The peculiarity of politics as a profession: A look at professionalization and behavior

In today’s society, politics is a field that is characterized by a special mixture of public responsibility, social relevance and individual freedom of action. It forms the link between social values and the concrete decisions that directly influence people’s lives. Politics is not a profession that is characterized by aRigid training or defined qualifications is clearly defined, but rather a complex field in which different skills, skills and attitudes interweaved. But it is precisely this openness, this flexibility and the special form of professionalization that makes politics an area in which continuities as well as breaks, controversies andmanifest uncertainties. It is important to understand this nature in order to better understand the functioning of modern democratic societies. The questions about the professional aspiration, the limits of rationality and the qualifications of the actors play a central role, which decisively determine the character and risks of political work.

The ability to stage surprises in the political space

In political practice, it is an art to stage surprises and unexpected twists in such a way that they can be used as strategic means without being immediately recognized as deviating or incompatible with the existing social and institutional rules. This ability to create a kind of targeted surprise is based on a deep knowledge of theStructure and dynamics of the political system. It allows to perform actions that initially appear as innovative or unconventional, but fit within the framework of the political order and thus offer less surface to attack. The special feature of this approach is that it not only maximizes the effect within the system, but also the acceptance of the contributors andobservers increased. It is a form of strategic communication based on a deep understanding of the rules, norms and expectations that direct political action. This ability requires a high level of sensitivity to the system, a feeling for the right time and a strong social skills. It makes the political profession an art in whichNot only expertise, but also sensitivity and experience are decisive.

The peculiarity of the political profession and the variety of talents

This art of making surprises is closely related to the nature of the politician’s job profile. The professional field of politics is characterized by an extraordinary variety of talents and skills that are necessary in practice to act successfully. This diversity is promoted by the professional profile of political work and at the same timetolerated, since there is hardly any other job that is so heterogeneous in its requirements. While in classical professional fields, the specialist knowledge, mostly in the form of diplomas, is the central competence, political work is characterized by a different form of competence. The traditional demands on specialist training, i.e. formal qualifications and verifiable competencedegrees, is clearly put into perspective in politics. Instead, the willingness to get involved in a certain framework, including dilettanteism, i.e. a kind of professional inexperience, is also recognized here as a legitimate form of action. This particular form of legitimation for dilettanism is a peculiarity that influences the political activity of other professional fieldsdistinguishes.

Politics as a hinge between fundamental social values

In order to understand the meaning and function of the political profession, it is helpful to consider the concept of professions in general. Professions are professions that establish a central connection between the most important values and norms of society. They are the so-called hinge professions because they start at crucial points of social order andarticulate. These professions refer to central social values such as health, law, knowledge or equality and have a deputy function by implementing these values in concrete actions. The metaphor of the hinge describes that these professions always start with concrete situations in which there is an individual emergency or crisis. graspa concrete problem and align their actions in such a way that they offer solutions based on the social order. This means that they place individual emergencies in the context of the social order and at the same time meet normative specifications and expectations. In the medical field, the patient is treated, but at the same timeduty of cooperation reminded. In the legal system, the interests of the individual are broken by generally binding rules, which the lawyer must also comply with. Politicians, in turn, have the task of filtering, balancing and implementing different interests of different social groups in decisions that cross-system obligations andtake into account liabilities.

The performance of professions in society

What makes these professions so unique is their ability to provide high-level services and, as a rule, monopolize them more or less successfully. You manage your field of expertise autonomously, which means you develop, control and enforce your own standards. In order to work in such a profession, the acquisition of special qualifications is necessary,which are usually documented by training, exams and certificates. These qualifications are closely linked to social recognition, social standing and honor of social, which play an important role in a corporate order. Professional care for the quality of their work by following internally defined criteria andcheck yourself. In contrast to laypeople, access to their competence is usually only possible to a limited extent, which ensures that the profession itself is controlled by the profession. This control is based on scientifically based principles and rationalities that guide the professions in their work. They are not independent of scientific knowledge,but refer to them to varying degrees in order to justify and improve their performance. Professional service is therefore a dynamic, constantly evolving system that allows and promotes conflicts, deviations and adjustments. This flexibility is an important prerequisite for working people to change careers in the course of their livescomplete, supplement tasks or even completely substitute. The titles and diplomas, which signal prestige and belonging in the social context, are only external signs of a deeper claim to social honor and recognition. However, they are not a guarantee of actual competence, but rather a symbol of belonging to acertain social status.

Politics as an independent profession with special challenges

The professional field of politics occupies a special position within the professions, as it is characterized by a high level of openness, low formal access restrictions and a large number of different skills. The politically responsible are usually not specifically trained experts in the classic sense, but rather actors who are affected by a large number ofcharacterize skills, experiences and attitudes. The qualities that make a good politician can be described by three central characteristics: passion for the cause, a sense of responsibility towards people and social values and the ability to react with a sense of proportion and composure to the complex realities of politics. passion inIn this context, not only emotional commitment means, but above all a factual devotion, which includes the willingness to take responsibility for the common good. A sense of responsibility is the basis for making decisions that are not only sustainable in the short term but also in the long term. Finally, the sense of proportion describes the ability toto realistically assess actual circumstances without being blinded by emotions or ideologies. These qualities form the basis for what constitutes the political profession, although its expression is strongly influenced by individual skills, experiences and situational requirements.

Systematic Amateur in Politics

In contrast to other professional fields, politics is characterized by a special form of dilettantism, which not only tolerates, but is systematically legitimized. This is because the political actors often enter the field without specific specialist training, but still excel in their commitment, experience and situational competence. This form of amateurismis a consequence of the special conditions in democratic societies in which every person entitled to vote has the right to participate in political decision-making. This openness often means that political leadership often consists of people who do not have special expertise, but through practical experience, rhetorical skills or social position inthe politics arrive. The fact that politics has always been based on a broad basis of actors who have a wide variety of qualifications makes them a field that is strongly characterized by breaking points, uncertainties and occasional wrong decisions. These breaks are necessary to depict the diversity of social interests and they contribute to the dynamicand flexibility of the political system. At the same time, however, they also harbor the risk that decisions are characterized by disputes, compromises and uncertainties that are not always optimal. Nevertheless, this openness is a basic prerequisite for democratic legitimacy and the social acceptance of the system.

The limits of rational decision-making

Due to the multitude of interests, conflicts and factors of influence, the rational basis for political decisions is always limited. The pursuit of a comprehensive reflection on the foreground and the consequences is highly complex and can only be realized within the limits of the respective political system. The aim is to achieve a relatively fair distribution within societyand at the same time promote the willingness to cooperate externally. These objectives can only be achieved through a kind of borrowed rationality, because the large number of activities, interests and conflicts in politics can hardly be completely rationally controlled. The various actors, be they politicians, craftsmen, bankers or teachers, bring theirdiverse interests and ideas in the political space and influence the decision-making processes. The openness of the political system, the almost unhindered right of access to offices and functions, and the variety of activities make it necessary to resort to certain precursor competences. In addition to the classic officialship, which historically has a relatively stable andformed the basis for the recruitment of political actors, three ideally-typical access routes can be distinguished: the journalist who is specially trained in dealing with words; the lawyer who, through his expertise in legal and party or interest-based communication, has special requirements; and the aristocratic class, whose membersnot live on politics, but work for them. This privileged position, based on a secure assets, creates the opportunity to focus on the ethical principles of politics without being burdened by the daily activity. The option of throwing the towel at any time is another advantage that the wealthy politician inis particularly important because they have the ability to stage a staged absence and thus emphasize their personal independence.