PO110 Study Guide - Max Weber, Charismatic Authority
Document Summary
Authority is the stream of study that locates power in institutions and value systems. It emphasizes the idea of power as authority, rather than as force. Governments secure obedience from the governed (without coercion or bribery) because the governed accepts that it is legitimate for certain people to have more power than others. He described three basic types of authority, each of which could try to establish legitimacy in its own way. Charismatic authority: is based on the personal qualities of the leader. These qualities might include exhibiting extraordinary or supernatural qualities through such means as performing miracles, issuing prophecies, or leading a military victory. Charismatic leaders have inspired intense devotion in their followers. Traditional authority: is based on customs that establish the right of certain persons to rule. The traditional authority of monarchs who inherited their position came with the idea that rulers had a divinely created right to rule that was sanctified by religious authority.
