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Characteristics and Functions of Political Systems

A political system determines how power is distributed and exercised within a state. It involves interactions between formal institutions like the executive, legislature, and judiciary branches of government as well as informal institutions like political parties, interest groups, and traditional social structures. A political system is comprehensive in that it includes interactions across all these actors. It allows the state to legally exercise force or authority over components of the system. A political system performs input functions by processing demands and supports from citizens, and output functions by making, applying, and adjudicating rules through the branches of government.

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5K views3 pages

Characteristics and Functions of Political Systems

A political system determines how power is distributed and exercised within a state. It involves interactions between formal institutions like the executive, legislature, and judiciary branches of government as well as informal institutions like political parties, interest groups, and traditional social structures. A political system is comprehensive in that it includes interactions across all these actors. It allows the state to legally exercise force or authority over components of the system. A political system performs input functions by processing demands and supports from citizens, and output functions by making, applying, and adjudicating rules through the branches of government.

Uploaded by

Arif.hossen 30
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© All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Political System

1

Political System
Political system is an important concept in political science. A political system determines
political power, political culture, and nature of the state, political mobility and so on. Before we
discuss the meaning of political system, it is desirable to explain the words ‘political’ and
‘system’. The political refers to power, influence, control or authority, use or threat of use of
physical force etc. On the other hand, a system refers to few elements that are in interaction
with each other. At the state level, such a system denotes a number of structures, groups,
agencies and organizations etc. that operate at different levels for different purposes.

A political system shows how the various units that constitute a system become the objects of
power, influence, control or authority that a state possesses. It is to be borne in mind that a
state despite its unrestricted power cannot apply force on any unit at its will. There must be the
rationale behind the application of force by a state. In other words, the force to be applied on
the system units should be legal and legitimate. Thus, Max Weber defines a political system ‘as
a human community that successfully claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical
force within a given territory’. Two important elements can be deduced from this definition.
First, although the state enjoys unlimited and unrestrained power, its application on the system
units should be legitimate. Second, the force is to be applied on the system elements living
within the space as demarcated for the state.

Characteristics of a political system

The following are the characteristics of a political system:

1. The first characteristic of a political system is that it allows the legal authority to use
force. But the force to be applied should be legitimate.
2. The political system involves interactions between the formal and informal institutions.
Among the formal institutions are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The
informal institutions include political parties, interest groups, media and
communication, traditional structures like kinship, clan, caste, groupings etc.
3. All the parts of a political system are interdependent. For example, if there is a labour
strike for wages, there may be the intervention of trade unions, police and even
governmental authority to resolve the issue.
4. Political system is comprehensive because it includes all the interactions from the
formal as well as informal institutions in the society. For example, it includes the
2

interaction of regionalism, religious upheavals, inflation, party politics, tactics of


pressure groups and social changes brought about by modernization.
5. Since a political system consists of different actors, such actors change their boundary. It
means that the same individuals who perform role in social and economic system also
play their notable role in political sphere.

Functions of a political system

A political system performs the following two types of functions:


(1) Input functions (political functions) and
(2) Output functions (Governmental functions)
(1) Input functions : David Easton classifies input functions into two types, demands and
supports.
Demand: Among the demand side are the following:
(a) Allocation of goods and services such as demands for more wages, and fixation of
working hours, opening of educational institutions, provision of recreational facilities,
roads and transportation.
(b) Participation in the political system, such as the right to vote, to hold office, to petition
government bodies and officials, and to organize political associations such as pressure
groups and political parties.
(c) Regulation of behaviour such as provision for public safety, control over markets and
rules pertaining to marriage, health and sanitation.
(d) Communication and information, such as demand for communication norms and policy,
power of the political system in time of threats or on ceremonial occasions.

Support
The examples of support which the people get in the political system are:
(a) Material support such as the payment of taxes or other levies and rendering services as
labour or public works or military services.
(b) Attention paid to government communications and the manifestation of respect to
public authority, symbols and ceremonials.
(c) Obedience to laws and regulations
(d) Participatory support such as voting, political discussions and other forms of political
activity.

2. Output functions
These are the functions performed by the government in response to the input (political
function)
(a) Rule making : Rule making is known as legislation. Rule making goes on in every type of
government whether democracy, dictatorship or monarch. Now-a-days in a democratic
set-up, the rule making power is exercised by the legislature or parliament.
3

(b) Rule application : The rules made by the legislature or the Executive are enforced by the
bureaucracy, therefore its role and importance have considerably increased. Moreover,
rule application also implies that the established goals of the society are fulfilled. It also
sees their interaction of the laws on the society.
(c) Rule adjudication : It is the duty of the judiciary to interpret the laws and punish the
guilty. Judiciary also resolves the conflicts between the government and citizens and the
citizens themselves.

Common questions

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Demographic changes, such as shifts in population size, age, and composition, significantly influence political system functions. These changes can alter demand dynamics by introducing new issues or intensifying existing ones, such as the allocation of resources or adjustments in policy priorities. For instance, an aging population might increase demands for healthcare and pension services. Systems must adjust output functions to effectively respond to these evolving demands through legislation, policy adjustments, and administrative adaptations, ensuring stability and responsiveness to demographic trends .

Interdependence in a political system manifests through the interconnected roles of formal and informal institutions. Each part relies on and influences others; for instance, during a labor strike, trade unions, governmental authorities, and law enforcement may each play distinct but co-dependent roles to resolve the issue. This interdependence ensures that the political system can address complex societal problems by leveraging the strengths and functions of diverse entities, thus maintaining systemic stability and responsiveness .

Material support includes paying taxes and providing services, which are tangible contributions to the state's resources and functioning. Participatory support involves engaging in actions like voting and political discourse. These supports ensure the political system's sustainability by both underwriting state functions financially and legitimizing its authority through active civic engagement, providing feedback loops for governance through citizen participation .

Individuals often operate in dual capacities within the social and political spheres, signaling fluid boundaries of roles. A person engaged in economic activities might simultaneously be involved in political processes, such as voting or participating in discussions and decision-making. This dual role reflects how personal interests and societal responsibilities intersect, contributing to governance and political decision-making alongside social roles .

A political system ensures the legitimate use of force by grounding its actions within legal frameworks. The authority in a political system is tasked with applying force in a manner that is deemed legal and legitimate according to the structuring laws. This means that while the state holds the power to use force, it must justify its application within the boundaries of law and legitimacy. Max Weber notes that a political system is a human community that has a monopoly over the legitimate use of physical force within a territory .

Rule adjudication is crucial for maintaining justice as it provides a formal mechanism to interpret laws, ensuring they are applied fairly. It resolves disputes between the government and citizens, and among citizens, thereby maintaining social order. The judiciary acts as an impartial arbiter, protecting rights and ensuring checks and balances on government power. This process upholds democratic principles, ensuring laws evolve with societal norms and are enforced equitably, fostering public confidence in governance .

Communication demands within a political system concern the establishment of norms and policies for the political engagement of citizens, necessitating effective information dissemination and dialogue channels. Such demands can significantly impact governance by ensuring transparency, enhancing public trust, and promoting informed participation. The fulfillment of communication demands also strengthens the system's adaptability to threats or ceremonial events by aligning citizen expectations with governmental actions .

Legitimacy differentiates the use and abuse of power through its basis in legal and ethical norms that justify state actions. When power is used within the constructs of law, respecting the boundaries of rights and justice, it is seen as legitimate. Conversely, power exercised arbitrarily without legal justifications or in violation of established rights constitutes abuse. Legitimacy thus provides a moral and legal foundation for power that extends beyond mere legality to include public acceptance and ethical governance .

Informal institutions, such as political parties, interest groups, and media, play crucial roles in the interactions within a political system. They facilitate dialogue and negotiation between various stakeholders, influence public opinion, and can act as checks on formal institutions by holding them accountable. For example, interest groups and the media can pressure elected officials to address specific issues, impacting decisions related to policy making and implementation .

David Easton identifies the input functions of a political system as demands and supports, while the output functions are the responses of the government to these political inputs. Input functions like demands involve allocation of goods, participation in political processes, and regulation of behavior. Supports involve material support, attention to governmental communication, and obedience to laws. The output functions involve rule making (legislation), rule application (executed by bureaucracy), and rule adjudication (judiciary processes). These inputs and outputs interact as the demands and supports guide government actions that manifest through legislation, enforcement, and adjudication .

1 Political System Political system is an important concept in political science. A political system determines political pow
2 interaction of regionalism, religious upheavals, inflation, party politics, tactics of pressure groups and social
3 (b) Rule application : The rules made by the legislature or the Executive are enforced by the bureaucracy, therefore its ro

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