Policy vs Politics
Policy and Politics are two words that are often confused with regard to their connotations. There is in fact some difference between the two words. Policy is used in the sense of ‘political line’. It is in fact a ‘rule of behavior’. It need not relate to politics at all times. Observe the sentences:
1. The trade policy of the king was indeed strange.
2. It is my policy not to accept anything from others.
In the first sentence the word ‘policy’ was used in the sense of ‘political line adopted by the king as far as trade is concerned’. In the second sentence the word ‘policy’ was used in the sense of ‘rule of behavior’.
In short it can be said that ‘policy’ refers to ‘the course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party, business, or an individual. The word ‘policy’ was derived from the Latin word ‘politia’.
Politics on the other hand is the art and science of government. Politics refers to public life and affairs as involving authority and government. It is important to note that politics center around the activities concerned with the acquisition or exercise of authority or government.
It is important to know that politics is all about organizational process. It is all about the theory and practice of government, the profession of government, the differences between governing groups and so on. Observe the use of the word ‘politics’ in the sentence ‘I would like to support the People’s Party though I don’t know much about politics’. In this sentence the word ‘politics’ is used in the sense of ‘the theory and practice of government’.
The word ‘policy’ is often used in the sense of ‘principle’ as in the sentence ‘It is the policy of the company not to announce bonus in the last part of the year’.