Skip to main content

Politics, political, politician or policy?

Politics​

Politics means the activities of the government or people who try to influence the way a country is governed. We use a singular verb with it:

  • A lot of young people just don't seem interested in politics these days.
  • Not: ... interested in policy ...
  • Politics is power in action.

Politics also means the study of the ways in which a country is governed:

  • He studied Politics at university then got a job with the United Nations in New York.

Political​

The adjective form related to the noun politics is political:

  • My friends and I are always having political discussions late into the night.
  • Not: ... having politic discussions ...
  • If I did a degree, I'd like to study Political Science.

Politician​

A person who is involved in politics (e.g. a member of parliament or a member of the government) is a politician:

  • Politicians rarely give straight answers to questions from journalists.
  • Not: olitics rarely give straight answers ...

Policy​

Policy means a plan of action or a set of rules agreed by a business, a political group or a government, saying what they will do in a particular situation:

  • It's not company policy to sell goods to persons under the age of 18.
  • The economic policy of the government is in ruins because of the global credit crisis.
  • Not: The economic politics of the government ...