DK - Politics Is...

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Senior Editor Georgina Palffy,

Designer and Illustrator Kit Lane

Senior editorial team Selina Wood, Camilla Hallinan, Hannah Dolan, Ann Baggaley

US Editors Jenny Wilson, Lori Hand

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First American Edition, 2020

Published in the United States by DK Publishing

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Copyright 2020 Dorling Kindersley Limited

DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC

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Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN: 9781465491435

This digital edition is published in 2020
eISBN: 9780744027983

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For the curious

www.dk.com

P olitics is far more than the workings of government or how a state is runits also to do with what we as individuals believe and the kind of society we want to live in.

Most of us learn about politics first of all from our family and friends. Later, we may read or hear about current affairs online or through traditional news media. School lessons on citizenship and civics can help us understand the issues behind the news, in preparation for adult life.

However, politics is about much more than a knowledge of facts and events. It is also about our beliefs and values, and how these are represented by political parties and pressure groups. If you want to change something in the worldwhether that means fighting for a local cause, such as better bicycle routes, or tackling a global issue, such as inequalityyou are showing an interest in politics.

Our background, culture, or where we grow up will all have a bearing on the choices we end up making and the party we will vote for. But this is not the whole picture. Some of the most important issues of the day divide young and old. Just think of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish student challenging the most powerful world leaders because the climate emergency will dominate the lives and futures of younger people. Young people tend to be less nostalgic for the past and more hopeful for the future, too. For that reason, politicians in some countries are considering lowering the voting agewhy shouldnt 16-year-olds have a voice that counts?

This book will help you make sense of your views by comparing them with political beliefs, ideas, and traditions, as well as introducing major political figures and thinkers. To defend your values or transform the world around you need to understand political systems and the complexity that underlies news stories or social media.

I hope this book will not only inform you but also challenge your ideas. Most importantly, I hope it will help you take politics seriously and use your vote well.

Professor Paul Kelly
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Politics is not just about debates in congress or whats happening in the evening news. Its also about how decisions are made in our daily lives.

Politics is about how we organize societies, what the rules should be, and who should hold authority. On a simple level its about how two or more people work together, overcome disagreements, and make decisions. This might involve a large group of people like a national government, or a small gathering such as your local basketball team. There are politics in everyday activitiesplanning a picnic, for example. For the picnic to go well, people need to agree on their aims and include as many people as possible in the decisions. It is also helpful to choose someone or some people to take charge, to set the rules, and sort out arguments. Otherwise, there may be chaos!

S ocieties need political systems in order to run effectively. Decisions need to be made on everything from how to care for the elderly to how to cut down on crime.

We allow governments to have the authority to make these decisions. How to divide a societys resources, between funds for a police force or for education, for instance, is all a matter of politics. If we want better schools and more libraries, we may have to pay more tax to fund this, or if we want to pay less tax, we might have to cut some services. Some people prefer a government that does not make too many regulationsothers welcome a lot of involvement from the state to manage society. Figuring out what our priorities are, and trying to meet the needs of as many people as possible without ignoring those of others, is one of the most important tasks of government.