POL S101 Lecture Notes - Charismatic Authority, Liberal Democracy, Traditional Authority
18 Nov 2013
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Power and authority: central concepts in politics, those in power can often set the agenda, so it is important to understand how power works. Power: the ability to force behavior upon those who would not otherwise choose it, implies coercion. Alternatives to the use of coercion are 1. running through ideological control and 2. conversion of power to authority. Authority: associated with legitimacy, acceptance; rule by the consent of the ruled. Example: the president of france is obeyed not because she or he is charismatic or claims to have a divine right to rule, but because she or he holds the office of the president. Political institutions are accepted because they are subject to democratic principals. The president remains the only part of the french polity whose constituency is the entire french electorate. Manipulation of the preferences of the ruled to reflect the interests of the ruler. Associated with elitist thought and marxist critiques of capitalism.
