Definition: politics

Source: WordNet (r) 1.7

politics
     n 1: social relations involving authority or power [syn: political
          relation]
     2: the study of government of states and other political units
        [syn: political science, government]
     3: the profession devoted to governing and to political affairs
     4: the opinion you hold with respect to political questions
        [syn: political sympathies]

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Politics \Pol"i*tics\, n. [Cf. F. politique, Gr. ? (sc.?). See
   Politic.]
   1. The science of government; that part of ethics which has
      to do with the regulation and government of a nation or
      state, the preservation of its safety, peace, and
      prosperity, the defense of its existence and rights
      against foreign control or conquest, the augmentation of
      its strength and resources, and the protection of its
      citizens in their rights, with the preservation and
      improvement of their morals.

   2. The management of a political party; the conduct and
      contests of parties with reference to political measures
      or the administration of public affairs; the advancement
      of candidates to office; in a bad sense, artful or
      dishonest management to secure the success of political
      candidates or parties; political trickery.

            When we say that two men are talking politics, we
            often mean that they are wrangling about some mere
            party question.                       --F. W.
                                                  Robertson.

Source: Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001)

Politics

Vaguely liberal-moderate, except for the strong libertarian contingent
which rejects conventional left-right politics entirely. The only safe
generalization is that hackers tend to be rather anti-authoritarian; thus,
both conventional conservatism and `hard' leftism are rare. Hackers are far
more likely than most non-hackers to either (a) be aggressively apolitical
or (b) entertain peculiar or idiosyncratic political ideas and actually try
to live by them day-to-day.

POLITICS, n.  A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of
principles.  The conduct of public affairs for private advantage.