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Power Authority AND Legitimacy
Political Theory (Aligarh Muslim University)
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POWER AUTHORITY AND LEGITIMACY
INTRODUCTION
We discussed some key concepts such as the state, sovereignty, and democracy
in previous blocks. In this unit, we'll look at some other fundamental concepts
like power, authority, and legitimacy, all of which are closely linked to the
concept of the state. The state cannot exercise its power unless it has legitimate
authority. As a result, all three concepts are linked. Efforts will be made in this
unit to gain a thorough understanding of all three concepts and their
relationships.
POWER
Power is one of the most important concepts in the field of political science. In
the fields of local, national, and international politics, the concept of power has
become a hot topic of debate. We will discuss the meaning, characteristics,
sources, and forms of power in this section.
Meaning of Power
Power can be defined as the ability, strength, or capacity to control others in
general. Within social interaction, power is a type of behaviour that refers to the
ability to do things and the capacity to produce effects. Individuals' power is a
trait that they use to exert control over others.
There are various perspectives on the meaning of power. Scholars have
proposed a variety of definitions for the concept of power. These definitions will
aid us in comprehending the meaning of power. The following are some
important definitions of power:
Bertrand Russell, a British political philosopher and historian, defined power as
"one's ability to achieve goals" in his book "Power: A New Social Analysis"
(1938).
'Power is the ability to influence the behaviour of others in accordance with
one's own intention,' according to American sociologists Herbert Goldhamer
and Edward A. Shills.
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Power is defined by David Easton, an American political scientist, as the
"relationship in which one person or a group has the ability to determine the
actions of another in the direction of the former's own ends."
'Power is the ability to exercise such control to make others do what they would
not do otherwise, by rewarding or promising to reward them, or depriving or
threatening to deprive them of something they value,' says political scientist C.P.
Schleicher.
By summing up all these definitions we can come to the conclusion that power
is the capacity of an actor to affect the actions of others in accordance with his
or her own intention. It implies a relationship. It is something that one can use
against somebody else.
Characteristics of Power
The concept of power has a number of distinct characteristics, which can be
summarised as follows:
Relational: According to Harold Lasswell and Morton Kaplan, American
political scientists, power is always relational. It isn't the possession of a single
person. At least two actors are required, one who wields power and the other
who is subjected to it. 'Power is a kind of human relationship,' Frederick writes.
Only in relation to others can power be exercised.
Situational: Because power is situational, it is determined by the situation,
circumstances, and position. The degree of power may increase or decrease
depending on the situation and circumstances. A powerful officer, for example,
may be able to increase his or her power during his or her service time, but after
retirement, he or she may not be able to gain as much respect from his or her
subordinates.
Power is always dependent on its application: A charismatic person can
increase his or her power to the maximum level by effectively using power.
Both the President of India and the President of the United States, for example,
wield enormous power. However, due to his or her titular character, the
President of India does not use power in practise. In contrast, the President of
the United States of America exercises his or her powers in the true sense of the
word.
Not absolute: One of the most important characteristics of power is that it is not
absolute but only relative. It is relative in the sense that it can be used in
conjunction with something else. Power relationships change in tandem with
changing circumstances.
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Capacity: Power is defined as a person's ability to influence the behaviour of
others. The capacity or capability of an individual or a nation is critical in
maintaining a power relationship. The ability of an individual to control the
behaviour of others in accordance with his or her own desires is referred to as
power.
Power must be backed up by sanction: Power must be backed up by sanction
at all times. Power becomes corrupt and prone to malpractices when it is not
sanctioned. As a result, some legal sanction must be bestowed upon it in order
for the authority to remain legitimate.
Sources of Power
The following are some examples of power sources:
Knowledge: Knowledge is the most powerful source of power that allows
anyone to overcome ignorance. Knowledge aids in the growth of our minds and
spirits. A leader's capacity for leadership can be developed with the help of
knowledge.
Organization: Another important source of power is organisation. When a
group of people works together in a well-organized manner, they can gain more
power. It's because organisation is a powerful force in and of itself. Different
political parties organise themselves in order to gain power in the political
sphere.
Wealth or economic status is another source of power because it aids a person or
a country in gaining power. For example, a country can exercise power or
influence over other countries in international relations by virtue of its strong
economic position.
Authority is one of the most important sources of power. Authority is always
a symbol of legitimate power in a democratic form of government. When a
person or an institution is given the authority to legitimately exercise power
over others, that person or institution becomes powerful.
Personality: A person's personality is a powerful source of power in and of
itself. The ability to make quick and correct decisions, organisational skills,
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wisdom, courage, and so on, all aid in the development of a person's personality.
With his charisma, a great leader can become more effective and powerful than
others.
Forms of Power
From the standpoint of social analysis, power can be divided into four
categories based on three factors: political, economic, physical, and
psychological.
Political power is a crucial concept in both political theory and international
politics. From a political standpoint, the power-sharing game between various
government organs exists solely to satisfy everyone's desire to hold power.
Economic power is defined in the field of political science as the ability to
influence the behaviour of other people or nations through greater control over
economic goods and services. Economic power enhances a country's ability to
influence the activities of other nations.
Physical power is a term that refers to a country's military might. Any country's
government enjoys political power as a result of its military or physical
strength, which always aids the country in maintaining its sovereignty against
foreign aggression. However, it is important to note that a country's military
power should be kept in a subordinate position to the political authority of that
country; otherwise, a military coup could occur.
Psychological Power: Psychological power is defined as the ability to influence
public opinion. Through emotional appeal and propaganda, this type of power
attempts to control the actions of others. Every country employs psychological
power with care. For example, on the occasion of India's Republic Day Parade,
displays of weapons and tanks, among other things, are intended to impress the
world with India's military might.
AUTHORITY
The concept of authority is also important in the field of political science.
Authority is always legitimate and backed by the force of the law and the
consent of the people. Authority is a term used to describe legitimate power or
influence. Legitimate authority is always founded on consent and thus
commands respect. As a result, authority is the embodiment of reason rather
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than power. We obey authority because it is legitimate and reasonable, to put it
another way.
Meaning of Authority
The word "authority" comes from the Latin words "Auctor" or "Auctoritas,"
which mean "right to rule." Law becomes unworthy of obedience when it lacks
authority. The authorised power of a person or an organisation that is legitimate
in nature is referred to as authority. Scholars have provided a number of
definitions for the term authority, which can be summarised as follows:
"An authority is the embodiment of reason and depends on the capacity of
reasoned elaboration," writes German thinker Carl Friedrich.
"Authority is often defined as being power, the power to command obedience,"
writes American political philosopher Robert MacIver.
The Encyclopedia of Social Sciences defines authority as "the ability to
exercise dominance over a group, whether innate or acquired." It is a display of
power that implies submission to it."
We can deduce from the above definitions that authority is what happens when
power or authority is legitimately exercised. It is the kind of power that is based
on the people's consent.
Characteristics of Authority
Authority carries a few peculiar features. Some of such characteristics are
given below-
Legitimacy is the most important aspect of authority: The fundamental
condition of authority is the approval or sanction of the law and the people. The
effectiveness of authority is determined by its legitimacy.
Dominance: Another important aspect of authority is dominance. Dominance is
linked to the concept of authority. Those who have the power to exercise
dominance over others are automatically dominant. The superior's command
over subordinates is known as authority.
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Informal: When it comes to authority, it's always casual. As a result, authority
is devoid of power's primary characteristics. 'Authority is not a power, but
something that goes hand in hand with power,' says German philosopher
Freidrich.
One of the peculiar features of authority is the concept of responsibility or
accountability: The authoritative regime must always be accountable and
responsible in a democratic form of government.
The ability to reason is another feature of authority: It's regarded as the
foundation of power. Authority loses its foundation without rationality.
Sources of Authority
There are three types of sources of authority, according to German sociologist
Max Weber: (i) Traditional authority, (ii) rational legal authority, and (iii)
charismatic authority.
Traditional Authority: Traditional authority commands the people's obedience
based on unwritten but internally binding customary, religious, or historical
rules and conventions.
Rational Legal Authority: Constitutional rules give rise to rational legal
authority. Because it is based on certain rules and regulations, people will obey
such an authority. A Deputy Commissioner, a Magistrate, an Income Tax
Officer, and all other government officials, for example, all have legal rational
authority.
Charismatic Authority: When power is exercised based on personal qualities,
it is automatically referred to as charismatic power.
Basis of Authority
The basis of authority can be many, some of which are mentioned as follows:
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Consent: The principle of consent is required for the use of government power.
Coercive power does not need to be used by the authoritative body against the
people if the people consent to the state authority.
One of the most important bases of authority is force: The authority becomes
more capable of controlling the socioeconomic and political system with the use
of force.
Co-operation: People's cooperation is another important foundation of
authority. The success of government is largely determined by the people's
willingness to cooperate with it.
Social and Psychological Sanction: Authority is built on a foundation of social
and psychological sanction. People also accept authority because they are afraid
of society. People follow the authority's rules and regulations because they are
afraid of being judged by society. As a result, people follow the political
regime's authoritative rules.
LEGITIMACY
The terms "legitimacy" and "authority" are often used interchangeably. It is the
foundation of power. The degree of legitimacy that underpins authority
determines its effectiveness. People have a strong desire to respect only
legitimate authorities. It essentially represents righteousness or justice.
Meaning of Legitimacy
The word "legitimacy" comes from the Latin word "Legitimus," which means
"lawful." In today's world, the term "legitimacy" has a variety of connotations.
It maintains the belief that the current political system is the most appropriate,
and that people should regard it as sacred and worthy of respect, and that they
should obey it without question. Various scholars defined the term 'legitimacy'
from various perspectives, which greatly aids in comprehending its meaning.
Let's take a look at a few of them:
According to S.M. Friedman, a political sociologist in the United States,
'Legitimacy,' according to Lipset, "involves the system's ability to foster and
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maintain the belief that existing political institutions are the most appropriate
for the society."
'Legitimacy can be defined as the extent to which the population accepts
naturally without questioning the organisation to which it belongs,' writes
French political scientist Jean Blondel.
The belief that the structures, procedures, acts, decisions, policies, officials, or
leaders of government possess the quality of rightness, propriety, or moral
goodness and should be accepted because of this quality, irrespective of the
specified content of the particular act in question, is what we mean by
legitimacy, according to American political scientist Robert Dahl.
We can conclude from the discussion of the above definitions of legitimacy that
legitimacy means that the existing political system is founded on law and
reason. People will only obey a system if it is legitimate or legal.
Sources of Legitimacy
According to Max Weber there are three sources of legitimacy. Those can be
mentioned as follows:
Tradition: One of the most important sources of legitimacy is the society's
recognised traditions and customs. That authority is always considered
legitimate if it exercises power in accordance with the society's sanctioned
customs and traditions. As a result, sanctioned traditions and customs play an
important role in establishing legitimacy.
Exceptional Personal Qualities: Another important source of legitimacy,
according to Max Weber, is the leader's personal quality. Sometimes, leaders'
charismatic personalities allow them to wield power in such a way that it
becomes a legitimate source of authority.
Legality: We only consider a system legitimate if it is legal. As a result, one of
the most important sources of legitimacy is legality, which is also a basic
condition of legitimacy.
Types of Legitimacy
Legitimacy towards authority and legitimacy towards a regime are the two main
types of legitimacy. David Easton distinguishes three types of legitimacy based
on sources and objects of legitimacy, as listed below:
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Ideological Legitimacy: Ideological legitimacy occurs when the source of
legitimacy is the prevailing ideology in the society. Each society has its own
ideology, values, and rules, which serve as the foundation for ideological
legitimacy. A political system is also an articulated source of ideals, ends, and
purposes that assist system members in interpreting the past, explaining the
present, and offering a vision of the future. The goals and objects of a political
system are described by ideology.
Structural Legitimacy: Structural legitimacy is based on a personal belief in
the legitimacy of the regime's structure and norms. There are certain structured
rules and regulations in every system. The existence of a specific institutional
framework (e.g. executive, legislature, and judiciary) based on structured rules
and regulations is particularly noticeable in a democratic form of system. The
authority holder exercises power over others through the use of a structured
legitimate system.
Personal Legitimacy: Personal legitimacy refers to legitimacy based on the
leaders' personal characteristics. Many times, leaders gain legitimacy by gaining
public support through their charismatic personalities.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POWER, AUTHORITY, AND
LEGITIMACY
Power, authority, and legitimacy all have a close relationship. Power and
authority lose their meaning when they lack legitimacy. Similarly, legitimate
authority loses its meaning when it is devoid of power. The ways of regulating
social behaviour and conduct are through power and legitimate authority. By
virtue of his or her capacity for reasoned elaboration, the person with legitimate
authority can keep the system running. As a result, power, authority, and
legitimacy are all intertwined. A government with legitimate authority but no
power can be easily deposed by a small group of armed insurgents.
Both power and authority require a high level of legitimacy. Simply put,
legitimacy is the ability of a political system, particularly its government, to
generate and maintain the belief that the current political system is the most
appropriate, and that people must regard it as sacred and worthy of respect, and
that they must obey it without question. As a result, authority is worthless
without legitimate power. The authority-holder can exercise power and regulate
public affairs with the help of legitimacy. The government can put itself in a
better position to use power authoritatively when there are fixed legitimate rules
and regulations.
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LET US COMBINE OUR RESULTS.
• The concepts of power, authority, and legitimacy are central to the field of
political science as a whole.
• The ability, strength, or capacity to control others is referred to as power.
Within social interaction, power is a type of behaviour that refers to the ability
to do things and the capacity to produce effects. Individuals' power is a trait that
they use to exert control over others.
• The concept of "power" has several characteristics, including: power is always
relational; power is situational; power is always dependent on use; power is not
absolute but only relative; power is defined as someone's ability to influence the
behaviour of others; power must be backed by sanction, and so on.
• Power can come from a variety of places, including knowledge, organisation,
wealth, authority, and personality.
• Political, economic, and ideological power are the three basic types of power.
• The Latin words 'Auctor' or 'Auctoritas' mean 'right to rule.' The authorised
power of a person or an organisation that is legitimate in nature is referred to as
authority. It is the kind of power that is based on the people's consent.
• The concept of authority has some peculiar characteristics, such as the
requirement that authority be legitimate. The quality of dominance is also an
important aspect of authority. The superior's command over the subordinates is
known as authority. The character of authority is always informal. One of the
peculiar characteristics of authority is responsibility or accountability. Reason is
another attribute of authority. It is regarded as the foundation of authority.
• According to Max Weber, political authority comes in three forms: traditional,
charismatic, and rational-legal.
• Consent, force, cooperation, and social and psychological sanction are some of
the bases of authority.
• The word "legitimacy" comes from the Latin word "Legitimus," which means
"lawful." It maintains the belief that the current political system is the most
appropriate, and that people should regard it as sacred and worthy of respect,
and that they should obey it without question.
• David Easton defines three types of legitimacy: Ideological legitimacy,
Structural legitimacy, and Personal legitimacy, according to Max Weber.
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• Power, authority, and legitimacy all have a close relationship. Power and
authority lose their meaning when they lack legitimacy.
Similarly, legitimate authority loses its meaning when it is devoid of power. The
ways of regulating social behaviour and conduct are through power and
legitimate authority.
