(treated as sing. or pl)
the art or science of government
= political science
(treated as sing. or pl)
the activities associated with government; political affairs
political life as a profession
a person's political sympathies
(treated as sing. or pl) the complex of relations between human beings in society or within an organization
Politics is often colloquially associated with an unscrupulous drive for power, but it is an inevitable feature of human organization, of the containment – or pursuit – of conflict, and the realization of collective ends and values. It occurs in all human interaction involving the exercise of influence and the distribution of scarce resources, but is particularly salient at the level of states, aspiring to endow politics with authority — Professor Michael Freeden
[Greek politika, neuter pl of politikos: see politic]