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What might be meant by the concept of political power and what might be meant by the concept of political authority? Can states possess both power and authority?
One of the problems faced with governments and leaders of states, is the problem of compliance and how to achieve it. The most simple answer would be for the government to implement rules and standards for the citizens to follow obediently. However this presents yet more issues, for it is conceivable that the citizens will not obey these laws, if it doesn 't fall in line with reasons to obey: As David Held writes, there are 7 reasons we obey; If a law is: 1. Coerced and there is no other choice; 2. out of tradition; 3. apathy; 4. 'pragmatic acquiescence ' (the 'shrug your shoulders
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The second model of power which Lukes discusses is power as not just decision making but also as agenda setting: Via setting the agenda for political practice, one may seek to influence the agenda to suit one 's own desires, thus implementing your own whims and ideologies upon the discussing of policy in order to leave out new thinking. This might be seen as a limited view of power for this shows only the prevention of radical or new ideas, and it is hugely difficult to study what is not happening. Lukes discussed a third model for power, which was hugely more profound: that power is exercised ultimately through use of thought-control. This model of power implies that compliance is achieved via instilling within us a 'false consciousness ' whereby the state leads us to believe it is doing what we want, when in actual fact we are never sure of what it is we truly want. This is a radical view of the nature of political power, and one which was shared by Lenin who discussed the false beliefs of the working class, and one which is also very difficult to study, for it there is a very fine line between choice and manipulation, and such claims that citizens do not know what …show more content…
The third model he suggests is present in political power is thought-control, which, as afore mentioned, refers to the citizens being lured into a false consciousness so that what the state does appears to be in compliance with what the individuals want. Therefore if we are never a product of our own thoughts, how can we ever be said to have given authority? If the citizens are in a false-consciousness then their giving of authority would never be based on reasons true to them, thus rendering the authority null and void. This model of power therefore renders the coexistence of power and authority as
What is power to a human? As time has gone by, there have been many forms of control and influence in the world. Many strive to achieve total rule over a society or group of individuals. Yet the question still presents itself to the average man. Why does man desire power so greatly even though there is visible trouble that follows? Shelley’s Frankenstein, Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron”, and Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, whether through the situation or the character themselves, depict the evils and hardships due to an imbalance and poor management of power.
Can you imagine president controlling your life? The constitution use three different forms to make a group or a person from getting too much power on his hands. The are three types of power that each contusion have in order to keep power equal. One of them is Legislative Branch Congress “Can approve Presidential nominations”(Document C). It’s a example how governments try to keep power equal.
of viewpoints on power in its many forms. Perhaps he wishes to break down the components of
The idea of power has changed since then as well, with power relying on many different aspects and not as a mercantilist view of the 16th 17th 18th and 19th century, and therefore could be weighed with different forms of exertion of power such as the modern day economy, or military, or even soft power politics.
According to the oxford dictionary, “Power” is the ability to do something or act in a particular way especially as a faculty or even individually. It is also the political, social authority, or control that is exercised by a government. The theme of power, is portrayed throughout several texts and novels in both Mosaic I and II. In the book, Cat’s cradle by Kurt Vonnegut expresses the idea of power through religion, science and politics. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marks and Frederick Engles, demonstrates how power, through class and economy leads to political empowerment. Homer’s Iliad and the Epic of Gilgamesh both demonstrate conflicting views of what is means to be powerful. Throughout these two text, both the Gods and mortals, struggle to discover their own power, whether it is through their strengths or an obsession with glory. The theme of power also manifests itself in the book of Antigone, where Creon abuses his privilege of absolute power and this allows him to suffer to a great extent. The Complete Persepolis and Walden and Civil Disobedience also demonstrates how governing powers can oppress people and this can be very restrictive in societies.
The second thing for you to realize is that power is power over human beings. Over the body—but, above all, over the mind” (Orwell 273). O’Brien argues that the Party and “Big Brother” had control over reality externally due to the fact that nothing exists outside the mind, and in cases of freethinkers, they would be taken care of by the teachings of “doublethink”. Doublethink is the power to hold two completely contradictory beliefs, for example holding up four fingers and claiming that you have five, and simultaneously making one accept both of them.
C. Wright Mills in his article “ The Structure of Power in American Society” writes that when considering the types of power that exist in modern society there are three main types which are authority, manipulation and coercion. Coercion can be seen as the “last resort” of enforcing power. On the other hand, authority is power that is derived from voluntary action and manipulation is power that is derived unbeknownst to the people who are under that power.
Political power results from the fear of force. The individual acts out of a fear of consequences of disobedience and in accordance with the desdire for self-preservation. Political Authority results from a belief in the moral correctness of the organization in question. The individual acts of a sense of obligation and acknowledges the right of the ruler, morally, to rule and the moral correctness of the laws are accepted. The laws are obeyed for their own sake.
Power simply can be defined as control over resources. This control allows for individuals to bring about change. The influence of power typically has a negative impact on individuals. It has even been said that “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Typically, as an individual gains power they tend to be less inhibited and act more based on their personal desires disregarding what is ethically right. Oftentimes, individuals lose sight of their morals in attempts to gain more power and exploit other people. Indeed, it is true that “with great power comes great responsibility” and whether an individual lets that responsibility corrupt them is a strong measure of their personal character (Ferguson and Peterson,
When looking at the powers of different presidents, you have to look at their responsibilities and what power they actually have when it comes to decision making. Both the Iranian and American presidents have two different presidential powers, formal and informal. Formal powers are ones that are written into the constitution and have to be upheld by anyone who comes into power, for example both presidents can sign treaties with foreign countries. Informal power are not explicitly written into the constitution (1), but are done by the president, for example being persuasive, this is a power they need to use because that is how they will gain the presidential role, by persuading the public and to make international treaties they need to use the
In the video Eric Liu spoke of the systems of power that society has structured. Eric defines power as the ability to make others do what you would have them do. He sees power as being found with family, at your workplace, and in relationships. He defines the six main sources of civic power as being Control of physical force, wealth to buy results and other power, State action (government) to have control over people and what they do. An example for this would be that in a democracy the citizens give government power through elections, and in contrast dictatorship expresses power through force. The fourth civic power is known as social norm, which means what others believe that is okay, and what is not okay. The fifth civic power is ideas meaning
power as occurring in a situation where "A has power over B to the extent he can
“Power is exercised only over free subjects, and only insofar as they are free. By this we mean individual or collective subjects who are faced with a field of possibilities in which several ways of behaving, several reactions and diverse compartments may be realized.” (Foucault)
Some theorists believe that ‘power is everywhere: not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere… power is not an institution, nor a structure, nor possession. It is the name we give to a complex strategic situation in a particular society. (Foucault, 1990: 93) This is because power is present in each individual and in every relationship. It is defined as the ability of a group to get another group to take some form of desired action, usually by consensual power and sometimes by force. (Holmes, Hughes &Julian, 2007) There have been a number of differing views on ‘power over’ the many years in which it has been studied. Theorist such as Anthony Gidden in his works on structuration theory attempts to integrate basic structural analyses and agency-centred traditions. According to this, people are free to act, but they must also use and replicate fundamental structures of power by and through their own actions. Power is wielded and maintained by how one ‘makes a difference’ and based on their decisions and actions, if one fails to exercise power, that is to ‘make a difference’ then power is lost. (Giddens: 1984: 14) However, more recent theorists have revisited older conceptions including the power one has over another and within the decision-making processes, and power, as the ability to set specific, wanted agendas. To put it simply, power is the ability to get others to do something they wouldn’t otherwise do. In the political arena, therefore, power is the ability to make or influence decisions that other people are bound by.
Government is Best which Governs Least I heartily accept the motto, "That government is best which governs least"; and I would like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe--"That government is best which governs not at all". And when men are prepared for it, that will be the kind of government which the will have. Government is at best expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. The objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government.