolphins, chimpanzees, whales and other intelligent animals?  “War is a continuation of politics by other means” quoted Karl von Clausewitz.  We know that chimpanzees have the capacity to wage war.  But do they also plot and scheme, or are they just acting instinctively?  Politics highlights the thinking capacity of homo sapiens and illustrates the fact that brute force or tangible physical superiority is not always necessary to achieve a desired end.

Office politics provides a window into our never-ending desire to bend situations to our liking.  There are the classic individualists who maneuver and gossip to achieve specific objectives or to prevent others from doing so.  There are “cliques” or “elites” – groups who find that there is safety in numbers.  Some people engage in office politics because they find it fun and/or essential, while others do it without consciously knowing that they are doing so. It is frightening how quickly otherwise normal people can become blood-thirsty survivalists when talk of substantive change circulates around the office.  At the managerial/administrative level and above, being able to politic is an absolutely essential job survival skill.  Those who claim to be “above the fray” had better be firmly in charge, or they risk being steamrolled by their coworkers/competitors in the blink of an eye!

Politics and government go hand in hand.  Every type of government – democracy, communism/socialism, monarchy, constitutional monarchy, dictatorship, deity – contains some sort of political activity:  some of it prescribed, some of it clandestine, some of it catch-as-catch-can or issue-specific.  Many of the qualities necessary to be a good politician – planning, working well with others, a thick skin – come in handy when governing a group or state.

The driving force behind political activity is the desire to get things done.  It is the urge to get involved, the id saying “I have to have a hand in this”.  Politics involves reasoning, communication, observation, planning, and in some cases strategy.  Chimpanzees display all of these qualities.  So it would seem that chimps can politic; the question is do they?  And if not, why not?  Is it easier to just “go at it” like animals?

While chimpanzees simply want to survive and procreate, humans wish to improve their lot and leave their progeny with better living conditions – on most days.  On some days, humans descend to levels that literally make us scatter.  In the animal world, fewer options are available; most situations reduce to a choice between good and bad, or good and better, or bad or worse.  Or life and death.  Not so in our world.  The various choices found in our world bring out the best and the worst in our species.

Politicians provide some insight into why only humans perform this activity.  They make a living convincing others to do their bidding.  How cool is that?  Some people even make careers of convincing politicians to do their bidding:  lobbyists, other politicians, and other government entities (like defense and other departments/agencies).  And let’s not forget the criminal element.  Finally, there are the voters, who most definitely influence politicians’ behavior.  And all of the above-mentioned entities are influenced by other people, issues, and events.  It becomes easy to see why political science is just what it is called – a science.  It is the antithesis of simplicity.

As I conclude this essay, it is worth noting that it took me months of painstaking rewrites to arrive at this one-and-a-half-page result.  During this process it became easier to see why politics and public service are such engaging and worthwhile endeavors:  they are uniquely human activities that provide satisfaction on many levels while posing pitfalls and challenges at every turn.  Writing this essay made me use both sides of my brain in a way that few activities do.  No wonder I loved Poli Sci 201!