Key Concepts in Political Science

Key Concepts of Political Science
a) Power
What is Power?
The word derives from the old Latin
term “potere.”
It means “an ability to affect others”-
something else.
 Power is a possession;
 neither past nor future
 It must be present.
 It is actually situational:
It depends upon situation,
circumstances and position.
 Politics is nothing but “struggle for
power”-- Machiavelli
 “Politics is who gets what when and
how”-- Harold Lasswell
 “Politics is the authoritative allocation of
values in a society”--David Easton
 “Authoritative” means binding,
everyone complies;
 “Allocation” is distribution;
“Values” means “resources”—power,
wealth etc.
Forms of Power
 Latent Power which is reserve or
inactive and
 Manifest Power is active which is in
action right now.
 Persuasive power is a nonphysical
power in which the agent makes its use
clear and known.
 Manipulative power is also a
nonphysical power, but here the use of
power is concealed.
 Exchange is the use of power
through incentives.
 A bribe is an example of exchange
power.
 Persuasion is a major part of
politics.
 Examples are:
 Lobbying, speechmaking, debates,
writing letters, issuing position papers
etc.
 Coercive power– involves force,
threat and punishment
 Legitimate & illegitimate power
-can be legal or illegal
 Formal or informal (assigned or
implied) power
Power is everywhere. How?

 It is in the market,
 in technology,
 in faith and belief system
 in science,
 in discourses (narrative)
 in designs,
 in fashions,
 in self-improvement also.
 Have you ever been free of power?

 Force, persuasion, manipulation, and
exchange are ever-present options for
individuals, groups, and the government to
use over you.
 Is Power Escapable?
 Some say: NO. They assert that power
may be so pervasive that it is virtually
inescapable.
 Others say: YES. argue that power is
escapable since we can select how we
respond to different power relations.
For example, we can choose resistance or
compliance.
b) Authority
 What is Authority?
 Authority is a kind of power;
 Both authority and power regulate
human’s behavior;
 Both can increase and decrease;
 Authority is always legitimate but
power can be
“legitimate” as well as “illegitimate”.
Example….
Lasswell said: “Power becomes authority
when it is legalized.”
c) Legitimacy
 What is legitimacy?
 It is derived from Latin word
“Legitimus,” which means lawful;
 Originally, it meant that the rightful
king or queen was on the throne by
reason of “legitimate” birth.
 "The government is not legitimate
unless it is carried on with the consent
of the governed“(John Locke)
 How does a government acquire

legitimacy?
 A government achieves legitimacy
through several ways:
 i) By providing stability and
security.
 ii) By governing well.
 iii) By ensuring economic growth
and jobs.
 iv) In a democracy, legitimacy is
earned through free and fair election.
 Here, government is formed and run
by people’s consent and this is
determined by (free and fair) elections.
Can elected government lose its

legitimacy?
 Yes/No, how?
 When there is misrule like
oppression and corruption.
 Corruption can easily undermine
legitimacy.
 What is corruption?
 In a way, use of public office for
private gain is corruption.
d) State
 What is a state?
 It’s a condition, shape, situation or
circumstances.
 But in Political Science, “a state is a
territory that functions as an organized
political community under one
government.”
 According to German sociologist Max
Weber, a "state" is a polity that
maintains a monopoly on the legitimate
use of violence.”
 But this notion is no longer valid.
 Why not?
 State can be highly centralized
(example: unitary state),
 highly decentralized (example:
confederal state),
 or moderately centralized (example:
federal state).
 A Federal state has two govenments—
Federal & State
 Examples…..
 What are the tasks/functions of the
state?
 Providing security to the citizens,
 Collection of revenues to finance state’s
operations,
 Making laws and their implementations.
 Ensuring maximum welfare of the
citizens.
e) Sovereignty
 Sovereignty (meaning in old French, “to
rule over”) originally meant the power of a
monarch over his/her kingdom.
 Later, it became broader to mean
national control over the country’s territory.
 It is defined as “The possession of
absolute authority within a bounded space.”
 Sovereignty is the supreme or ultimate
source of authority in a state.
 How do the nations safeguard their
sovereignty?
a) They maintain armed forces to deter
foreign invasion;
b) They control their borders with passports
and visas;
c) They hunt down the intruders.
 Is sovereignty being undermined by
globalization?

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Key Concepts of Political Science

Power is everywhere. How?

 Have you ever been free of power?

 How does a government acquire

Can elected government lose its

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