Unit
II
Power and authority:
Concept of power, nature and type,
authority and legitimacy
Power
is the Hallmark of politics. It is the primary features of every political
activity. In fact a political activity is most popularly defined as an activity
which involves power to a significant extent. Political is popularly defined as
the process of struggle for power among groups of people.
Definition
It
is not easy to define power. It is defined differently by various social scientists.
According to M G Smith,
"Power is the ability to act effectively over people and things using
means ranging from persuasion to coercion."
According to MacIver “Power is centralised,
regulate or direct the behaviour of persons or things."
According to Robert Dahl
"Power is defined as a special case of influence involving severe losses
for non-compliance."
Nature
Four
main nature of power:
1. Power
is relational; Power is a relationship. It is not
something concrete or tangible thing like wealth. It exists only when a minimum
of two actors are present, one of whom has the ability to secure a desired
change in the behaviour at the other by the use of coercion or threat of use
force.
2. Power
is reciprocal; our relationship is a two ways process
each actor has power to some degree. The persons under the power of a powerful
person are not totally powerless. They are only less powerful than the power holder.
3. Power is relative;
Power is always relative; a powerful person does not mean that he has power
over all others and that he is not under the power of someone else.
4. Actual power and potential power;
While analysing the power of an actor one has two analyses: its two dimension;
actual power and potential power
a. Actual
power means the power which the power holder is actually in currently using in
a situation.
b. Potential power means the power which a person
can use.
Power: type or kinds
1. Legitimate power;
When the source of power is the law of the constitutions or the customs and
traditions it is called legitimate power.
2. Illegitimate power
; It refers to the power of the power which is based upon his ability to use force
suppressions, repressions, violence and
dominance.
3. Direct power;
When the power holder directly exercises power over his subject it is called
direct power.
4. Indirect power;
When the power holder exercises his power not directly but indirectly through
his agents it is called indirect power.
5. Manifest power;
It refers to the power clearly vested in the power holder by the constitutions
or laws or laws or customs or traditions.
6. Implied power;
A power which exercises in the process of using a manifest power is called in
implied power.
7. Centralised power;
When the power is concentrated in the hands of a person or a small group it is
called centralised power.
8. Decentralized power;
When the power is shared by several individuals group and institutions that is
when powers stand divided among several actors and Groups it is called the
centralised power.
9. Bilateral and unilateral power;
Power is reciprocal; the power of the powerful person is relative to the power
of his subject it is called bilateral power. However in some cases only the
power holder has power over his subject then it is called unilateral power..
10.
National
power; National power refers to the ability of a nation
to pursue its desired goal in International Relations.
Form or modes of
power.
1. Political power;
Political power can be defined as the power to make and implement laws,
policies and decisions by the use of force Cohesion or threat of use of force.
2. Economic power;
Economic power is the power resulting from the ownership of means of production
of goods and services that is material means of life; it is the power of
wealth.
3. Ideological power;
Ideological power is the third form of power. It is the most subtle form of
power use of ideology for securing legitimacy is a standard practice with the
rulers, political parties and their leaders always use ideology for securing
support for their leadership and policies.
Politics
as struggle for power involves all these three forms of power which are used by
the powerful person for exercising ruling power over the people.
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