Liberia, Oct. 26 -- Politics is how people make decisions about their shared lives, choose leaders, and decide how public money and power should be used. The word comes from the ancient Greek polis, meaning city-state. Its central question is simple: how can we organize our community so that people can live well together?

By Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher who wrote about politics more than 2,000 years ago, placed the common good at the center of public life. In everyday language, the common good means the things that help the whole community thrive: peace, safety, fairness, and opportunities for a better life. For Aristotle, the political community existed to help people achieve a good life together.

He ...