Aristotle called politics a special art of governing peoples and states. Since that time, practically no one has denied the importance of this component of society’s life, literally pervading all its spheres, up to everyday life. The functions of the political system have their own laws, but they can only be understood in interaction with other aspects of people's social activity. Being an aggregate, that is, a union of interconnected elements having a stable integrity, this system is very complex, its activity is purposeful, and it has structurally subordinate parts.
The functions of the political system are inherent in one of the subspecies of the aggregate, which we call society (other such units are economics, spiritual life, and so on). They have certain features, such as, for example, participation in solving problems of a general social character, integration and distribution of material and other values. In addition, political activities include a monopoly on power and state coercion on a national scale, as well as the use of a special apparatus for these purposes.
The functions of the political system are also associated with its complex internal structure. After all, it consists of various parties, organizations, norms and standards, principles and ideals, various communication mechanisms, thanks to which social groups and individuals can communicate with the authorities. The latter affects the interests of both the vast masses of society, and certain clans (strata, families, and so on) involved in government, or those who dominate the economy and influence basic resources. This management imposes duties on everyone without exception. It can be accomplished directly, thanks to the actions of the social forces that dominate in a given country, and indirectly, through various movements and their leaders.
The signs of political power are determined precisely because of the existence and work of a special group, a specific layer of people professionally engaged in government management. Modern philosophy and political science, by and large, have two approaches to the definition and analysis of the management of society and the people.
The first of them (instrumental) represents such a structure as a certain theoretical and ideal construct, which makes it possible to determine and describe the properties of various phenomena in the field of politics, considering it a kind of analysis method. Thus, any holistic relationship between people with specific interests (no matter the state, party or movement) is an independent entity. The second one is trying to analyze the relations of power and subordination in a particular society between groups and individuals, as well as to describe such complex accompanying phenomena as political consciousness, culture, and so on.
Based on these techniques, when analyzing various models of states, one should take into account both the systemic political functions of various phenomena and the stable ties that have developed between them. They cover many areas: the relationship of society and the environment; organizational features of various elements (the power group itself and the various movements and associations taking part in social life); normative foundations of life of various institutions, coherence or conflicts arising between them; processes occurring as a result of the activity of a particular regime; cultural, creative and ideological components; the role of the whole system in the life of the country or in the international arena, as well as its individual elements.
The functions of the political system tell us that this is a complex and diverse phenomenon, without which the life of society would not be possible. It has many internally organized relationships, and is divided into structures and parts with different properties. Scientists argue among themselves about what their essence is, but this once again gives us the opportunity to make sure that there is a common opinion about the main purpose of this system. First of all, this is setting goals for society - with a distant and close aim, as well as its power and political integration. Then mobilization of resources, regulation of social activity, and, finally, legitimization - that is, the desire to achieve a level of real life that would meet accepted norms and standards. Performing them effectively, the system will generally positively affect the life of the country in which it operates.