1. Dr. Kevin Parsneau Morris Hall 204 B Kevin.parsneau@mnsu.edu
“Power and Authority”
Dr. Kevin Parsneau
Morris Hall 204 B

2. Political Power
Power: (simple definition) the capacity to affect the behavior of others through real or threatened use of rewards and/ or punishment (some people physical and psychological).
Unequally distributed (based upon valued physical and psychic resources)
A relationship between people (interpersonal and institutional)

3. Systematic Power
A single individual has very little power unless they are part of a system of power and human relationships.
Personal strength can only overcome so many people
Money is just paper unless people recognize its symbolic value in exchange
Popularity, numbers and votes only matter to the extent that organized and part of a system where they have authority and legitimacy

4. Systematic Power Systematic Power is exercised through “agents”
Authoritarian and non-democratic leaders act through “agents” who are police, soldiers, state bureaucrats, conspiring citizens, etc.
Democratic leaders also act through police, soldiers, bureaucrats, etc.

5. Systematic Power
Citizens in a democracy act through agents who are elected officials or state officials who are in some way held responsible to the citizens.
Agents have their own agendas, which are sometimes contrary to the leaders or citizens.
Can citizens in a democracy be merely mechanisms to justify the actions of state agents?

6. Systematic Power
Power that is habitually challenged or question is difficult to sustain.
Systemic power requires some degree of authority and legitimacy to be sustained.

7. Typology of Power Positional Referent Expert Reward Coercive
Informational

8. Typology of Power
Positional: based upon the position and duties of the holder within an organization
Referent: based upon the ability to attract others’ support (charisma or leadership)
Expert: based upon skills or expertise and the organization's needs for those skills and expertise

9. Typology of Power
Reward: based upon ability to distribute valued material rewards
Coercive: based upon the ability to demote or to withhold other rewards
Informational: based upon the potential use of informational resources

10. Authority Authority: Power based upon general agreement:
That the person or group has the right to issue certain sorts of commands
That those commands should be obeyed
Authority is the “legitimate” use of power

11. Sources of Authority Social norms, customs and traditions
Charisma or persuasion
Rational-legal
Ideology
“Naturalism”
Coercion
Incentives/ disincentives

12. Social Norms
Claims to authority can be based upon long-standing traditions and practices
They may be based in religion or sacred practices and ritual
The original reasons may have been lost
They become a habit or part of identity that no one questions, so neither do you.

13. Charisma and Persuasion
Some claims to authority are tied to individuals claim to being the person who should lead, particularly leaders who are highly charismatic or persuasive.

14. Rational-legal Argument
Some claims to authority are based upon rational-legal arguments that commit leaders and followers to a set of codified rules and processes

15. Ideology
Ideologies are integrated systems of ideas that rationalize and justify the exercise of societal power.
Most make certain claims about the goals of politics and economies and the ways that they should be organized.
Actions are authoritative to the extent that they are consistent with the ideology.

16. Naturalism
Claims to authority often argue for their consistency with natural order or human nature.
There are elements of naturalism in claims to tradition, charisma, rational-legal and ideology.
“It’s just natural or normal”

17. Coercion
Sometime claims to authority rely upon threats of force or the ability to apply force.
Such claims are often accompanied by a claim to maintain social order and safety.
It is difficult for an authority to rely solely upon coercion, and a matter of dispute whether it can be maintained indefinitely.

18. Incentives/ Disincentives
Some claims to authority are based upon the ability to distribute rewards and punishments.
Such claims are often difficult to sustain unless a society is prosperous.
These claims suffer from some of the same problems as coercion.

19. Legitimacy
Legitimacy: the belief or agreement that the exercise of power is right and proper.
Legitimacy can be contested.
It is least contested in stable governments and most contested in unstable countries

20. Sources of Legitimacy
Habit
Results
Legitimacy “Myth”

21. Habit
Long-standing states and their institutions gain legitimacy as people quit considering alternatives or the cost of changing becomes so high that people accept them.

22. Results
Some claims to legitimacy are based upon achieving desired results.
Efficiency: successful conversion of resources and costs into benefits and distributing the benefits creates a sense of legitimacy
There is often the argument that the free market is extraordinarily efficient at producing benefits.
However, it fairness or ability to adequately distribute those benefits is also questioned

23. Results
Some claims to legitimacy are based upon achieving desired results.
Fairness: treating citizens the way the society believes they should be treated creates a sense of legitimacy
The basis of judging fairness is often disputed.
How do we balance weight of contribution, need and equality in judging fairness?

24. Legitimation Myth
A legitimation myth is used to claim authority based upon a shared identity and purpose.
It often consists of historical, religious or ethnic identity; state religion “founding myth” that legitimizes authority.

25. U.S. Legitimacy Democratic Citizenship Tolerance Active Participation
Informed citizenry
State support