UNIT II- POWER ,LEGITIMACY, AUTHORITY

Anglo-French poer (poueir), Latin

“Potestas“ to be able”
-the ability to exercise one’s will over others

- power is the ability of individuals or groups

to change the behavior of others in a way
desired by one.
• Kingsley Davis defines power as “the
determination of the behaviour of others in
accordance with one’s own ends.”
• Green, “Power is simply the extent of capability
to control others so that they will do what they
are wanted to do.”
• R. H. Tawney states that, “Power is the capacity
of an individual or group of individuals, to
modify the conduct of other individuals or
groups in the manner which he desires.”
• Robert Dahl “A has power over B to the extent
that he can get B to do something B would not
otherwise do” .
• Herbert Goldhamer and Edward Shield,
“Power is the ability to influence the
behaviour of others in accordance with one’s
ends.”
• Thus , power is the capacity of a person to
control and get others do what one wants
them to do and also prevent them from doing
something one does not want them to do.
 Nature of power
• Power is relational
• Sanction is essential(rewards or punishment)
• Power is situational
• Power is abstract
• Power is judged by influence
Bases/ Sources and kinds of Power
John R. P. French and Bertram H. Raven
1. Referent Power
2. Legitimate Power
3. Expert Power
4. Coercive Power
5. Reward Power
 TYPES/KINDS/CATEGORIES/FORMS OF
POWER
• Direct and indirect power
• Legitimate and illegitimate power
• Political power
• Manifest and latent power
• Centralised and decentralized power
• Charismatic power
• Economic power
• Traditional power
 Methods of exercising power
• Persuasion
• Rewards
• Punishment
• Force
Theories of Power
1. Class Theory of Power or Marxist theory
of power
• propounded by Karl Marx
• Power as instrument of class domination- haves
and Have nots ( Bourgeoisie vs Proletariat)
• Political power is an organized power of one
class which tries to dominate the other class.
While economic power derives from the control
over means of production
• Power is therefore held by the property owning
class (bourgeoisie) who dominate and exploit
the working class (proletariat).
• As a result there is constant class conflict
between the capitalist and working class
leading to class struggle, proletariat
revolution, dictatorship of proletariat, classless
and stateless society and establishment of
communism.
 [Link] theory
• Power is diffused among Different classes, religious groups,
ethnic and racial
• The State -As representing diverse and multiple groups in
society
• Most often, politics involves negotiation between competing
groups.
• Because no single group is always able to control the political
agenda, democracy is guaranteed.
• Maitland, Figgs, Lindsay, Barker, Laski, etc.
• The pluralists gave importance to other organizations such as
family, peer group, educational institutions, political parties,
pressure groups, interest groups, etc., apart from the state.
 Elite Theory
- Pareto and Mosca, michels and Wright Mills
• Rejects pluralism and marxism
• Elites - small group – power elite holds power
• The State - As representing the interests of a small,
but economically dominant class
• Natural that There will always be inequality of wealth
in society
According to this theory, power flows from
political and bureaucratic organization especially
from the top ranking officials or the elites.
They hold the view that politics is struggle
for power within social organization. Those who
occupy the highest position in the hierarchy
controls the power.
• Pareto in his book Mind and Society used the
term elite to a superior social group based on
ability, intelligence, knowledge, skills and
leadership. He also gave the idea of two types
of elites: governing elite and non-governing
elite.
• Mosca’s The Ruling Class called the elites as
an organized minority and masses as
unorganized majority, Rulers and ruled.
• Robert Michels- Iron Law of Oligarchy points how
organizations tend to be oligarchic and
bureaucratic no matter what the ideology is
because decisions are always made by the few at
the top.
• Wright – political elite(makes laws and governs),
business elite(produces for society) and military
elite (keeps society safe)
 Legitimacy
- Latin word ‘legitimus’ meaning ‘lawful’
• Literally, a state is legitimate if it exists and
operates according to the law.
• OED equates Legitimacy with something that is
just, moral, right, reasonable, valid and lawful
The fact that it has power is right or justified.
David Apter: Legitimacy is related to a set of
conceptions held by significant members of the
polity about the rightness of a political pattern.
• Lipset – “Legitimacy includes the capacity to
produce and maintain a belief that the existing
political institutions or forms are the most
appropriate for the society.”
• Therefore legitimacy means the capacity to
produce and maintain a belief that the existing
political system is the most appropriate for the
society and people must regard it as sacred
and worthy of respect and obey it
unhesistantly.
 Sources and Types of Legitimacy:

• Max Weber
(i) Traditional legitimacy based on traditions:
(ii) Charismatic legitimacy based on Exceptional
Personal Qualities:
(iii) . Rational-legal legitimacy based on laws:
David Easton
(a) Ideological legitimacy:
(b) (b) Structural legitimacy:
(c) Personal legitimacy:
• Fredrich
• religious legitimacy
• philosophical legitimacy
• pragmatic legitimacy
• procedural legitimacy
 AUTHORITY
• Latin word 'auctoritus’ meaning 'advice',
'opinion', 'influence' or 'command' in English
• Power + legitimacy = Authority
• Authority is institutionalized and legal power
• Power attached to a position or office held by
an individual.
• legitimacy The quality of being accepted as an
authority, often applied to laws or those in
power. Legitimacy rises and falls depending on
the willingness of those being led to follow
those doing the leading.
Difference Between Authority and Power

• 1. Nature
• Authority is the formal right given to a manager
to make decisions or to command. Power is
the personal ability to influence others or
events.
• 2. Flow
• Authority flows downwards in the organization.
This is because it is delegated by the superiors
to the subordinates
• Power can flow in any direction. Even
subordinates have power over their superiors,
if they can influence their behavior. So power
can flow upwards, downwards or horizontally.
• 3. Organizational Charts
• Authority relationships (superior-subordinate
relationships) can be shown in the
organization charts. Power relationships
cannot be shown in organization charts.
• 4. Level of Management
• Authority depends on the level of management. Higher
the level of management, higher will be the authority and
vice-versa. Power does not depend on the level of
management. Power can exist at any level of management.
Even a lower-level manager or a worker can have power to
influence the behavior of a top-level manager.
• 5. Legitimacy
• Authority is always official in nature. So it is legitimate.
Power need not be official in nature. So it need not be
legitimate.
• 6. Position and Person
• Authority is given to a position or post. The
manager gets the authority only when he
holds that position. Power resides (lives) in
the person who uses it.
 AUTHORITY
• Latin word 'auctoritus’ meaning 'advice',
'opinion', 'influence' or 'command' in English
• Power + legitimacy = Authority
• Authority is institutionalized and legal power
• Power attached to a position or office held by
an individual.
• legitimacy The quality of being accepted as an
authority, often applied to laws or those in
power. Legitimacy rises and falls depending on
the willingness of those being led to follow
those doing the leading.
Difference Between Authority and Power

• 1. Nature
• Authority is the formal right given to a manager
to make decisions or to command. Power is
the personal ability to influence others or
events.
• 2. Flow
• Authority flows downwards in the organization.
This is because it is delegated by the superiors
to the subordinates
• Power can flow in any direction. Even
subordinates have power over their superiors,
if they can influence their behavior. So power
can flow upwards, downwards or horizontally.
• 3. Organizational Charts
• Authority relationships (superior-subordinate
relationships) can be shown in the
organization charts. Power relationships
cannot be shown in organization charts.