Introduction to Sociology/Politics

Power, Authority, and Violence

Power

Power has several meaning. In political area power means the rights to distribute public resources, including labor, and wealth. Political power are not only held by head of state, but also other groups like insurgency, terrorist group, or multinational corporation. Societal influence of these groups relates to how much they possesses the power. Then Regardless of whether they have resistance or not, power means the ability to influence behavior of others.

Authority

Authority and power have similar meaning, but there are some differences. The differences are legitimacy, justification and right to exercise power. 'Someone has authority' means 'Someone can let other do something or contribute public resources, and it is accepted by law and public.' For example, armed groups have power, but they don't have authority.

Max Weber identified and distinguished three types of legitimate authority.

The first type is Rational-legal authority. It means constitution guarantee the authority. This type is important in modern society because power of the states come from legal-rational authority.

The second type is Traditional authority. This authority is established by customs, habits and social structures for long time. If power passes down to next generation, the power become traditional authority.

The third type is Charismatic authority. This authority depends on individual's charisma. If someone has leadership and many people follow him, we can say that he has charismatic authority. Many reader of social movement like Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King is an example.

Violence

Someone use violence means he let other follow his purpose by using physical power. Sometimes, citizen refuse dictate of government. Then, they can use violence, basing on rational-legal authority. Police or military is part of government's violence. If governments don't have the right to use violence, their authority can be threaten.