Introduction to Politics and Governance

Introduction to Politics Introduction to Politics and Governanceand Governance

Maria Elissa J. LaoMaria Elissa J. Lao

Summary of LectureSummary of Lecture

PoliticsPolitics Politics as the art of governmentPolitics as the art of government Politics as Public AffairsPolitics as Public Affairs Politics as compromise and consensusPolitics as compromise and consensus Politics as PowerPolitics as Power

Politics in the Philippine ContextPolitics in the Philippine Context Legitimacy, Authority and the EDSA Legitimacy, Authority and the EDSA

revolution(s)revolution(s)

National BudgetNational Budget

How do you spend 1.414 trillion pesos?How do you spend 1.414 trillion pesos? P158,210,142,000 Department of Education (DepEd) P158,210,142,000 Department of Education (DepEd)

P129,890,023,000 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH P129,890,023,000 Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH P62,937,459,000 Department of Interior and Local Governments P62,937,459,000 Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) (DILG)

P56,483,128,000 Department of National Defense (DND)P56,483,128,000 Department of National Defense (DND) 10 B Economic Stimulus Fund (ESF)10 B Economic Stimulus Fund (ESF) P302.65 billion, or 21% of the P1.4-trillion budget will go for interest P302.65 billion, or 21% of the P1.4-trillion budget will go for interest

payments of outstanding debts payments of outstanding debts P378.87 billion earmarked as off-budget allocation for principal P378.87 billion earmarked as off-budget allocation for principal

amortization of debts, which will “rolled over” by P437.086-billion worth amortization of debts, which will “rolled over” by P437.086-billion worth of new borrowings of new borrowings

The Power of Impoundment - Section 38, Book VI of the budget law as derived from Section 43 of PD1177 ensures that the President can refuse to allocate the money Congress appropriated.

• The Power to Reallocate “Savings” - Section 39, Book VI of the budget law as derived from Sections 44 and 45 of PD 1177, empowers the President to channel savings to cover deficits of other items in the budget.

• The Power to Line-Veto - Article VI, Section 27(2) of the 1987 Constitution, which is similar to Article VIII, Section 20(2) of Marcos’ 1973 Philippine Constitution, guarantees the power of the executive to veto specific items of the budget while retaining the others.

• The Power to Reenact Budget through Vetoing - Article VI, Section 25(7) of the 1987 Constitution, which is similar to Article VIII, Section 16(6) of Marcos’ 1973 Philippine Constitution, allows the President to reenact budgets should Congress fail to override a presidential veto of the budget.

• The Power to Unilaterally Contract Loans - Article VII, Section 20 of the 1987 Constitution, which is similar to Article IX, Section 15 of Marcos’ 1973 Philippine Constitution, allows the presidency to raise as much money as she can, using future revenue-generation capacity as collateral.

National Government Debt per P 42, 819.42Filipino (using end-Oct 2007 NGDebt and NSO projected 2007population)

Debt Servicing per minute P 1,165,898.02(using data on Interest andPrincipal payments on 2007)External Debt as % of GDP(using NSCB 2007GDP data andexternal debt data as of Sep 2007from BSP)

in billion pesos per capita

Debt Service612.80 P 6,908.15

Interest Payments303.30 P 3,419.11

Principal Amortization309.50 P 3,489.03

Education, Culture andManpower Development

164.10 P 1,849.96Health

18.36 P 206.93

Natural Resources andthe Environment

8.83 P 99.52

Agriculture and AgrarianReform

35.55 P 400.79Social Security, Welfareand Employment

55.3 P 624.27Housing and CommunityDevelopment

2.5 P 28.33Military

53.81 P 606.55

Public/Private dividePublic/Private divide

PublicPublic SovereignSovereign PoliticalPolitical GovernmentGovernment ImposedImposed UnilateralUnilateral Constrained by Constrained by

Political AuthorityPolitical Authority

PrivatePrivate VoluntaryVoluntary ContractualContractual MarketMarket ConsensualConsensual MultilateralMultilateral Constrained by Constrained by

economic authorityeconomic authority

Criteria Public Ad Private Ad

Goal/mission Public service Profit

Relations to environment Subject to public scrutiny, demands, expectations, pol.

pressures

Less exposed to public inspection, internal processes are kept from public, response

to public guided by market

accountability Accountable to public, transparency in transactions is

expected

Management accountable to owners of firms/corporations

Measure of performance Performance difficult to measure, GP satisfaction is the gauge, improvements in Q of

life

Profits is the bottomline

Nature of goods/services Public goods – basically open to all

Private goods –availment based on one’s ability to pay

Politics is a Form of Decision Politics is a Form of Decision MakingMaking

Politics is concerned with powerPolitics is concerned with power In larger systems, it is concerned with In larger systems, it is concerned with

governmentgovernment The most important political decisions are The most important political decisions are

concerned with the ordering and regulating concerned with the ordering and regulating of society itselfof society itself

Political Decision Making Political Decision Making DevicesDevices

Disagreement or conflictDisagreement or conflict Goals and valuesGoals and values Means to achieve itMeans to achieve it

Shared values (especially a belief in the Shared values (especially a belief in the need to preserve the system itself)need to preserve the system itself) Effort to build a consensus, or a push to reach Effort to build a consensus, or a push to reach

an accommodation, compromise, or some an accommodation, compromise, or some sort of agreement on policy decisionssort of agreement on policy decisions

““Political systems are characterized by a Political systems are characterized by a general consensus that the system itself is general consensus that the system itself is worth preserving”worth preserving” Value is enoughValue is enough System is malleableSystem is malleable

Political Decision Making Political Decision Making DevicesDevices

Competing groupsCompeting groups Groups and alliancesGroups and alliances Levels/units of analysisLevels/units of analysis

POWERPOWER

In a political process, the relative power of In a political process, the relative power of the people and groups is as important to the people and groups is as important to the final outcome as the appeal of the goals the final outcome as the appeal of the goals they seek or the cogency and wisdom of they seek or the cogency and wisdom of their argumentstheir arguments

1. No window hours: Makati, Malabon and Las Pinas. Number Coding is ineffect from 7 am to 7 pm!2.       No number coding: Taguig, Marikina and Paranaque. So, feel free toroam around these cities     anytime.3.       Pasig City has window hours of 9 am to 4 pm (note the 1 houradditional to the normal 10 am-3 pm window). <<Just as an aside - I heardthat Pasig has adopted the same window hours as the rest of the othermunicipalities. No extra hour.  Since there is no way to confirm this inPasig, I advise conservatism and just assume the shorter window, just to besure.  ->>4.       San Juan has window hours now according to MMDA website.5.       Pasay City is implementing Number Coding except on the followingroads: Ninoy Aquino Avenue, MIA Road, Domestic Road, Portions of AirportRoad, Sales Road, Tramo.6.       EDSA, C5, Pres. Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Roxas Blvd (Pasay) havewindow hours regardless of the city (meaning one can drive via EDSA inMakati any day).7.       For the rest of Metro Manila (Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Manila,Muntinlupa, Navotas, parts of Pasay, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig, andValenzuela) number coding is in effect (window hours of 10 am-3 pm is alsoobserved).

6.  MMDA officers are not allowed to group together in order toapprehend. They are not even allowed to stand together in groups of 2 ormore. The only time they are allowed to work together is for specialoperations (probably when they apprehend groups of buses for smoke belching)7.       Swerving IS NOT a traffic violation. Moving one lane to the left orright is not swerving, no matter where on the road you do it. And it is evenless of a violation when you do itwith a signal. Swerving is defined as shifting 2 or more lanes very quickly.So you can argue your way out of this, and call the Metro Base for help.8.       Sadly, using the yellow lane is a traffic violation and will getyou a ticket. However, buses are really not allowed to go out of the yellowlane, so if you see selective apprehension of private cars only, you maycomplain.9.       MMDA has confirmed that your license MAY NOT BE CONFISCATED at atraffic apprehension. The only time they can do so is if you are part of anaccident, or it is your third violation and you have not settled your finesyet. They are only allowed to give you a ticket, which you can contest. Herecommends actually receiving the ticket in some instances, so that you canreport the officer who did it.10.       Also, you are free to ask any of these officers for their "missionorder", which is written by their supervisor.  If they apprehend you for aviolation that is not in their mission order for the day, you can reportthem and they will receive disciplinary action.

Politics as PowerPolitics as Power

Public failure occurs when core public Public failure occurs when core public values are not reflected in social relations, values are not reflected in social relations, either in the market or public policyeither in the market or public policy Equality, justice, democracyEquality, justice, democracy

Issue areasIssue areas Monopolies, dynasties, cartelsMonopolies, dynasties, cartels

Goal of public policyGoal of public policy

To solve problems that cannot be solved To solve problems that cannot be solved privatelyprivately

““public life” – life lived in recognition of the public life” – life lived in recognition of the consequences of, and potential in, our consequences of, and potential in, our relations with others, both direct and relations with others, both direct and indirect, over extended time.indirect, over extended time.

Government Private Sector

Civil Society

Governance“stakeholdership”

Politics in the Philippine ContextPolitics in the Philippine Context

Authority Authority exists because it is generally agreed exists because it is generally agreed on and that most people believe it exists. The on and that most people believe it exists. The existence of this sort of feeling to the extent that existence of this sort of feeling to the extent that it does exist is called it does exist is called legitimacylegitimacy.. Charismatic - based on exceptional qualities of a Charismatic - based on exceptional qualities of a

personperson Traditional - rests on the sanctity of traditionTraditional - rests on the sanctity of tradition Rational/legal – rests on legality and legitimacy of rule Rational/legal – rests on legality and legitimacy of rule

based on accepted patterns of normative rule of based on accepted patterns of normative rule of leadership.leadership.

Politics in the Philippine ContextPolitics in the Philippine Context

Legitimation crisis: revolutionsLegitimation crisis: revolutions MarxistMarxist Non marxistNon marxist

• Disequilibirum of the political systemDisequilibirum of the political system

The EDSA revolutionsThe EDSA revolutions EDSA IEDSA I EDSA IIEDSA II EDSA IIIEDSA III