Gre analytical Writing issue essay Topic 101

GRE Analytical Writing ISSUE Essay Topic - 170 
"It is unfortunate but true that political decisions and activities affect all aspects of people's 
lives." 
GRE AWA Analytical Writing ISSUE Essay Sample 
Solution - 170 
Politics basically entails governing a system such as a society or nation. The political set up of a 
nation is responsible for controlling both its internal and external affairs. As a nation or society is 
made up of people, it is obvious that political decisions and activities affect people's lives in a 
major way. However, this influence of politics on the lives of people may be fortunate or 
unfortunate depending on the course of action that is taken by the political leadership of a 
society. Therefore, it is not necessary that this influence would always be unfortunate as there are 
numerous instances in which this influence has had a positive effect on the lives of people. 
A dictatorship or a monarchy, where the people have no control over the political leadership of 
the country, may be one of those societies in which the political activities may have an 
unfortunate effect on the lives of people. There may be widespread discontent amongst people 
due to the political activities taking place in their country and this would be an unfortunate 
scenario wherein the people will not be able to escape from the effect these activities are having 
on their lives. Political decisions like waging a war against another country or imposing unfair 
restrictions will adversely affect the lives of the people. A war will shoot up the prices of 
essential commodities, the economy will slow down, numerous citizens will be killed and the 
administration of the country will come to a standstill. Despite these effects, we constantly hear 
about countries wherein the decisions taken by the political leadership has resulted in a country 
being at war with another country. The worst scenario is wherein a country is torn by internal 
wars which have been waging for numerous years. The people are suffering because of the 
decisions taken by their political leadership. 
On the other hand, there are various positive effects of political decisions, especially in the case 
of political leadership which has been voted into power by the people themselves. The political 
leadership is always trying to win the confidence of the common people by providing them with 
the best of amenities so as to stay in power for as long a time as possible. On the other hand, the 
opposition parties try their best to please the people so that they are able to topple the ruling 
party in the next round of elections. The lives of people are always affected in a positive manner 
by these decisions. The political decisions may be related to various other aspects like 
administration of the country, implementing new laws, levying taxes, foreign trade etc. All these 
decisions will affect the lives of people in a major way as they are the ones who will be directly 
affected either personally or professionally by these decisions. 
There have been numerous incidents when innocent people have been held hostages by anti-
social elements or terrorists. The government has to take the decision to either accede to the 

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demands of the terrorists or let the hostages be killed. Irrespective of the decision taken by the 
leadership, the lives of the people will definitely be affected. The demands of the terrorists may 
be the release of their brethren who are languishing in jails or their demand may be a safe 
passage for them out of the country. In both the cases, the lives of the people will be affected as 
dreaded terrorists would be let loose and they might make a deadly strike again in the future. On 
the other hand, if the demands are not met, then it would amount to affecting the lives of the 
bereaved families of the hostages. Therefore, it is evident that any form of political decision will 
affect the lives of the people in some way or the other. 
In sum, it is evident that political decisions do affect people in a major way, but it is not 
necessary that the effect will always be unfortunate. There would be many instances when the 
political decisions will result in the betterment of the people as a whole. 

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