Politics is who gets what, when, how.
Interpretation
This quote defines politics as the distribution of resources and power in society.
Harold Lasswell's quote encapsulates the essence of political dynamics by emphasizing the mechanisms of distribution within a society. It highlights that politics is fundamentally about the allocation of resources and power among individuals and groups, determining not only who benefits but also the timing and methods through which these benefits are realized. This perspective reveals the strategic nature of political interactions and the significance of understanding these processes to engage effectively in political discourse.
In practice
In a political debate, one might say, 'As Harold Lasswell pointed out, politics is about who gets what, when, and how.'
So great are the psychological resistances to war in modern nations, that every war must appear to be a war of defence against a menacing, murderous aggressor. There must be no ambiguity about whom the public is to hate. Guilt and guilelessness must be assessed geographically and all the guilt must be on the other side of the frontier.
I do not want to see the Republican party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny-fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear.
Big corporations have money and power to make sure every rule breaks their way; people have voices and votes to push back.
Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.
That no government, so called, can reasonably be trusted, or reasonably be supposed to have honest purposes in view, any longer than it depends wholly upon voluntary support.
I once said to my father, when I was a boy, 'Dad we need a third political party.' He said to me, 'I'll settle for a second.'
Of course, there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of power. I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through non-military means. But broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake.
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