Month: February 2023

Does political authority imply limitation on use of power? Alternatively, will doing away with the notion of political authority result in free flowing exercise of power by the state? We have discussed how authority is related to power by way of legitimacy. Power legitimately exercised is authority and the test of legitimacy in modern democracy… Continue reading Limitation on Political Authority

Weber has classified authority into three types based on how they seek legitimacy or which are the sources of legitimacy. His classification correlates right to rule with source of this right. For Weber, power is exercised either as control or influence. As such, it is a social relationship26 where control and influence is exercised through acceptance and willingness of those who… Continue reading Weber’s Classification of Authority

In a constitutionally limited state, political authority is generally related with legitimate political power. However, political authority, as in mixed economy or as Marxian writers suggest about the capitalist systems, may also wield economic power or seeks its power on ideological basis. Political authority may exercise its power by using its various dimensions—political, economic and… Continue reading Political Authority and Its Limitations

The word ideology seeks its origin from the French, idéologie (ideo + logy) meaning ‘science of ideas’. The French philosopher, Destutt de Tracy is said to have used the term ideology to refer to ‘science of ideas’ in 1796.21 Ideology is described as a set of opinions, ideas, beliefs and values that shape the thought, behaviour and action… Continue reading Ideological Power

Interpretation and understanding of political power differ in liberal and Marxian perspectives. In the liberal view, nature and characteristics of political power is related to how the political process is understood. In the Marxian perspective, understanding of the concept of political power is related to the understanding of the economic system. While liberal view treats… Continue reading Political Power

When we associate the concept of power with political theory, we largely delve in the realm of political power. Concept of political power has been a matter of debate from early times. Plato in his Republic wanted to associate political power with philosophic knowledge lest, he feared, power would always be corrupting. When Lord Acton talked of… Continue reading Dimensions of Power

Power, Legitimacy and Authority As our introductory remarks reveal, power is considered as an important analytical variable in the study and understanding of the political system and its processes. It is also important to understand the way institutions of the State exercise their authority and the circumstances in which authority faces legitimacy deficit and deficit… Continue reading Power

We have briefly dealt with the relationship between authority, legitimacy and political obligation. A point has been made there that a citizen’s loyalty towards and identification with the authority is assumed because of inherent legitimacy and consent it carries. Political obligation is easily maintained in such a situation and those subject to it, i.e., the… Continue reading Introduction