Politics is the study of government and power, and the activity itself. Study politics, office politics, get into politics.
As a subject it takes a singular verb — politics is a broad field; as somebody's views it takes a plural — his politics are complicated, which is a genuine and useful distinction. Office politics means the informal jostling for advantage in any organisation. Note political, politician; and that the Greek means affairs of the city, from polis.
1nounsubjectThe study of government and power.
“She studied politics at university and now writes for a newspaper.”
2nounjostlingInformal jostling for advantage.
“I hate the office politics at work; everyone is fighting for a promotion.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
politics is a field or an activity.
Politic plus -s, on the model of Aristotle's ta politika, affairs of state, from polis, a city. Police, policy and metropolis come from the same city.
Built from
From the adjective politic, by analogy with Aristotle’s τά πολῑτῐκᾱ́ (“affairs of state”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA