WORKSHEET 2 DUE DATE: September 24, 2021

DIAZ COLLEGE
Nono Limbaga Drive, Tanjay City
Tel. No. (035) 415-9157 ∙ Fax No. (035) 527-0152
E-mail Address: diazcollege_dc@yahoo.com

Philippine Politics and Governance (Second Edition)

What Is Power?
In this module, you will be able to:
• Explain the difference power and authority; and
• produce a compilation of scenes, events, and issues that resembles the idea of power
in Philippine society.

In the previous discussion on the different views on politics, you have learned
that politics also involves power and the distribution of resources. It is thus seen as the
exercise of authority in the state. Personal relationships are also characterized by power,
whether you are conscious of this or not. You can notice how power is practiced in everyday
life, even in the most ordinary situations. In this module, you will be introduced to the nature
and types of power, and analyze its relevance and consequences in shaping the structure
of different organizations and situations.

Definition of Power

In its broadest sense, power is one’s ability to achieve a desired outcome. However,
in political terms, power is the ability to influence another—the way one thinks or behaves—
in a manner not of his or her own choosing (Lasswell 1936). It thus involves one’s capacity to
get things done, and to make someone do something he or she would not otherwise do.

Political power involves three interrelated Big Idea

concepts: legitimacy, authority, and sovereignty.
Power can be observed in
According to Roskin et al. (2012), legitimacy refers to the human actions and
people’s perception that their government rules rightfully government policies. It is
and thus must be obeyed. Sovereignty, on the other hand, exercised through people’s
interactions and government
speaks of the ability of a national government to be the relations with constituents.
sole leader, which has the last word of law in that society.
Last, authority is seen as the political leader’s ability to command respect and exercise
power.

Power comes in different faces or dimensions. It can be considered as decision-

making, agenda setting, or thought control.

Table 3.1. Dimensions of Power (Heywood 2013)

Power is perceived as the influence on the

Power as decision- content of decisions. Who decides, what to
making be made, and how to execute such decision
all involve power.
Power involves the ability to set or control
Power as agenda setting political agenda, highlighting one at the
exclusion of other issues.
Power is seen as an ideological
Power as thought indoctrination or a psychological control
control where one has the ability to change or shape
how another thinks or behaves.

Power and Authority

While power is defined as the ability to Big Idea

command obedience and is rested on
coercion, most political systems have Power greatly differs from authority. In
the study of politics, power is known to be
developed mechanisms by which people obey
one’s ability to achieve desired goals,
orders. Power is considered as authority while authority is realized upon the
when it is recognized as legitimate. Max exercise of power. If the subject citizens
have submitted to the authority of a
Weber (1922) distinguished three types of
leader, then power becomes legitimate.
authority: traditional, rational-legal, and
charismatic.
 Table 3.2. Types of Authority (Weber 1922)

Authority is based on acceptance of

Traditional and high regard of traditions.
Monarchies are examples of this type.
Authority is based on impersonal rules
Rational-legal and regulations. People obey through
a legitimate command from the leader.
Obedience is based on personal
characteristics of a leader, whose
Charismatic
qualities are considered to be
exceptional.

The Exercise of Power and Its Consequences

Big Idea
Power defines social and political
relationships. Who gets what, when, and how
The exercise of power comes with
much are usually determined by power. From certain outcomes. At all levels of
political systems characterized by democratic society and human interaction,
power determines allocation,
institutions or dictatorships, down to
satisfaction, and interest.
interpersonal relationships between and among
individuals, the struggle for power is ever present.

In the system of governance, power relations determine how resources are

distributed. For instance, the relationship between the leader and the governed is shaped
by inequality in power. Such is likewise evident in the global order. In the world of
politics and international relations, according to realists, power relations decide the type
of relationship and interaction between states. Realists maintain that economic, political,
and military powers usually dictate the influence of one country over the affairs of
another—if not the global order. However, liberals argue that the adverse effects of
inequality of power are mitigated by a rules-based world order. Either way, there is a
common recognition of the existence of power even at an international scale.
 Essential Learning

Politics cannot be studied without having a focus on power. Power is the ability to
influence another. It can also be seen as coercion or the use of intimidation to get desired
outcomes. Power can also be legitimate—that is, the exercise of influence is recognized
and that the governed accords obedience to the leader. Power comes in various forms and
dimensions, and it exists in different levels of relationships: from the personal level, to the
governmental, and up to the international level. It has different consequences, but what is
notable is that it defines all types of relationships. After all, power involves who gets what,
when, and how much.

Source:

MARK ANTHONY M. VELASCO, PRINCE AIAN G. VILLANUEVA, & DENNIS C. CORONACION,

Ph. D. (2020). Philippine Politics and Governance (Second Edition) (2nd ed.). Makati
City, Philippines: DIWA LEARNING SYSTEMS INC.

Prepared by:

Mr. Nichol B. Villaflores