Philosophy, Economics, History, and Politics are all deeply interconnected. To study these disciplines independently would be far too reductive. One reason why I chose to study political science at Trent University and York University is that both schools understand that politics is a broad discipline - not a narrow field that only includes governing institutions. I strongly embody that philosophy in my classes, as you can see in this site.
Politics, then, can be used to understand many facets within society, not simply institutions. the video presented here defines politics as "who gets what, when, and how". I chose this video because at the very least it demonstrates the connection between politics and economics as defined by the American Political Scientist Harold Lasswell, although I would go much broader than him to suggest that it also includes changes over time and ideology.
I hope my students will enjoy the politics classes they take so that they can become better citizens and question the status quo - which is to think critically. I do not want to make students cynical nor do I want to give them a false sense of optimism. What I attempt to do is provide a healthy dose of both optimism and criticism through the development of analytical and evaluation skills.