The psychodynamics of decision-making form a basis to understand institutional functioning. Karl Deutsch, Rokeach, Nye, George, Adorno all come to mind. From Psychology Fromm, Bruno Bettelheim, and others have added significantly to understanding of power, sadism, and victims of the state. Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... Political science is an academic and research discipline that deals with the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ... Political history is what most people refer to simply as history. ... This is a list of notable political scientists. ... Comparative government or more correctly comparative politics is the field in political science that focuses on comparing the varying forms of government in the world, and the states they govern, though it may also compare governments across different periods of history. ... International relations (IR), a branch of political science, is the study of foreign affairs of and relations among states within the international system, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations (IGOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinational corporations (MNCs). ... Political economy was the original term for the study of production, the acts of buying and selling, and their relationships to laws, customs and government. ... Political philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about the state, government, politics, liberty, property, rights, law and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it... Political psychology is an interdisciplinary academic field dedicated to the study of the psychology behind political behavior by voters, lawmakers, local and national governments and administrations, international organizations, political parties and associations. ... A form of government is a colloquial term that refers to the set of political institutions by which a state is organized in order to exert its powers over a political community [1] Note that this definition holds valid even if the government is illegitimate or if it is unsuccessful... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... It has been suggested that public management be merged into this article or section. ... In some theories of government, all people are considered equal: in their right to govern themselves, and in their contributions to the rules of their society. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ... A form of government (also referred to as a system of government or a political system) is a system composed of various people, institutions and their relations in regard to the governance of a state. ... from, pak wan punk bkt mertajam penang Anarchy (Greek: αναρχία) is the anarchist society, the stateless society of free people. ... -1... An Autocracy is a form of government in which unlimited power is held by a single individual. ... Despotism is a form of government by a single authority, either a single person (ie. ... A dictatorship is a autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by a dictator. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Oligarchy is a form of government where most or all political power effectively rests with a small segment of society (typically the most powerful, whether by wealth, family, military strength, ruthlessness, or political influence). ... States in which a single party is constitutionally linked to power (or the provisions of its constitution are currently suspended while a single party rules) are coloured in brown. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... An election is a decision making process whereby people vote for preferred political candidates or parties to act as representatives in government. ... It has been suggested that ballot be merged into this article or section. ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Max Horkheimer (front left), Theodor Adorno (front right), and Jürgen Habermas in the background, right, in 1965 at Heidelberg. ... Erich Fromm Erich Fromm (March 23, 1900 – March 18, 1980) was an internationally renowned German-American psychologist and humanistic philosopher. ... Bruno Bettelheim (August 28, 1903 - March 13, 1990) was an American writer and child psychologist. ... Flogging demonstration at Folsom Street Fair 2004. ...

Long-term influences on political orientation

There are three main sources of influence that shapes political orientation which create long-term effects. Generally, the primary influence originates from family. As stated prior, children will often adopt their parents ideological values. Family tends to be the strongest, most influential force which exists over the lifetime.

Secondly, teachers and other educational authority figures have a significant impact on political orientation. From as early as age 4 up until 18, children spend about 25 percent of their time involved in educational processes. Including post-secondary education significantly raises the impact of political awareness and orientation. Also consider that childhood and adolescent stages of personal growth have the highest level of impressionability.

Thirdly, peers also affect political orientation. Friends often, but not necessarily, have the advantage of being part of the same generation, which collectively develops a unique set of societal issues. The ability to relate on this common level is where the means to shape ideological growth.

Short-term influences on political orientation

There are two main short-term factors which also effect political orientation, which are the media and election issues. These factors differ from the long-term factors as they are often short lived. However, they can be just as crucial in modifying political orientation. The ways in which these two sources are interpreted often relies on the individuals specific political ideology formed by the long term factors.

First, the media often offers commentary on events which can cause ideological shifts. The presentation of events verbally or visually can also effect individual political orientation. These influences can be strong, but are often short term.

Second, there are election issues. These include campaign issues, debates and commercials. Election years and political campaigns can shift certain political behaviors based on the candidates involved, which have different degrees of effectiveness in influencing voters.

See also

• Political parties