Concept of power and authority in political science. Concept of Power in Political Science 2022-10-14

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Power and authority are central concepts in political science, as they are essential to the functioning of any political system. Power is the ability to influence or control the behavior of others, while authority is the legitimate right to make decisions and exercise power within a given system. These concepts are closely related, but they are not the same thing.

Power can be exercised in many different ways, including through the use of force, coercion, manipulation, or persuasion. It can be exercised by individuals, groups, or institutions, and it can be used for good or evil purposes. Power can also be exercised in formal or informal ways, and it can be legitimate or illegitimate.

Authority, on the other hand, is typically seen as a more formal and legitimate form of power. It is typically associated with positions of leadership or decision-making within a political system, and it is often granted by a higher authority or through a democratic process. Authority is often exercised through the use of laws, rules, and regulations, and it is typically accompanied by a sense of responsibility and accountability.

Political science recognizes several different types of power and authority, including personal, expert, referent, and legitimate power. Personal power is based on an individual's personal characteristics, such as charisma or physical attractiveness, while expert power is based on an individual's knowledge or skills in a particular area. Referent power is based on an individual's ability to inspire loyalty or admiration in others, and legitimate power is based on an individual's formal position within a hierarchy or political system.

The concept of power and authority is closely related to the concept of governance, which refers to the processes by which political systems make and enforce decisions. Governance can be exercised by a variety of actors, including governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations, and it can take many different forms, including democracy, autocracy, and oligarchy.

In conclusion, power and authority are central concepts in political science, as they are essential to the functioning of any political system. Power is the ability to influence or control the behavior of others, while authority is the legitimate right to make decisions and exercise power within a given system. Understanding the various types and sources of power and authority is essential for understanding how political systems operate and how decisions are made and enforced.

Power in Politics: Definition & Importance

concept of power and authority in political science

Power is related to taking of decisions and for the implementation of those decisions. Again, this can be anything from the eldest male in a clan using his influence to determine where the group will hunt to an elected president using his authority to veto a bill. This tightness rests in the source. Some of these tactics include bullying, collaboration, complaining, criticizing, demanding, disengaging, evading, humor, inspiring, manipulating, negotiating, socializing and supplicating. Our conclusion is now obvious.


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Politics, Power, and Authority

concept of power and authority in political science

Politics no longer remains the study of state or government alone. Rosenau, The Scientific Study of Foreign Policy New York, 1971 , pp. Louis XIV of France: Historically, kings have derived their authority from tradition. It is an acquired ability that comes from knowledge and expertise. Politics is about the organization of power and having control over decision-making. Power, in turn, can be seen as having three important ingredients.

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Power, Authority & Influence in Political Organizations

concept of power and authority in political science

These have sometimes been translated to English as types of authority, because domination is not seen as a political concept. In the United States, the presidential transition extends from the date of the presidential election, in early November, until the twentieth day of January in the following year. Lasswell and Kaplan discuss the scope of political science in terms of power as a process. According to Weber, the state is that entity that "upholds the claim to the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force in the enforcement of its order. Calcutta, 1970 , p. The analysis of these four means reveals that what distinguishes power from influence is Coercion or force. It becomes a study of the society in its widest sense.

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Power AND Authority

concept of power and authority in political science

New York, 1973 , p. Second, it must have binding authority over citizens and actions in its jurisdiction. Kinds Of Power: There are three types of power, which are explained below: 1. The change of government in France in 1958 came about abruptly with a marked element of melodrama at the final stage, which brought General De Gaulle to power, ushering the era of the Fifth Republic. Military force is an important instrument of patrimonial rule. There are four means and methods by which one nation can influence or control others as per its own desire.

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Key Concepts of Political Science: Power, Legitimacy and Authority: [Essay Example], 2500 words GradesFixer

concept of power and authority in political science

Like the concept of the external domain, Rosenau has propounded the concept of penetration, which he defines as a process in which members of one polity serve as participants in the political process. For these reasons, they use the former term to refer to the overall action competence of states. Power can be wielded through the use of coercion or by obtaining consent. Acceptance of authority, So to say, is the recognition of moral right. The patients accept the authority of doctors without any hitch in order to get the disease cured.

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Difference Between Power and Authority (with Comparison Chart)

concept of power and authority in political science

The moment in history taken as a reference for pursuing the status quo policy is, often, the termination of the war. Authority can be taken away as it is official and not personal and once a person is stripped of his title or designation, his or her authority comes to an Science lays emphasis on its being the study of power and authority. For example, landowning elites have been superseded peacefully by Commercial and industrial elites. . This was demonstrated in the 2008 Financial crisis, in which an economic crash in the United States caused a global recession. Even the cabinet in a parliamentary system is really a group of elites who actively oppose the policy. As a political concept.

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Influence Power And Authority

concept of power and authority in political science

By being tactical and calculated with the use of their structural power, they gained power. In the political field the authority has to be legitimate in order to command willing obedience. This is so in a democracy but not in a military dictatorship. When the leader of such a state dies or leaves office and a new charismatic leader does not appear, such a regime is likely to fall shortly thereafter unless it has become fully routinized. It has an instrumental value for understanding higher national objectives in a competitive world.

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Concept of Power in Political Science

concept of power and authority in political science

It can be repeated for the sake of clarification that the first two methods, persuasion and reward constitute influence during the last two, punishment and force, form power. Authority is the legal and formal right to give orders and commands, and take decisions. They avoid the development of ideas and policies which are harmful to them, whilst highlighting more favourable events on the international stage. It is exactly how various coup detaches occur in the world, and political power changes hands. In practice, political authority is not of a pure type but a mixture. Power can be personal power. Mussolini and Hitler: According to Weber, charismatic leaders gain authority not because they are necessarily kind, but because they are seen as superhuman.

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