Political Science -systematic study of the state and
government.
 A very comprehensive field
“Political” – polis, means city-state
“science” – scire, means “to know”
A basic knowledge and understanding pf the state and the
principles.
primarily concerned with the association of human being
into a “body of politic” – a political community.
Deals with relations among men and groups which are
subject to control by the state.
men and groups to the state and state to other states.
SCOPES
Political Theory – entire body of doctrines relating to the
origin, form, behavior and purposes of the state.
Public Law – organization of governments
 Limitations upon government authority
 The powers and duties of governmental
offices and officers.
 Obligation of one state to another.
Public Administration – focused upon the methods and
techniques
Administrative law falls within the scope of public
administration.
INTERRELATIONSHIPS
History – bond between the political scientist and the
historian
 History is past politics and politics present
history
 Past and interprets present.
Economics – economics and political science = political
economy, Economic condition affect the organization and
development of a state.
Geography – Geopolitics (influences of physical factors
such as population pressure, sources of raw materials.
Geography. Etc)
Sociology and Anthropology – abiding influences of race
and culture upon society and with the patterns of
collective human behavior.
Origins and nature of social control and governmental
authority.
Psychology – mental and emotional processes
Philosophy – Plato, Aristotle and Locke
 Political science considers it as
“ethics”
Statistics and Logic – political theorist must have a broad
scientific background of current political problems,
evaluating data, drawing conclusions
Jurisprudence – branch of public law
 Analysis of existing legal systems and
also with the ethical, historical,
sociological and psychological
foundations of law.
Law and state are inseparabale.
FUNCTIONS & IMPORTANCE
1. Discover the principles that should be adhered to
in public affairs
2. Findings and conclusion may be of immense
practical use to constitution makers.
3. Deals with problems of social welfare,
governmental economic programs, etc.
GOALS
1. Education for citizenship – primary objective of
political science
2. Essential parts of liberal education – bearing no
materialistic price tag and promising no job
security, practical and cultural have no relevance
here.
3. Knowledge and understanding of government
 seeks to gather and impart this knowledge
and understanding.
 A citizen who knows the answer(how the
government operates)
STATE
People – mass of population
Vatican – smallest state
China – largest population
Canada – largest state
Territory – land, rivers, lakes therein.
Ph land area – 115,707 square miles/ 299,681 square
kilometers.
Government – agency through which the wil of the state is
formulated. Ordinary citizens are not part of the
government but part of a state.
Administration – “body of men”
Sovereignty – supreme power of the state
2 Manifestations
Internal – rule within its territory
External – freedom of the state to carry out its activities
without subjection. Often referred as “independence”
Internal and external aspects are not absolutely true in
practice because of international relations and law.
ORIGIN
1. Divine Right Theory – state is of divine creation
2. Necessity/Force theory – state is created through
force
3. Paternalistic Theory – enlargement of the family
Family->clan->tribe->nation->state
4. Social Contract Theory – formed by deliberate and
voluntary compact among the people to form a
society. Justifies the right of the people to revolt
against a bad ruler.
State and Nation
State – political concept
 Not a subject for external control
Nation – ethnic concept
 Group of people bound together by certain
characteristics
 Term is synonymous with “people”
 May or may not be independent of external
control
Arab Nation – several sovereign states
(Egypt, Saudi arabia, Jordan,Syria,Lebanon and others)
State & Government
Government is only the agency through which the state
expresses its wil
State- cannot exist without a government
Government – can exist without a state
Forms of government
Monarchy – supreme and final authority is in the hands of
a single person.
1. Absolute Monarchy – ruler rules by divine rights
2. Limited Monarchy – ruler rules in accordance with
a constitution
Aristocracy – political power is exercised by privileged
class, known as aristocracy/oligarchy
Democracy – political power is exercised by majority of
people
As to no. of persons exercising sovereign powers
1. Direct/Pure Democracy – will of the state is
formulated or expressed directly and immediately
to the people
2. Indirect/representative/republican - will of the
state is formulated or expressed through the
agency
As to the extent of powers
1. Unitary Government – control is exercised by the
central or national government
2. Federal Government – powers of government is
divided bet. 2 sets of organs , one for national
affairs, one for local affairs.
As to the relationship bet. Executive and legislative
1. Parliamentary government – state confers upon
the legislature the power to terminate the tenure
of office of the real executive.
2. Presidential – state makes the executive
constitutionally independent of the legislature.
Ph= representative democracy , unitary, presidential
PRE-SPANISH GOVERNMENT
*Unit of government*
*datu* - rajah, sultan,hadji
*Social Classes*
*Early Laws* Maragtas Code(Datu Sumakwel), Kalantiaw
Code(datu kalantiaw)
SPANISH PERIOD
1521 – Ferdinand Magellan discovered Philippines
1st Spanish governor-general – Miguel Lopez De Legazpi
Last – Gen. diego de los Rios
Spanish colonial government – 1565-1821, ph was
indirectly governed by the king of spain
Spanish Cortes – legislative body of spain
Union of the church and state – basic principle introduced
by spain
Pueblos - Barangays consolidated in towns
 Gobernadorcillo – little governor

Ayuntamiento/Cabildo – city council 3. Commonwealth Government – republican in form

under the presidential type. The legislative power
Cebu – first city established in 1565
wa first vested in in a unicameral National
Manila – second, 1571 Assembly.
President : Manuel L. Quezon
Royal Audiencia – supreme court of ph during Spanish Vice President: Sergio Osmeña
times February 27, 1945 – Gen. Douglas Mc Arthur
turned over to osmeña the full powers and
2 territorial audiencies
responsibilities of Commonwealth government
One in cebu, One in Vigan

REVOLUTIONARY ERA JAPANESE OCCUPATION

Katipunan – secret society that precipitated our glorious
revolution on august 26, 1896, by Andres Bonifacio
 Was the first clear break from Spanish rule
Supreme Council – Kataastaasang Sanggunian
 Where the central government was
vested
Provincial Council – Sangguniang Balangay
Popular Council – Sangguniang Bayan
1. Japanese Military Admisnitration – the sovereignty of
US over PH was declared terminated.
2. Philippine Executive Commission – a civil government
composed of Filipinos with Jorge B. Vargas as
chairman.
3. Japanese-Sponsored Republic of the Philippines –
Jose P.Laurel as president
August 17, 1945 – Laurel proclaimed the dissolution
of the republic.

Judicial Council – Sangguniang Hukuman PREVIOUS PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

Tejeros Convention – where EA officials were elected 1st PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC
Biak-na-Bato Republic – Gen. Aguinaldo, 2 years only  First democratic constitution in the Asia
 Malolos Constitution
Pact of Biak-na-Bato – conclusion
 Was not recognized by the family of nations
Dictatorial Government – May 23, 1898
2nd REPUBLIC
Proclamation of Philippine independence at Kawit Cavite,  Japanese-Sponsored Constitution
June 12, 1898 3rd REPUBLIC
 1935 Constitution
Revolutionary Government – aim: to struggle for the th
4 REPUBLIC
independence of the ph,until all nations including Spain
 1973 Constitution
will recognize it
 Parliamentary System of Government – FM as first
To prepare the country for the establishment of a real president
republic
5th REPUBLIC (1986-Present)
AMERICAN REGIME
 1987 Constitution
1. Military Government – American military rule in
Provisional Government of 1986
the ph began on August 14, 1898

First American military governor – Wesley Merritt
Second – Elwell Otis
Last – Major Arthur McArthur
2. Civil Government – pursuant to the so-called
“Spooner Amendment”
Philippine Commission - Upper house
Philippine Assembly – lower house
 Four-day people power that culminated in the
ouster of FM
 Proclamation No. 1 – declared that she and her vp
were taking power in the name and by the will of
Filipino People
 Revolutionary – the government was
revolutionary because it was not instituted in
accordance in an existing constitution
 De jure – constituted/founded in accordance with the ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN
existing constitution of the state
1. Clearness and definiteness
De facto – not so constituted but has the general 2. Difficulty of its amendment. Prevents the
support of the people immediate needed changes.

 Democratic – installed by direct action of the REQUISITES OF A GOOD WRITTEN CONSTITUTION

people
FORM
 Powers
 Constitutional & transitory – the provisional 1. Brief- not too detailed
government was not a purely revolutionary but a 2. Broad – comprehensive as possible
hybrid constitutional revolutionary government. 3. Definite- vagueness may lead to opposing
interpretations

CONTENTS
CONSTITUTION – body of rules and principles
1. Constitution of government - framework
Covers both written and unwritten constitution
2. Constitution of Liberty – setting forth the
FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC fundamental rights of the people
3. Constitution of Sovereignty – mode/procedure
1. First democratic constitution in the Asia
2. Malolos Constitution AUTHORITY TO INTERPRET THE CONSTITUTION
3. Was not recognized by the family of nations
1. Private Individual
4. Serves as the supreme or fundamental law
2. Charged with official duties
5. Establishes basic framework and underling
principles CONSTITUTION FROM STATUTE
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – branch of public law CONSTITUTION STATUTE
Legislation direct from the Fom the people’s representatives
Refers to the law embodied in the constitution as well as
people
the principles growing out of the interpretation and
General framework Details of the subject
application made by the courts. Govern existing conditions and Existing conditions only
KINDS future
Supreme/fundamental law Needs to conform in constitution
ORIGIN

1. Conventional/Enacted – enacted by the

constituent assembly PURPOSE
2. Cumulative/ Evolved - product of growth or a
 Ascertain and give effect to the intent of the
long period of development
framers of the people
FORM

1. Written – called “constitutional convention”

2. Unwritten – entirely the product of political
evolution

MANNER

1. Rigid/Inelastic – document of special sanctity

2. Flexible/Elastic – possesses no higher legal
authority

Philippine constitution may be classified as conventional,

written, and rigid/inelastic.

Constitutional Commission – appointive body that drafted

the ph constitution