When looking into the ideas of political theorists it is important to the use of political concepts that may play an important role in what the theorists are suggesting and also how they may affect the relationship between to state and the individuals living within a state. The concepts that will be looked at within this essay are: power, authority and also accountability. Power in politics is a person who has the ability to influence a person in terms of their behaviour; however they possess no right to - unlike authority. There are many ways in which a person can influence another’s behaviour; one such example is through coercion. Coercion refers to the use of violence or threats in order to influence someone. [Jones and Norton, 2011] Authority is similar to the idea of power in politics. A person who has authority not only has the ability to influence a person and perhaps change a person’s behaviour but also have the right to do so. Having authority often comes within an occupational role, for example a policeman, a fireman or judges often have the right to tell what to do. This is also known as legitimate power. Legitimate authority only comes into account if the person also has the power to influence other. People may not agree with what they are being asked to do, but because they have legitimate power they do so anyway. [Heywood, 2000] Accountability in politics refers to the process of being held liable for your own actions. Many people such as politicians have a different degree to which they are held responsible for their actions and consequences that may come as a result of such an action. [Word Bank Group, 2011] Today, Politicians are much more accountable than ever before. Mass media has played a large part i... ... middle of paper ... ...11/2011] The word bank group (2012) Political Accountability [1] [Online] worldbank.org Available from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPUBLICSECTORANDGOVERNANCE/EXTANTICORRUPTION/0,,contentMDK:20222028~menuPK:1165494~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:384455,00.html [Accessed: 02/11/2011] Todd, J. (2011) ‘Alone in Sirte’ [Online] Labor Uncut Available from : http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2011/10/24/alone-in-sirte/ [Accessed: 11/11/2011] Williams, G (2005) ‘Hobbes: Moral and Political Philosophy’ [Online] Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy Available from http://www.iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/ [Accessed: 04/11/2011] Wheeler, L. (2011) ‘Niccolò Machiavelli and "The Prince"’[Online] http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/machiavelli.html [Accessed: 02/11/2011] Skinner, Q (2000) ‘Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction’ Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford
various forms that power may take, such as money and coercion, which are negated as valid forms
Over the course of the semester, the class has discussed a variety of theories about legitimacy and government. In Hobbes, authority hinges on the Leviathan, with Locke, authority rests on the people and with Rousseau, an extreme version of Locke. Yet in each case, there appears to be a focus on one individual or one group of people. What institutions can enforce that the group who possesses legitimate power do not overstep their authority? Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu advocates for a solution that results in a system of government that has the sovereign not abuse his or their power. Thus, a system of checks and balances.
By assessing power through the approaches of both theorists it can be concluded that power will always be a topic of debate and a concern for many sociologists and theorists. Although Weber has defined power, many theorists have used that as a starting point to further examine power and to express power through new theories and diverse approaches. Lukes believes that that there are three forms of power those being; observable decision-making and conflicts, the observable process of excluding certain issues and topic from discussion and lastly the hidden ability to set an agenda. On the other hand, Locke is a strong believer in natural law and that there is only one form of power that will benefit society for the good and that is power being controlled and divided. Thus, it can be reviewed that Lukes’ and Locke’s approach to power does not interrelate but are very opposing. By pinpointing the negatives and positives of the approaches it can be clearly seen that both theories have strengths and weaknesses but neither theories can define what power is because power is diverse and there is no one-way in understanding power but rather
...e the authority of the very thing that gave them their power. In other words, don’t bite the hand that feeds.
Someone has always been there to tell you what to do in life. As a young child, you were told to behave properly and not to eat too many sweets. As you grew older and older, it seemed as if the responsibilities became greater and greater in number. Even as an adult, there was always an officious boss telling you what to do. There was always some higher force that bound your actions. Authority was the major theme in the novel 1984, by George Orwell. Authority was also a profound factor in Stanley Milgram’s experiment conducted in 1974. It seems that authority has been around longer than any of us can remember, and it is authority that dictates the way we act.
To hold authority is to possess power, and when one has power over a person or people he or she is generally feared. In t...
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.
Lloyd, S. A. (2014). Hobbes's Moral and Political Philosophy. In S. University, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford: http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2014/entries/hobbes-moral/.
The classical thinking believe that authority can be achieved through self-interest, fear and habit. However, this thinking has been moved away by
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.
Power is authority and strength, which is any form of motive force or energy, ability to act, or control. When too much power is given, a dictatorship government can form, in which all decisions are made by one authority. In the book Animal Farm, by George Orwell the author portrays how “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton).
There are several sources of power, some of them are authority, reward, expertise, and coercion.
When power becomes legitimate, it is then recognized as authority (Denhardt et al, 2001). Power becomes authority when it is accepted and even desired by society. As stated by the course study notes, “authority refers to a situation where a person (or group) has been formally granted a leadership position”. An individual has authority when everyday norms and regulations support the exercising of power by that individual. In an organizational setting, “authority is hierarchal and vested in positions” (Week 9 Study Notes), which are defined by “organizational charts, positions and rules” (Week 9 Study Notes). Generally, power in authority also involves the possibility of rewards such as promotions and good performance reviews.
Political Accountability is regarded a necessary condition for all political systems, and can be defined as “a process of being called to account to some authority for one’s actions and involves both answerability and taking responsibility”.
Politics is the means for attaining valued things. Although, valued things are different in every society, the means of securing those things has never changed. The competition for power, authority and influence will always be the backbone of politics. Applying power, authority and influence to the valued things that support the public good, will produce the quality of life a society desires. In the present day, citizens in the United States demand certain valued things such as welfare, education, safe streets and healthcare. Through politics, citizens can apply their power in many different ways to get the things they want. Power is the ability to get someone to do something they may or may not want to do. Through the use of or the application of coercion, persuasion, manipulation and negotiation, power is used to influence the system.