ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the subject of politics and explains some of its central concepts. It explains that politics is about the management and resolution of conflicts about what people want to do and achieve. The economic crisis and liberalising changes to the culture like gay marriage, not to mention the threat of ISIS, may all be feeding into simplistic desires for a 'strongman' to cut through the toils of bureaucratic government and 'solve' such problems. Elections captured by money, lobbyists and the media; policy convergence among the major parties, crushing real choice; the hollowing out of parliaments and other political institutions and the transfer of their powers to unaccountable bodies: these are a perfect formula for disenfranchisement and disillusion. Politics is far from being a popular area of activity; politicians rank below those modern pariahs estate agents, in some opinion polls.
