Lecture 7: Power

Anne-Marie Jeannet

Comparative Social Systems (2021-2)

What is power?

Concept can have negative connotations and is difficult to define

▶ Pittacus (c. 640–568 B.C.E.):
“The measure of a man is what
he does with power”
▶ Lord Acton perhaps more
famously asserted, “Power tends
to corrupt; absolute power
corrupts absolutely” (1887).
▶ sociological definition: the ability
to have one’s will carried out Figure: Pittacus of Mitylene
despite the resistance of others
Institutionalized Power
Power is institutionalized in society in the form of government
▶ Politics refers to the distribution and exercise of power
within a society, and polity refers to the political institution
through which power is distributed and exercised.
▶ some individuals and groups have more power than others.
▶ Because power is so essential to an understanding of
politics, we begin our discussion of politics with a
discussion of power
Max Weber and Power
power vs. authority
▶ power is necessary but not sufficient for authority
▶ coercive power is power without authority
▶ authority is a legitimate use of power

Figure: in Chess, the Queen is the post powerful piece: capable of moving any number of
squares vertically, horizontally or diagonally
What is authority?
Max Weber’s Ideal Type 1: Traditional Authority
▶ power legitimized through respect for long-established
cultural patterns
▶ unwritten rules that are maintained for a long time
▶ Leaders in traditional authority are people who depend on
an established order or tradition
▶ ancient custom legitimizes authority: people respect
traditional authority because ’it’s always been that way’
▶ negative aspects: traditional practices can be exploited,
lacks moral regularity in the creation of legal standards

Figure: for example, the accepted hereditary rule of noble families in Europe
What is authority?
Max Weber’s Ideal Type 2: Charismatic Authority
▶ power legitimized by exceptional unusual personal abilities
which inspire devotion and obedience
▶ tends to disrupt tradition
▶ charisma of these leaders is enough to inspire their
followers and make their authority seem legitimate
▶ negative aspects: short lived, no rules or tradition to
monitor conduct

Figure: charismatic leaders include: religious figures, cult leaders, political leaders, amongst
others
What is authority?
Max Weber’s Ideal Type 3: Rational-legal Authority
▶ power is bureaucratic authority which legitimizes by legally
enacting rules and regulations by governments
▶ laws defined with obligations and rights
▶ respected by people due to competence and the legitimacy
that laws bestow
▶ authority within legally defined boundaries by appointed or
elected governing body
▶ negative aspects: bureaucracy may not be able to solve all
problems, lacks flexibility
Three Dimensions of Power
▶ one dimensional: observing behaviour of participants who
influences decision between alternatives (A forces B to do
as (s)he says)
▶ two dimensional: who influences the agenda, or the
selection of the alternatives (A prevents B from presenting
the alternative that (s)he wants)
▶ three dimensional: influencing people’s desires and making
them think they want something (A convinces B that (s)he
wants the same thing as A wants
Pluralist View of Power
A Functionalist Perspective
▶ Robert Dahl: power is dispersed across many actors and
interest groups in a society who must compete and
negotiate with each other to achieve their agendas
▶ veto-groups: some groups win and lose but ultimately none
have power over others
▶ government acts a neutral referee: the competition among
veto groups is done fairly, that no group acquires undue
influence, and that the needs and interests of the citizenry
are kept in mind

Figure: Robert Dahl, poltiical theorist (1915-2014)

The Power of Elites
A Conflict Perspective:
▶ C.Wright Mills: power is instead concentrated in the hands
of a few wealthy individuals and organizations
▶ the power elite is composed of government, big business,
and the military, which together constitute a ruling class
▶ that controls society and works for its own interests, not
for the interests of the citizenry

Figure: Eton College is often a symbol of elitism as it has produced 20 British Prime Ministers
Michel Foucault and Power

Power is about more than coercion or authority...

▶ NOT concentrated in hands of
one institution such as state or
group
▶ NOT just about politics in
narrow sense
▶ operates at ALL levels of social
interaction
▶ based on claim to knowledge
▶ discourses generate dominant Figure: The claims of knowledge of a
doctor are put into practice in an
meanings and support the claims institutional setting (hospital) where
knowledge is operationalized.
of knowledge and power of
certain groups against alternative
meanings and forms of knowledge
Preparing for the Exam

You will choose three questions of five possible questions. You

will have 60 minutes to answer
▶ Sample Question: How is conceiving of an individual losing
a job to automation as a “personal trouble” different from
conceiving of it as a “social issue”? Please answer this by
applying Mills’ distinction between the two concepts and
give examples to illustrate your point.
Criteria for the exam

▶ Does it answer the question?

▶ Does it apply the appropriate course concepts accurately
and precisely?
▶ Is the argument logically structured and thoughtful?