BASIC CONCEPTS OF GOVERNMENT

What is Power?

Power is the ability to get things done. It is the ability to make others do certain things
even if they are unwilling to do them. Power involves a kind of domination exercised by
the ruler and the ruled.

SOURCES OF POWER

1. Control of force

Force refers to physical restraint or coercion through control over the agencies of the
state such as the police, the armed forces, the court and the prisons. These agencies can
be used by rulers to secure obedience or compliance with policies. Coercive power
though is not very effective because it is not sustainable. Inflicting fear on people in
other to rule can make the people to corporate only because of fear and not because they
are doing it willingly.

2. Wealth

People who control a great deal of wealth can use it to acquire political offices for
example a wealthy man can buy the votes of the people. The rich are usually the most
powerful in the society.

3. Formal office or position

Positions like ministers, top civil servants, etc make decisions which affect crucial
aspects of some people lives.

4. Popular support

People can acquire power through elections. Elections give authority to a ruler. Elected
power makes the ruler have less need of using force or coercion to rule.

5. Skill

Knowledge and expertise in a field constitute another source of power. Bureaucrats for
example wield power because of their expertise.

WHAT IS AUTHORITY

Authority is power that is generally regarded by citizens as rightful or legitimate. Just

like children obey their parents, and students obey their teachers because they are
expected to, individuals accept that the government should be in position to run the
country. Authority cannot be gained through coercion. It has to be legitimate. Authority
is greatly linked with respect. Legitimacy is the belief in the right to give commands and
the right to be obeyed.

SOURCES OF AUTHORITY

1. Legal rational

This is based on a system of rulers applied judicially and administratively. This includes
political leaders on seat appointed or elected, police officers, military and parliamentary
etc.

2. Traditional authority

This is based on the belief in the legitimacy of an authority that has always existed.
Traditional authority is mostly inherited. Those who obey are called followers or
subjects. Examples of these are Emir of Sokoto, Sultan of Sokoto, Oba of Benin, etc.

3. Charismatic authority

This is the power of command exercised by a leader who can show charisma and have
followers. Example of people with such authority includes Hitler, Kwame Nkurmah,
Musa Kwankwoso, Muhammed Buhari (especially before the 2015 general elections) etc.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POWER AND AUTHORITY

AUTHORITY POWER

1. Authority is power recognized as Power is not always recognized and

rightful and accepted as valid. valid

2. Citizens have the duty to obey. Citizens have the power to support or to
Resistance to authority is oppose. Resistance to power is unlawful
unlawful.

3. Authority is authentic and very Power can be coerced and forced.

legitimate

WHAT IS LEGITIMACY
This refers to government that comes to power in accordance with the constitution and
the accepted norms of society. For a government to be legitimate, it must be established
according to the stipulated rules, principles, standards and procedures.

FACTORS DETERMINING LEGITIMACY

1. Periodic free and fair elections of rulers by the ruled.

2. The decisions of the government need to reflect the wishes of the people.

3. Legitimacy is encouraged by any government that respects upholds and does not
interfere with the rights and dignity of the individual citizens.

4. A government that provides the basic needs of the people will be regarded as
legitimate even if they are not elected.

5. Responsive and accountable governments encourage legitimacy.

LEGITIMACY AS A FACTOR OF STABILITY OF GOVERNMENT

The political stability of any given government depends a great deal upon the legitimacy
factor. If legitimacy is lacking the citizens may react violently against the government on
seat. When there is trust in a political regime or government, there is little opposition
from the people. Studies have shown that the higher the level of legitimacy of a regime,
the lower the level of unrest in society.

The voluntary participation of the people as expressed in elections confers legitimacy on

the government. Parliamentary elections also represent one popular and accepted way
of deciding who should rule. Other ways of effecting peaceful changes of government
include a general uprising of an aggrieved electorate or a military coup d’etat. The use of
force or election rigging can bring frustration, which can build a heavy opposition that
creates instability in government.

Legitimacy is fundamental to the maintenance of political society. In societies without

legitimacy, political leaders must rely on force to maintain themselves in power, which
alone may not be enough to preserve the stability of the system.

SOVEREIGNTY

This is the most important characteristic of a state. It means the power of a state to
make and enforce laws with all the means it may care to employ. Sovereignty has two
aspects, which are internal and external.

Internal sovereignty
This is the power to make and enforce laws upon subject associations within its area of
jurisdiction.

External Sovereignty

This means independence from direct political control by other states.

No state is absolutely sovereign in relation to its own subjects or even absolutely

independent in relation to other states. There are certain things a state can do that can
provoke revolt and protest from the people. A state’s exercise of independence of action
is limited by the existence of other states, international organizations, and the
independence of nations.

Types of sovereignty

1. Legal sovereignty

This is the law-making authority of the state. This consists of the combination of
authorities (congress and state legislatures) that have the power to amend the
Constitution.

2. Political Sovereignty

This refers to the electorate. The will of political sovereignty is always expected to
ultimately prevail since it is determined by the electorate.

3. Popular Sovereignty

This is often with reference to the electorate but includes the unorganized mass of the
people.

Other types of sovereignty include de facto sovereignty, de jure sovereignty, internal

sovereignty, and external sovereignty, among others.

LOCATION OF SOVEREIGNTY

The determination and location of ultimate power have been the subject of endless
controversy among scholars. In the United States, where power is highly centralized,
designating a person as having supreme power is very easy. However, complex societies
like federal states often have difficulty determining their powers. Examples of unitary
states include the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia. Countries like Nigeria and the
USA have complex societies with federal systems of governance. In countries like
Nigeria, decisions have to follow due process, making it impossible for the president to
have total and complete sovereign powers.
Some scholars argue that ultimate power is located in political sovereigns because that
body of persons in the state are called the electorates. These electorates are the ones that
choose members of the legislature who make the laws. The will of the electorates is
always respected by the law-making body. The political and legal sovereignty all have
their various roles and always have to work together.

LIMITATIONS OF SOVEREIGNTY

In most states, whether unitary or federal, power is diffused or dispersed and is seldom
concentrated or centralised. This has led to the conclusion that there is no such thing as
absolute or unlimited power whether in domestic or international affaris. Some factors
that make unlimited and absolute sovereignty impossible includes;

a. Constitutional limitations which checks and controls powers abd rule of law
through legal sovereignty.
b. Public opinion and thee influence of the electorate which are recognised and
respected by the legal sovereign. The electorate can removes an unpopular and
unresponsive government.
c. Multiplicit of associations such as church, trade unions, cooperatives student
unions etc often have considerable influence on the activities on the government.
Pressure from associations like this can change and help government policies.
d. Membership of international organisations suach as OAU, OPEC, and ECOWAS
helps in limiting a government sovereignty because they have binding rules to
member countries.
e. International law subject states to restraint which have the status of international
law.
f. Interdependence of states limits the interdependence of sovereign nations. States
are dependent on one another in economic, technological and in some cases
military matters. This interdependence sometimes compels nations to modify
their policies.
g. International public opinion and the united nations universal declaration on
human rights encourages leaders to take actions which conform to
internationally accepted standards of behaviour. They are very responsive to the
opinion of the international community.