"No it doesn't. Politics is always and only about power."- Sunkenciv
Every decision that gets made in any organization is political. It's about who has the proper authority, the influence, and the ability to make the decision.
Politics can indeed seek the common good, but the Popes view is an ideal. I wish it were true that everyone involved in politics sought the common good but it isn't.
Likewise SunkenCiv's view is overly cynical. Not everyone involved in politics is seeking power for power's sake. Many are indeed seeking the common good and power and influence is merely a means to an end. Unfortunately, many whose motives are pure and seek the common good, have wrong ideas about how to achieve the common good.
Thus between those whose motives are impure, and those whose motives are pure but are idiots, we often seem doomed.
well, in SC’s defence, he was talking about politics, not the people IN politics. There are people IN politics who got in to do good, but the game-playing of politics is not for anything besides power (see “Yes Prime Minister” for that)