After studying this chapter, you will be able to do the following:

1. Explain how politics is subject to a variety of “nonpolitical” agents.
2. Describe how the physical characteristics and limitations of our world affect politics.
3. Describe some of our basic human characteristics and how they affect the political world.
4. Explore how things like economics, religion, race, ethnicity, science and technology, and history influence the building of our political communities.
5. Discuss how culture can affect politics.