Politics and Government

POLITICS AND
GOVERNMENT
Prepared by:
Malinao, Agnes
Maglinte, Francis Dwight T.
Longos, Queeniejen J.
Power and Authority

Politicsrefers to the distribution and exercise
of power within a society, andpolityrefers to

the political institution through which power is
distributed and exercised.
Powerrefers to the ability to have ones will
carried out despite the resistance of others
Types of Authority
1. Legitimate authority(sometimes just
calledauthority), Weber said, is power whose

use is considered just and appropriate by
those over whom the power is exercised. In
short, if a society approves of the exercise of
power in a particular way, then that power is
also legitimate authority. The example of the
police car in our rear view mirrors is an
example of legitimate authority.
Traditional Authority
2. Traditional authorityis power that is
rooted in traditional, or long-standing, beliefs

and practices of a society. It exists and is
assigned to particular individuals because of
that societys customs and traditions.
Individuals enjoy traditional authority for at
least one of two reasons. The first is
inheritance, as certain individuals are granted
traditional authority because they are the
children or other relatives of people who
already exercise traditional authority.
The second reason individuals enjoy traditional
authority is more religious: their societies

believe they are anointed by God or the gods,
depending on the societys religious beliefs, to
lead their society. Traditional authority is
common in many preindustrial societies, where
tradition and custom are so important, but also
in more modern monarchies (discussed
shortly), where a king, queen, or prince enjoys
power because she or he comes from a royal
family.
Traditional
authority is granted to individuals regardless of

their qualifications. They do not have to possess any
special skills to receive and wield their authority, as their
claim to it is based solely on their bloodline or supposed
divine designation. An individual granted traditional
authority can be intelligent or stupid, fair or arbitrary, and
exciting or boring but receives the authority just the same
because of custom and tradition. As not all individuals
granted traditional authority are particularly well qualified
to use it, societies governed by traditional authority
sometimes find that individuals bestowed it are not
always up to the job.
Rational-Legal Authority
3. Rational-legal authorityderives from law and is
based on a belief in the legitimacy of a societys laws

and rules and in the right of leaders to act under these
rules to make decisions and set policy. This form of
authority is a hallmark of modern democracies, where
power is given to people elected by voters, and the
rules for wielding that power are usually set forth in a
constitution, a charter, or another written document.
Whereas traditional authority resides in an individual
because of inheritance or divine designation, rationallegal authority resides in the office that an individual
fills, not in the individual per se.
The authority of the president of the United States
thus resides in the office of the presidency, not in

the individual who happens to be president. When
that individual leaves office, authority transfers to
the next president. This transfer is usually smooth
and stable, and one of the marvels of democracy is
that officeholders are replaced in elections without
revolutions having to be necessary. We might not
have voted for the person who wins the presidency,
but we accept that persons authority as our
president when he (so far it has always been a he)
assumes office.
Charismatic Authority
4. Charismatic authoritystems from an individuals
extraordinary personal qualities and from that

individuals hold over followers because of these
qualities. Such charismatic individuals may exercise
authority over a whole society or only a specific group
within a larger society. They can exercise authority for
good and for bad, as this brief list of charismatic leaders
indicates: Joan of Arc, Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi,
Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and
Buddha. Each of these individuals had extraordinary
personal qualities that led their followers to admire
them and to follow their orders or requests for action.
Types of Government
1. Monarchy - a monarchy consists of rule by
a king or queen. Sometimes a king is called an

"emperor," especially if there is a large
empire, such as China before 1911. There are
no large monarchies today. The United
Kingdom, which has a queen, is really a
republic because the queen has virtually no
political power.
2. Democracy - The word "democracy" literally
means "rule by the people." In a democracy, the

people govern.
3. Authoritarianism - principle of blind
submission to authority, as opposed to
individual freedom of thought and action. In
government,authoritarianism denotes any
political system that concentrates power in the
hands of a leader or a small elite that is not
constitutionally responsible to the body of the
people.
4. Totalitarianism - is a political system in
which the state holds total authority over the

society and seeks to control all aspects of
public and private life wherever possible.
Politics and Violence

Revolution - A revolution is a fundamental
change in power or organizational structures

that takes place in a relatively short period of
time
Terrorism is the use of violent acts to
frighten the people in an area as a way of
trying to achieve a political goal.
War is the most destructive force on earth.

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POLITICS AND

Power and Authority

of power within a society, andpolityrefers to

calledauthority), Weber said, is power whose

rooted in traditional, or long-standing, beliefs

The second reason individuals enjoy traditional

authority is more religious: their societies

authority is granted to individuals regardless of

based on a belief in the legitimacy of a societys laws

The authority of the president of the United States

thus resides in the office of the presidency, not in

extraordinary personal qualities and from that

a king or queen. Sometimes a king is called an

2. Democracy - The word "democracy" literally

means "rule by the people." In a democracy, the

4. Totalitarianism - is a political system in

which the state holds total authority over the

Politics and Violence

change in power or organizational structures

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