State educational institution
higher professional education
"Ufa State Oil Technical University"

Department of Political Science, Sociology and Public Relations

abstract
on the topic: "The Essence political power, its features and legitimacy”
in the discipline "Political Science"

Student gr. BST 08-01 __________ A.V. Zholobov

Associate Professor __________ P.A. Minakov

Ufa 2011

Introduction 3
1 The essence of political power 4
2 Signs of political power 12
3 Resources of political power 13
4 Legitimacy of power 16
Conclusion 22
List of sources used 23
Applications 24

Introduction

Power is one of the fundamental principles of society and politics. The concept of power is one of the central ones in political science. It provides the key to understanding political institutions, political movements, and politics itself. The paradox of political power, capable of turning for a person at the same time as an expedient force and an evil will, has occupied the minds of philosophers and writers at all times. Aristotle and Shakespeare, Goethe, Nietzsche and Dostoevsky, Foucault and Kafka in philosophical categories or artistic images tried to lift the veil over this, far from being known, phenomenon of the life of society and man. Power appeared with the emergence of human society and will always accompany its development in one form or another. Power is necessary, first of all, for the reproduction of the human race. The family-clan form of power was observed among the nomadic peoples of Russia. With the development of settlement, tribal power gradually asserted itself. The formation of territorial power is due to the need to organize social production, which is unthinkable without the subordination of all participants to a single will, as well as the need to regulate social relations between people. “With the advent of classes and the state, blood kinship ties were destroyed, the moral authority of the elder of the clan was replaced by the authority of public authority, which separated from society and rose above it” 1 . Power is a volitional relationship between people inherent in society. Power is necessary, Aristotle emphasized, first of all, for the organization of society, which is unthinkable without the subordination of all participants to a single will, to maintain its integrity and unity.

1 Essence of political power

Political power is a special social institution that regulates social relations and the behavior of an individual. Political power is the determining influence on the behavior of the masses, groups, organizations with the help of the means possessed by the state.
Already in ancient China, Confucius and Mo-Tzu, paying attention to the divine and natural sides of the origin of power, substantiated the need for its existence as a mechanism for maintaining order in communication between people, regulating the relationship between the rulers and the ruled. Confucius (551-479 BC) recognized the divine nature of the origin of power. Following its patriarchal understanding, he likened the hierarchical power of the emperor over his subjects to the paternal power of the senior head of the family or clan over his younger members. Mo-Tzu (479-400 BC) adhered to a more rationalistic conception of the nature of power, being perhaps the first thinker, in the very general view expressing the idea of ​​its "natural origin" through a kind of "social contract". Aristotle also proceeded from a close Mo-Tzu view of the essence of political power, arguing in his work “Politics” that the power mechanism is necessary for organizing and regulating “communication between people”, since “supreme power is everywhere connected with the order of state administration ...” . In the same treatise, Aristotle (unlike Confucius) separated the master and family power from the concept of public or political power. But already in the early era of the history of political thought, the reverse side of the phenomenon of power was also noticed. The same Aristotle (and later Montesquieu) pointed out the danger of abuse of power by persons endowed with it, their use of power opportunities for their own private benefit, and not for the common good. “Recipes for overcoming power alienation were proposed very different: from projects of “mixed power” (Polybius, Machiavelli), “separation of powers” ​​(Locke, Montesquieu), “checks and balances” (Jefferson, Hamilton) to the idea of ​​​​completely eliminating the system of state-public power together with the state itself (Godwin and Stirner, Bakunin and Kropotkin). » 1 F. Hegel, defining the state power as "universal substantial will". At the same time, for the benefit of civil society and the optimization of management, he considered it necessary to have a certain specialization of power, dividing it into legislative, reflecting common interests, governmental, linking the general with individual, special cases, and, finally, princely power, uniting everything in single system state mechanism. Also in modern times understanding state power as an expedient mechanism has found a detailed justification in the theory of "social contract". So, for example, T. Hobbes wrote about the need to organize a common power through an agreement "each person with each other" to overcome the natural state of "war of all against all." According to Hobbes, general power "can be erected in only one way, namely, by concentrating all power and strength in one person or in an assembly of people, which, by a majority of votes, could reduce all the wills of citizens into a single will." T. Hobbes defined power as a means to achieve good in the future and therefore put in the first place such a tendency of the entire human race as "the eternal and unceasing desire for more and more power, a desire that stops only with death." Nietzsche said that life is the will to power. The idea of ​​a “social contract” was also accepted by J.-J. Rousseau, endowing, however, with power not the sole sovereign-sovereign, but a people's association expressing the general will of the whole people as the resultant of the private wills of people. There are many approaches to the interpretation of power and the reasons for its emergence in society. This fact itself indicates the fact that, apparently, each of them fixes only one of the many aspects of power that interact with each other in the real process of its genesis. Thus, within the framework of the biological interpretation of power, it is seen as a mechanism for curbing, binding human aggressiveness, rooted in the deepest, fundamental instincts of a person as a biosocial being. Aggression itself, notes A. Silin, is considered as a fight instinct directed against fellow species, existing both in animals and in humans. For Nietzsche, power is the will and the ability to assert itself. Representatives of the Freudian tradition speak of the instinctive, psychological nature of the desire for power and obedience. They find their sources in the structure of the unconscious, formed under the influence of social conditions associated with early childhood, sexual repression, education, cultivating fear, servility and obedience. With social factors, but of a different, not cultural, but more economic nature, the Marxist tradition connects the genesis of power. Seeing its main cause in socio-economic inequality and the split of society into warring classes, in the need to ensure the management of social integrity in the face of growing social differentiation and struggle. The genesis of power is associated with the specifics of the economic organization of society, within which "combined" activities, the complication of processes that depend on each other, take the place of independent activities of individuals. But combined activity means organization, and is organization possible without authority? The tradition of considering power as a product of the very nature of man, inherent in him an ineradicable craving for dominance, subordination, both of the world around him and his own kind (and his own kind) is very stable and peculiar: “In the essence of power there is nothing material, it is nothing else as a way of thinking" 1 . M. Weber saw the main aspect of politics in the desire to participate in power and in the distribution of power. If we formalize the understanding of politics, then its content can be reduced to the struggle for power and resistance to it. In world political science, the modern understanding of power in general, political in particular, is the result of using different conceptual approaches. According to the Western tradition, the primary type of power is individual power, as arbitrary from the natural right to freedom of action, disposal of oneself, things, everything that is available. Therefore, common models of power are interpersonal constructions, relationships between two or more subjects. According to the positivist approach, the basis for the definition of power is the recognition of the asymmetry of relations between subjects, the existing in connection with this possibility of one subject to influence or influence another subject. Variety of definitions of power Defining the concept of power, its essence and nature is of paramount importance for understanding the nature of politics and the state, it allows you to distinguish politics and political relations from the total amount of social relations. In the scientific literature, there are various definitions of power, which reflects the complexity and multidimensionality of this phenomenon. The following important aspects of the interpretation of power can be singled out. Teleological (from the point of view of the goal) definitions characterize power as the ability to achieve the set goals, to obtain the intended results. Teleological definitions interpret power quite broadly, extending it not only to relations between people, but also to the interaction of a person with the outside world in this sense, for example, they talk about power over nature. Behavioral interpretations consider power as a special type of behavior in which some people command and others obey. This approach individualizes the understanding of power, reduces it to the interaction of real individuals, paying special attention to the subjective motivation of power. According to a typical behaviorist interpretation proposed by G. Laswell, a person sees in power a means of improving life: acquiring wealth, prestige, freedom, etc. At the same time, power is an end in itself, allowing you to enjoy its possession. Psychological interpretations of power try to reveal the subjective motivation of this behavior, the origins of power rooted in people's minds. One of the most prominent areas of this kind of psychoanalysis. Various psychoanalysts differ in explaining the causes of psychological submission. Some (S. Moskovisi, B. Edelman) see them in a kind of hypnotic suggestion that exists in the relationship between the leader and the crowd, others (J. Lacan) in the special susceptibility of the human subconscious to the symbols expressed in the language. In general, the psychological approach helps to identify the mechanisms of motivation of power as a relationship: command subordination. The system approach proceeds from the derivative of power not from individual relations, but from the social system, considers power as “the ability to ensure the fulfillment of its obligations by its elements” aimed at realizing its collective goals. Some representatives of the systems approach (K.Deutch, N.Luhmann) interpret power as a means of social communication (communication), which allows regulating group conflicts and ensuring the integration of society. The systemic nature of power determines its relativity, i.e. prevalence on certain systems. Structural-functionalist interpretations of power consider it as a property of social organization, as a way of self-organization of the human community, based on the expediency of separating the functions of management and execution. Power is a property of social statuses, roles that allows you to control resources, means of influence. In other words, power is associated with occupying leadership positions that allow you to influence people with the help of positive and negative sanctions, rewards and punishments. Relational definitions view power as a relationship between two partners, agents, one of which has a decisive influence on the other. In this case, power appears as the interaction of its subject and object, in which the subject controls the object with the help of certain means. Political power, like any other power, means the ability and right of some to exercise their will in relation to others, to command and control others. Political power as one of the most important manifestations of power is characterized by the real ability of a given class, group, individual to carry out his will expressed in politics. The concept of political power is broader than the concept of state power. It is known that political activity is carried out not only within the framework of the state, but also in other components of the socio-political system: within the framework of parties, trade unions, international organizations, etc. Political power arises in a society where people are divided by different interests, unequal positions. In a primitive society, power is limited by tribal kinship. Political power is defined by spatial, territorial boundaries. It provides order based on the belonging of a person, group to a given territory, social category, commitment to an idea. Under non-political power, there are no hard and fast distinctions between the rulers and the ruled. Political power is always exercised by a minority, an elite. This type of power arises on the basis of the combination of the process of concentration of the will of the multitude and the functioning of structures (institutions, organizations, institutions), the relationship of two components: people who concentrate power in themselves, and organizations through which power is concentrated and implemented.
Unlike moral and family power, political power is not personal-direct, but socially mediated. Political power. manifests itself in common solutions and solutions for all, in the functioning of institutions (president, government, parliament, court). In contrast to the legal power that regulates relations between specific subjects, political power mobilizes large masses of people to achieve goals, regulates relations between groups in a time of stability and general agreement.

The main components of power are: its subject, object. means (resources) and a process that sets in motion all its elements and is characterized by the mechanism and methods of interaction between the subject and the object. The subject of power embodies its active, guiding principle. It can be an individual, an organization, a community of people, for example, a people, or even global community united in the UN.
The subjects of political power have a complex, multi-level nature: its primary subjects are individuals, the secondary ones are political organizations, the subjects of the most high level directly representing in power relations various social groups and the whole people, political elites and leaders. Communication between these levels can be broken. Thus, for example, leaders often break away from the masses and even from the parties that brought them to power.
The subject is determined by the content of the power relationship through the order (instruction, command). The order prescribes the behavior of the object of power, indicates (or implies) the sanctions that the execution or non-performance of the order entails. The attitude of the object, the executors, the second most important element of power, largely depends on the order, the nature of the requirements contained in it.
The object of power. Power is always bilateral, asymmetric, with the dominance of the will of the ruler, the interaction of its subject and object. It is impossible without subjection of the object. If there is no such subordination, then there is no power, despite the fact that the subject striving for it has a pronounced will to rule and even powerful means of coercion. Ultimately, the object of the imperious will always has an extreme, but still choice - to die, but not to obey, which found, in particular, its expression in the freedom-loving slogan “it is better to die fighting than to live on your knees.”
The scale of the relationship between the object and the subject of domination ranges from fierce resistance, the struggle for destruction to voluntary, joyfully perceived obedience. The qualities of the object of political domination are determined primarily by the political culture of the population.
Depending on the subjects, power is divided into state, party, trade union, army, family, etc. According to the breadth of distribution, a mega-level is distinguished - international. organizations, N: UN, NATO, etc.; macro level - the central bodies of the state; the meso level - organizations subordinate to the center (regional, district, etc.) and the micro level - power in primary organizations and small groups. It is possible to classify power according to the functions of its bodies: for example, the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the state; according to the ways of interaction between the subject and the object of power - democratic, authoritarian, etc. authorities.
Interaction of political and other authorities.
The merging of political, economic, social and spiritual-informational authorities with the command role of politics is observed in totalitarian states. “The democratic system presupposes the separation of both these authorities themselves and each of them: in the economy - the presence of many competing centers of influence, in politics - the division of power between the state, parties and interest groups, as well as the state power itself into legislative, executive and judicial , in the spiritual sphere - the availability of education, cultural and information pluralism" 1 .

2 Signs of political power

In modern society, power exists in specific forms, which, in turn, are divided into certain forms and varieties. The main types are political power, economic power, social power, spiritual power. The main type is political power, which is divided into two main forms: state and socio-political. State power, which appeared along with the institution of the state, has an imperative character. Its prescriptions are binding on all citizens (subjects) without exception. It has a monopoly on the use of coercive and repressive methods and sanctions, as well as on the use of the entire range of power resources. In turn, state power is divided into such varieties as legislative, executive, judicial, military, which differ in functional content and specific power powers.
Unlike the state, socio-political power does not have an imperative character and, as a result, cannot dispose of the resource potential of the state. Its instructions are advisory in nature and do not apply to all citizens, but only to members of a particular socio-political organization. Thus, party power directs members of political parties, trade union power extends its influence to members of trade unions, and so on.

The hallmarks of political power are:
1 Sovereignty, i.e. independence and indivisibility of political power. This means that political power cannot be shared among social actors who occupy different political positions.
2 Authority, i.e. generally recognized in the country and abroad the influence of the subject of political power.
3 Strong-willed character means that the social subject has a conscious political goal, the ability, readiness and determination to consistently achieve its implementation.
4 Supremacy, i.e. the binding nature of its decisions for the whole of society and for all other types of power.
5 Publicity, i.e. universality and impersonality. This means that political power, in contrast to the private, personal power that exists in small groups, on behalf of the whole society, appeals with the help of law to all citizens.
6 Coercion. Those. legality in the use of force and other means to enforce organized coercion within a country.
7 Monocentric, i.e. the existence of a nationwide decision-making center.
8 The widest spectrum the means used to gain, retain and exercise power. 2

3 Resources of political power

The most important social reason for the subordination of some people to others is the uneven distribution of power resources. In a broad sense, power resources are "anything that an individual or group can use to influence others." That. resources of power are all those means, the use of which provides influence on the object of power in accordance with the goals of the subject. Resources are either important values ​​for the object (money, consumer goods, etc.), or means that can affect the inner world, human motivation (television, the press, etc.), or tools (tools), with the help of which can deprive a person of certain values, the highest of which is usually considered life (weapons, punitive organs in general).
Resources, along with the subject and object, are one of the most important foundations of power. They can be used to reward, punish or persuade.
Realization, the exercise of power implies the interaction between many of its constituent elements. The legal right to develop and implement decisions on which the creation and distribution of value depends is the most important attribute of state power. Disbelief in the ability of the authorities to solve issues related to ensuring normal living conditions and life of the population, causes its resistance to state power. Of course, the possibilities of power depend on its resources. The resources of power are as diverse as the means of satisfying the various needs and interests of people. To allocate various types of power resources, the classification of its resources in accordance with the most important spheres of life is widespread. Economic resources - material values ​​necessary for social and personal production and consumption, money as their general equivalent, technology, fertile lands, minerals, etc. Social resources the ability to increase or decrease social status or rank, place in social stratification. They partially coincide with the economic resources of power. So, for example, income and wealth, being economic resources, at the same time characterize and social status. But social resources also include such indicators as position, prestige, education, social security, and so on. Cultural and information resources of knowledge and information, as well as the means of obtaining and disseminating them: institutes of science and education, the media, etc. Not in all countries, knowledge and information have priority over economic, social and power resources, but the tendency to increase the importance of cultural -information resources in modern world obvious. Coercive (power) resources - weapons, institutions of physical coercion and people specially trained for this. In the state, their core is the army, police, security services, the court and the prosecutor's office with their material attributes: buildings, equipment, equipment, prisons, etc. This type of resource is traditionally considered the most effective resource of power, since its use can deprive a person of life, property and freedom. higher values. A specific resource is the person himself demographic resources. People are a universal, multifunctional resource that produces other resources. A person is a creator of material wealth (economic resources), a soldier and a party member (political and power resources), an owner and distributor of knowledge and information (cultural and information resources), etc. “Personality acts as a resource of power only in one of its many dimensions, being used as a means of realizing someone else's will” 1 . In general, a person is not only a resource of power, but also its subject and object. The use of power resources sets in motion all its components, makes its process a reality, which occurs in the following stages (forms); dominance, leadership, organization and control. The resources of society are limited and unevenly distributed, which leads to a constant struggle of individuals and groups for their redistribution, as well as to mutual rivalry and pressure on each other in this area of ​​the state and society,

4 Legitimacy of power

Political power is the ability of a social unit (social group, class, majority of society) and the organizations and individuals representing it to carry out their will in relation to other social units; to carry out the general interests of a given social unit by violent or non-violent means.
The basic element of the existence and functioning of power, as well as its consolidation in society, is legitimacy.
The concept of legitimacy means the recognition of power by society, the validity and necessity of this power and its bearers. In a narrow sense, the concept of legitimacy characterizes the legitimacy of power.
Legitimacy can manifest itself, for example, both in the voluntary acceptance by the majority of a specific form of government, the power of a particular class, and in the struggle for the dominance of certain political forces.
concept " legitimacy of power " was first introduced by the prominent German political scientist Max Weber. He also showed that legitimation (acquisition of legitimacy by the authorities) is not in all cases the same type of process that has the same roots, one basis.
In political science, the most popular classification was compiled by M. Weber, who, from the point of view of subordination motivation, distinguished the following types:

traditional legitimacy, which is formed on the basis of people's belief in the necessity and inevitability of submission to power, which receives in a society (group) the status of a tradition, custom, habit of obedience to certain persons or political institutions. This type of legitimacy is especially common in the hereditary type of government, in particular, in monarchical states. A long habit of justifying this or that form of government creates the effect of its justice and legitimacy, which acquires high stability and stability for the authorities;
rational (democratic) legitimacy, arising from the recognition by people of the justice of those rational and democratic procedures on the basis of which the system of power is formed. This type of support is formed due to a person's understanding of the presence of third-party interests, which implies the need to develop rules of general behavior, following which creates an opportunity for the realization of his own goals. In other words, the rational type of legitimacy has, in fact, a normative basis characteristic of the organization of power in complexly organized societies.
charismatic legitimacy, emerging as a result of people's belief in the outstanding qualities of a political leader they recognize. This image of an infallible person endowed with exceptional qualities (charisma) is transferred by public opinion to the entire system of power. Unconditionally believing in all actions and plans charismatic leader, people uncritically perceive the style and methods of his government. The emotional delight of the population, which forms this highest authority, most often arises during a period of revolutionary change, when the social orders and ideals familiar to a person are collapsing and people cannot rely on former norms and values, or on the still emerging rules of the political game. Therefore, the leader's charisma embodies the faith and hope of people for a better future in troubled times. But such unconditional support of the ruler by the population often turns into Caesarism, leaderism and a cult of personality.

In addition to these ways of supporting power, a number of scientists single out others, giving legitimacy a more universal and dynamic character. Thus, the English researcher D. Held, along with the types of legitimacy already known to us, suggests talking about such types of legitimacy as:

"consent under the threat of violence", when people support power, fearing threats from its side, up to a threat to their security;
legitimacy based on apathy population, testifying to its indifference to the prevailing style and forms of government;
pragmatic(instrumental) support, in which the trust rendered to the authorities is carried out in exchange for the promises of certain social benefits given by it;
normative support, which implies the coincidence of political principles shared by the population and the authorities;
and finally higher normative support, meaning the complete coincidence of such principles.

Some scholars also distinguish ideological a type of legitimacy that provokes public support for the authorities as a result of active agitation and propaganda activities carried out by the ruling circles. Allocate and patriotic a type of legitimacy in which the highest criterion for the support of the authorities is the pride of a person for his country, for its domestic and foreign policy.
Special mention should be made of ideological legitimacy. In the history of class states, significant and often paramount importance has always been attached to the ideological legitimization of existing political regimes. The ideological legitimization of power is a historical reality that cannot be denied, just as it would be absurd to ignore the desire of power to assert itself through self-justification. It is known that the monarchs sought to justify their right to rule, using religious superstition and other ideological illusions, and psychological stereotypes. Other rulers, such as Catherine III, tried to put ideas at the service of the ruling power
French enlighteners, and the Prussian monarch the philosophy of Hegel.
Tocqueville wrote convincingly about the role of ideological legitimacy in the 1930s. 19th century For political purposes, in the way of thinking and beliefs regarding the state and government, he saw a source of obedience and consent. Without such a universal conviction, no society can flourish, let's say more - exist, because without ideas that the weight adheres to, joint actions are impossible, and without joint actions there can be people, but there can be no social organism. For a society to exist, it is necessary that certain ideas take possession of the minds of all its citizens and unite them. Civilized ruling elites in our time have learned quite well what Tocqueville wrote, and later what the theorists of Marxism repeatedly emphasized. At present, to ensure the ideological legitimacy of their domination, the elites use the power of scientific, technical and information means, forming and supporting the industry of ideas.
The media have long become the "fourth estate". “There is a force,” wrote Montesquieu, “still known to the age of Machiavelli; this is the press, banned for a long time, but gradually gaining strength as the “fourth estate”. It is thanks to her that the movement of ideas among modern peoples is manifested. The functions of the press, Montesquieu believed, are similar to the functions of the police: it expresses the needs of citizens, conveys complaints, exposes abuses, lawless actions, it forces all those in power to morality, for which it is enough for her to put them in front of the public.
The described types of legitimacy of power, as a rule, in real political practice are intertwined and mutually complement each other. The dominance of one or the other is connected with the type of the existing regime. Thus, charismatic power is characteristic of authoritarian systems. When, as in a democracy, political life is determined by the rule of law. And yet, the problems of the legitimacy of power, as researchers note, have existed and still exist in all systems, including democratic systems: only in some to a greater extent, in others to a lesser extent.
To maintain the legitimacy of power, writes P. Sharan, many means are used. Including: changes in legislation and the mechanism of public administration in accordance with new requirements; the desire to use the traditions of the population in lawmaking and in the conduct of practical politics; implementation of legal precautions against possible reductions in the legitimacy of power; maintenance of law and order in society. The problem of legitimacy is to a large extent the problem of the participation of the masses in the government of the state. The failure of the system to ensure participation undermines its legitimacy.
The described types of legitimacy of power, as a rule, in reality exist together, mutually complementing each other.
The problem of legitimacy is, to a large extent, the problem of society's participation in government. The failure of the system to ensure such participation undermines its legitimacy.
Signs of a decline in the legitimacy of power are:

The growth of the degree of coercion;
Restriction of rights and freedoms;
Prohibition of political parties and independent press;
The growth of corruption in all institutions of power, merging with criminal structures;
Low economic efficiency of power (decrease in the standard of living various groups population) - the most significant indicator of the delegitimization of power;

The extreme point of the fall of the legitimacy of power is the revolution, coups d'état– open forms of dissatisfaction with the regime.
The ideological and other legitimacy of power is gradually weakening if not supported by its real effectiveness. The effectiveness of power is its effectiveness, the degree to which it fulfills those functions and expectations that the majority of the population and, above all, the most influential political and economic strata, the elites, place on it. AT modern conditions legitimacy based on efficiency is ultimately a decisive factor in the credibility of government and its support by citizens. Both rational-legal, and charismatic, and other types of legitimacy are associated with the population's hopes for the effectiveness of power, i.e. satisfaction of her requirements.
In our time, a large number of states are experiencing a crisis of legitimacy. For many decades, it manifested itself most acutely in the form of political instability, frequent coups d'état in the Third World. In recent years, the problem of the legitimacy of power is extremely relevant for most post-communist countries.
The inability of the regimes ruling in them to lead the countries out of the crisis undermines the trust of the population in the rational-legal methods of legitimacy.
Both the legitimacy of power and the entire political process directly depend on the subjects of politics (individuals and social groups, organizations that take a direct more or less conscious part in political activity).
Traditional legitimacy is determined by customs, the habit of obeying authority, faith in the steadfastness and sacredness of ancient orders (example: monarchy).

Charismatic legitimacy is based on belief in exceptional qualities, a wonderful gift, sometimes the leader is deified, a cult of personality is created (example: revolutionary, post-revolutionary society).

Legal or rational-legal - the source is a rationally understood interest that encourages people to obey decisions formulated on the basis of democratic procedures. Submission not to a person, but to laws (example: democracy).

Conclusion

Power is a special social institution that regulates social relations and the behavior of an individual. Political power - determines the impact on the behavior of the masses, groups, organizations with the help of the means possessed by the state. Unlike moral and family power, political power is not personal-direct, but socially mediated. Political power is manifested in common decisions and decisions for all, in the functioning of institutions (president, government, parliament, court). In contrast to the legal power that regulates relations between specific subjects, political power mobilizes large masses of people to achieve goals, regulates relations between groups in a time of stability and general agreement.
The will to power for some is complemented by the need for others to join the will of power, to identify with it, to obey it.

List of sources used

Ilyin V.V. Philosophy of power. Moscow State University, 1993.

2 Mukhaev R.T. Political science. - M.: PRIOR Publishing House, 1997. 400s.

Polunina G.V. Political science. - M .: "Akalis", 1996.
Pugachev V.P., Solovyov A.I. Introduction to political science. M., 1995.
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Power is one of the central concepts of political science. “The fundamental concept in the social sciences,” B. Russell wrote, “is power in the same sense in which energy is a fundamental concept in physics.” It is no coincidence that the phenomenon of power has been studied for more than one millennium, but the relevance of this study does not become less significant.

Power is one of the complex and controversial concepts. AT Everyday life we are talking about the power of parents over children, the prophet over the followers of his teachings, the forces of nature over man, the state over a citizen. These far ambiguous notions of power have much in common. Aristotle believed that the element of domination and the element of submission are manifested in everything. This is an objective law of nature, and living beings obey it. In addition, man by nature is a political being. Great Philosopher Antiquity distinguished between despotic power (the power of the master over the slave) and political (the power of the statesman over the citizen). In our time, political scientists consider political power as one of the varieties of power in general (along with economic, spiritual, family, etc.), starting with the definition common essence authorities.

Power - this is ability and possibility realize my will (class, group, personality or party, state and. etc.), to exert a certain influence on the activities, behavior of people with the help of authority, law, force and other means.

Power exists in any society. It is a product of many diverse interests, discrepancies in the levels of development of various social substructures, the presence of one or another character of social alienation. Therefore, power is transformed into a special kind of social relations - relations of power. They are characterized by the purposeful influence of the owner of power or the executor of power functions on the object of power, and this influence is powerful only when the object and subject of power are in a state of domination and subordination.

The primary source of any power is the dominance of one part of the phenomenon over another. The basis of the subordination of one individual to another is inequality, and not only social (economic, property, status, educational, etc.), but also natural (physical, intellectual; inequality generated by gender differences).

The need for power is determined by the essence of human communication, which implies the subordination of all participants in communication to a single will in order to maintain the integrity and stability of society. It is necessary for organizing social production, coordinating the interests and actions of various social groups, for maintaining life and maintaining the integrity of society.

How did power come about? In what historical forms of power did the process of its formation and development take place? According to the statements of a number of Western scientists, power arose simultaneously with society and develops in parallel with it from elementary non-political forms to mature political ones. First power - anonymous, inherent in primitive societies. It is distributed among the whole mass of individuals and manifests itself in the totality of beliefs and customs. Over time, when the rhythm of social life dynamizes, the process of division of labor becomes more complicated, new types of activities appear, there is a need for prompt decision-making, a individualized power in the person of a leader or a small group of people. However, this power has no legitimacy: with the death of the leader, a struggle for power begins. Individualized power replaces institutionalized, which exists in the form of a state, when the state is the official political power, and different centers of political power, such as economic groups, trade unions, are also the bearers of power. Here, power is based on the activities of special institutions that perform certain functions.

At present, we can talk about the fourth historical form of power, the system "supranational" power represented by the European Parliament (legislative institution) and the Commission of the European Communities (executive institutions). Their authority extends to the territory and population of more than a dozen European countries.

The first two historical forms of power (anonymous and individualized) are pre-state and non-political. Third form (institutionalized), sometimes called state-public, and the fourth (supra-state) are actually political power. Note that historical concept"power" (from the Greek. Сratos) is associated with the administrative management of the ancient Greek city-states (policies). The art of managing citizens - "polites", regulating their behavior with the help of various means was called "politics". Thus, historically and logically, a semantic connection arose between the concepts of "power" and "politics", reflected in the formula "political power".

In the social science literature, there are a number of approaches to the interpretation of power. They can be roughly divided into two large class: 1) interpretation of power as an attribute immanent to a certain subject and 2) understanding of power as a social relation. Within these classes are represented the most diverse and very numerous concepts.

First of all, the so-called volitional theories, in which power is interpreted as the ability (possibility) of one subject to impose its will on other subjects. Despite the fact that in different theories the substances of power are completely different (Weber, Hegel, Dahl, Marx), the common quality for them is the imperious will, which can be “dictated” by the subject of power. So, R. Dahl interprets power as the ability of one person to force another to do what this other person would not do on his own. M. Weber considered power as "any opportunity to carry out one's own will within given social relations, even in spite of resistance, regardless of what such an opportunity is based on." The definition of M. Weber is considered classical and is widely used in modern theories of power.

Next to the strong-willed stand instrumental theories, putting forward in the first place the means, ways, methods of domination. This point of view was already developed in the works of T. Hobbes and N. Machiavelli, and in modern theories it is represented primarily by the Chicago School of Political Science (D. Katlin, I. Murridge, and others).

Very widespread structural-functional theories, according to which power is an integrative quality immanent in the social system, the function of which is to ensure the integrity of the system, the rational interaction of all its elements. Power is presented as an attribute of the macrosystem, capable of taking into account the interests of microsystems and, through special power resources, ensuring the stability of society. This concept is developed most of all in the works of G. Almond, D. Easton, P. Parsons.

The understanding of power as a social relation is presented first of all in behavioral theories, which bring to the fore the behavioral aspect (D. Truman), and the influence of the ruling subsystem on the behavior of the subordinates can be based on the most various factors. So, J. Ortega y Gasset called the most important of these factors public opinion. B. Russell believed that power, as a special kind of activity, achieves its goals to a large extent by influencing the consciousness and emotions of people.

The position of M. Duverger, who analyzes the sociocultural aspect of power, is very interesting and original: “Power is not just a material fact, a “thing”, as Durkheim would say, it is deeply imbued with ideas, beliefs, collective ideas. What people think about power is one of its fundamental foundations.”

O. Toffler's model is quite authoritative in scientific circles, which derives three most important factors of power: strength, wealth and knowledge, and the dominance of each of these factors is associated with different historical eras and different social systems. According to Toffler, the development of civilization leads to the fact that the most important basis for domination will be not the power of coercion, but the power of knowledge.

Consideration of various interpretations of power allows us to make following output: power is one of the most important types of social interaction, a specific relationship, at least between two subjects, one of which obeys the orders of the other, as a result of this subordination, the ruling subject realizes his will and interests.

In order to have a more concrete idea of ​​power, it is necessary to consider its structure. The structure of power as its components includes: sources of power, subjects and objects, functions, foundations and resources of power. Below is a diagram of the power structure.

Sources of power- this is actually an imperious first principle. Without disclosing the primary sources of power, it is impossible to answer the sacramental question: why do some manage, rule, while others are forced to obey them? The sources of power can be authority, strength, prestige, law, wealth, charisma, mystery, interest, social and political status, etc.

Among these sources of power, the authority of the subject of power occupies an important place. Authority is based on qualities that are recognized in society as necessary and desirable for the effective flow of power relations. At the same time, it is very important when power relations arise based on identification subordinate (object of power) with the leader (subject of power).

Authority can be status, scientific, business, moral, religious, etc. Based on identification (identification), power relations are particularly stable. Here the leader is perceived as a conductor of interests and a representative of the object of power in various fields. public life primarily political. Another thing is when the source of power is force or the threat of its use. Power can be economic, socio-political, military, etc. This is coercive power. She, according to O. Toffler, is devoid of flexibility, functionally limited and is the power of the lowest quality. The use of forceful methods leads to a decrease in the legitimacy of power, an increase in the influence of the opposition.

The most effective in a democratic society in the conditions of scientific and technological revolution is power, the source of which is knowledge, competence, information. It allows you to achieve goals with minimal expenditure of your resources; convince citizens of their personal interest in these goals, turn opponents into allies. The resources of such power are inexhaustible and publicly available.

Important components of power are subject and object of power. The subject is understood as a source of active, purposeful, substantive-practical activity directed at the object. It is in the subject of power that its active principle is contained. An individual, an organization, a state, political parties, a social community, say, a people, or even the world community united in the UN can act as a subject. To exercise power functions, the subject must have the desire to rule, the will to power, be competent enough, authoritative, know the state and mood of subordinates.

Subject determines the content of the power relationship through: order (instruction) as an authoritative command to obey the will of the subject of power; subordination as bringing private will under the general will of power; punishment (sanctions) as a means of influencing the denial of the dominant will; regulation of behavior as a set of rules in accordance with the general interest.

An object authorities are those to whom power is directed. These are people, their groups, organizations, communities, etc. The object of power in the democratic organization of society has mainly two sides. One of them is presented as the primary source of power, owning its sovereignty, and delegates power to certain power formations. The other is that after the delegation of power, the object assumes obligations to obey the power delegated by it, which, thus, turns into a subject of power. The main guarantee of the effective functioning of power in this case is the support of the subject of power by the object and the correspondence of the organizational and legal foundations of power to the interests of the object. , represented in the legislative, executive and judicial branches. If there is no such submission, then there is actually no power, despite the fact that the subject has a great desire to have power and there are powerful means of coercion.

The motives for subordinating the object of power to the subject can be very different. They may be based on fear of sanctions; on a long habit of obedience; on interest in the execution of orders; on the conviction of the need for submission; on the authority called by the leader from subordinates; on the identification of the object with the subject of power.

Naturally, power built on interest is stable, but motivations based on persuasion and authority are even more favorable for power. Power based on interests, conviction and authority often develops into identification of the subordinate with the leader. In this case, the maximum power of power is achieved and the subject is perceived by the object as its representative and protector.

The scale of the relationship between the object and the subject of domination ranges from fierce resistance, the struggle for destruction to voluntary, joyfully perceived obedience. The qualities of the object of political domination are determined primarily by the political culture of the population.

Subjects and objects of power are inextricably linked with certain areas of society. Accordingly, there are economic power, based on the ownership of private property, control over economic resources, the right to dispose of them; social power, the source of which is social status, the possibility of distribution of positions, benefits and privileges; spiritual and ideological power, carried out with the help of ideological influence, religion, possession of knowledge, and in our time - information. A special place in society is occupied by political power, which is the core of the political system of society, its organizational and regulatory-control principle.

Political power is characterized by a number of distinctive features. They are: legality, legitimacy, supremacy, influence, universality, monocentricity, efficiency and effectiveness.

Legality power means its legitimacy, legal legitimacy. Legal power operates on the basis of clearly fixed legal acts. legitimacy power - voluntary recognition of the existing government by citizens, their confidence in it, its recognition as fair, progressive. Supremacy power is the obligatory implementation of power decisions (economic, political, legal, etc.) by all members of society. Influence power - the ability of a political subject to exercise influence in a certain direction on the behavior of individuals, groups, organizations, associations in order to form or change people's opinions on a specific issue, regulate the political behavior of subjects, etc. Universality(that is, publicity) means that political power acts on the basis of law on behalf of the whole society. monocentricity means the existence of a nationwide center (system of authorities) decision-making. Efficiency and effectiveness power lies in the fact that it is in specific social results that all the plans, platforms, programs of power are realized, its ability to effectively manage all spheres of social life is revealed.

Political power, being a part of power in general, is in turn subdivided into state and public. The concept of "political power" denotes the possibility and ability of all subjects of politics to influence the process of making political decisions, their implementation, the political behavior of individuals, social groups and associations. State power is one of the forms of political power. This is a specially organized system of state bodies, organizations and installations created to manage all spheres of public life. Unlike political power, state power is a monopoly in the creation of legal acts that regulate the life of society. Public power is formed by party structures, public organizations, independent media, and public opinion.

Along with the noted types of power, there is also legislative, executive and judicial. This classification embodies the principle of separation of powers, which is a feature of constitutional democracy, a sign of pluralism. state powers. This principle, reflecting the unity of power, is closely linked to the targeted responsibility for the performance of one's functions.

The expediency of the separation of powers is determined by the need to clearly define the functions, competences, responsibilities of each branch of power, the implementation of mutual control, the prevention of abuse, the usurpation of power.

Legislature determines the foundations of domestic and foreign policy, amends the constitution, approves the state budget, adopts laws binding on all citizens and authorities, and controls their implementation. This power is formed by free elections. The supremacy of the legislature is limited by the principles of law, the constitution and human rights.

executive branch exercises direct state power. She not only enforces laws, but also publishes regulations, initiates legislation. This power must be based on the law, act within the framework of the law. The right to control the activities of the executive power should belong to the representative bodies of state power.

Relatively independent structure of state power is represented by judicial branch. In its actions, this power must be independent of the legislative and executive authorities (Krasnov B.I. Theory of power and power relations // Socio-political journal. - 1994, - No. 7-8. - P. 43-45).

In modern conditions, information power (media) is becoming increasingly important. Possession of information, this or that interpretation of it can ensure the loyalty of the population in relation to the activities carried out by the government, or violent protest and disagreement with the policy of the subject of power. The corresponding information impact is carried out through the mass media (mass media), as well as socialization institutions ( public associations, educational organizations, the education system, etc.).

By place in the power structure are distinguished: central, regional, republican, regional, district, district and other types of power.

The subject differs: people's, state, class, party, judicial, parliamentary, presidential, trade union, family and other types of power.

According to the regime of government, there are authorities: democratic, authoritarian, despotic, totalitarian, bureaucratic and etc.

There are also classifications of types of power. Among them, the most significant is the classification according to the criterion of power resources, since they form the field of power relations, on which the field of domination unfolds.

Political power- it's special public attitude, which is manifested in the ability of the subject of power to effectively influence people and society, resorting to various means from persuasion to coercion. In its essence, power is coercion. However, the possibility of coercing others does not exclude the presence of consent, adherence, participation of persons within a certain social relationship. Depending on the means on which the ability to effectively influence people and things is based, power appears in various forms.

The conquest of power and its use is one of the main aspects political life society. This is, in essence, the struggle of the subjects of politics for the possession of an instrument for the implementation of their will, the realization of their interests and goals. The political forces that come to power form its specific materialized structures of various scales, political institutions of power, which themselves develop and implement their own policy, which becomes a means of this power. Thus, politics is the cause of the emergence and functioning of power, and power is the cause of the existence of politics, i.e. power and politics are tightly linked by a circular cause-and-effect relationship.

Political power has a number hallmarks, which concretize and deepen the idea of ​​it as a social phenomenon:

- political power is the political domination in society of any class, socio-political group, political party or individual (for example, a dictator), which is realized through the system of state authorities, which is a means of exercising the political will of the subject of power in all spheres of public life;

- it is the most important factor in the regulation of political and social processes in the interests of certain social strata or the whole society, involving the legal use of resources of coercion and social violence;

- it is directly related to the ideological regulation and organization of the life of society and the state. The struggle for power and its retention inevitably turns into a struggle of ideologies. Political power itself can merge completely with the ideology it upholds and relies on;

- political power, in contrast to the private personal power that exists in small groups, is universal and impersonal. This means that it acts on behalf of the whole society, extends its imperious leadership and management to the entire population of the country;

– it is monocentric, i.e. has a single decision-making center. Other varieties of public power (for example, economic, social, spiritual and informational) are polycentric. In a market democratic society, as you know, there are many independent owners, mass media, social funds that have their own direct power;

- in the course of its functioning, political power is characterized by an exceptional variety of resources used, it applies not only measures of coercion and persuasion, but also relies on moral norms, on the interests and traditions of people, their feelings, on numerous economic, social and cultural and information resources.

The type of political regime in society, the openness or closeness of society, the nature of political relations and other political characteristics of a given state, including stability, authority, separation and cooperation of powers, the role of the opposition, and democracy largely depend on the functioning of political power.

Thus, the most important, socially significant functions of political power include the following:

- maintaining public order and stability;

- identifying, limiting and resolving conflicts;

– achievement of public consent;

- coercion in the name of socially significant goals and maintaining stability;

- managing the affairs of the company;

- formation of the political system of society;

– development of a strategy for managing the society;

- control of political and other relations and the creation, ultimately, of a certain type of government, political regime and state system;

- Ensuring the legal rights of citizens, their constitutional freedoms.

It is necessary to consider the issue of the effectiveness of power, i.e., the issue related to the costs of achieving the result planned by the authorities: what means and to what extent have to be used to achieve the political goal.

The principles of the effective functioning of political power include: legitimacy, legality, effectiveness, reality, foresight, collegiality, tolerance, self-criticism, firmness, secrecy, continuity.

One of the most important principles for the effective functioning of political power is legitimacy- a positive assessment, acceptance by the population of power, recognition by them of its right to govern and consent to obey this power . That is, the legitimacy and recognition of political power are indicators of its legitimacy. At the same time, “legality” is a relatively stable indicator, but the “recognition” of political power by the people is extremely changeable and can vary during the period of being in power of the subject of politics from full support for him at the beginning of his activity, to the manifestation of popular distrust by the end of the term of power.

Legitimate power is usually characterized as lawful and just. Legitimacy is associated with the belief of the vast majority of the population that the existing order is the best for a given country.

Max Weber identified three types of legitimacy based on the ways to achieve legitimacy and reflecting the motives of submission:

traditional legitimacy built on the authority of mores and customs;

legal or rational-legal legitimacy, characterized by an understanding of the need to fulfill their duties by all "public servants" - from the rank and file to the bearers of power;

charismatic legitimacy(charisma, from the Greek "charisma" - mercy, grace, God's gift) - special, exceptional talent, endowment statesman(political leader) such qualities (wisdom, infallibility, prophecy, holiness, as well as fearlessness, courage, etc.), which sharply distinguish him not only from total mass people, but also from the political elite.

Max Weber calls these types of legitimacy "ideal types", knowing full well that they are rare in real political life. In most cases, political power is various combinations ideal types, transitions from one to another.

Researchers identify several sources of legitimacy:

1. Participation of citizens in governance.

2. Legitimacy through economic, military, educational, etc. activities of power (technocratic legitimacy).

3. Legitimacy through coercion. It should be noted that the stronger the coercion, the lower the level of legitimacy.

The terms "legality" and "legitimacy" have a common root, which comes from the Latin word "leg", which means "law". Apparently, therefore, these concepts are often considered identical. In fact, the concepts of "legality" and "legitimacy" are far from being identical, although under certain conditions they can coincide.

The legitimacy of power shows its actual significance for people, the degree of its prestige, its "empirical" legality, but not due to the law emanating from power, but due to the law of human disposition. Legitimacy is not a given characteristic of political power once and for all. If the government ceases to be effective, does not ensure the stability of society, it loses the trust and support of its people.

The question of attitude to political power remains important for modern society. In order to stabilize power in society, to make it capable of performing the functions assigned to it, it must be institutionalized, fixed in one form or another of political domination.

domination is a political order in which some command and others obey, although the former may be under the democratic control of the latter. Such an order may be in the interests of not only the ruled minority, but the whole of society, or at least its majority.

The process of political domination, i.e. dominion, is ordered and regulated with the help of a special mechanism of power- systems of institutions, institutions, organizations and norms of their structure and activities. With regard to such a complex social object as society mechanism of political power four of its most important links act: the system of political parties, the parliament, the government, and the apparatus of political coercion.

The central role in the mechanism of the functioning of power in society is played by the highest institutions of state power - the president, parliament, government, court and prosecutor's office. They are the main link in the adoption and implementation of decisions. The degree of centralization of power and the distribution of powers between other power structures depend on their activities.

The mechanism of power, expressed in certain type political power (totalitarian, authoritarian, democratic), operates in any society, in all its spheres, at all levels of its social structure and has its own specific forms manifestations, ways and methods of domination. Moreover, different forms of manifestation of the mechanism of power relations and give, mainly, distinctive features this or that society, its political, economic, social and spiritual relations.

In a totalitarian society the mechanism of political power is based on a system of violent political domination, characterized by the complete subordination of society, its economic, political, social, spiritual and even everyday life to the power of the ruling elite, organized into an integral military-bureaucratic apparatus and headed by a political leader, leader.

Fear and blind faith are the main resources of the mechanism of totalitarian control of society. In general, the relations of totalitarian power and its mechanism are built on the principle: "Everything is prohibited, except for what is ordered."

Authoritarian political power according to its characteristic features, signs and mechanism of functioning, it occupies, as it were, an intermediate position between the totalitarian and democratic authorities. It has in common with totalitarian power, first of all, the dictatorial, not limited by laws, nature of ruling, with democratic power - the presence of autonomous, unregulated power public spheres e.g. economics and privacy people, the preservation of individual elements of civil society.

In its essence, authoritarian power is the unlimited power of one person or group of persons, characterized by excessive centralism in management, reliance on force, intolerance of political opposition, but allowing the autonomy of the individual and society in the non-political spheres of their life.

The mechanism of functioning of authoritarian power relies (potentially and actually) on force. The government may not resort to mass repression and even to be popular among the general population of the country, but it has sufficient power to force the population into obedience if necessary, and usually does not hide it. The relationship of this government with society is built on the principle: "Everything is allowed except politics."

Democratic power is one of the main types of political power. It embodies the ideas of self-government and participation (participation) - mainly at the local level and in production, representation - on the scale of the whole society. This is essentially a representative (representative) democratic government based on liberal values ​​and the principle of pluralism. In reality, it exists in two of its main forms: in the form of parliamentarism - a system of government based on the supremacy of parliamentary power delegated to it by the people; in the form of presidential government, in which the supreme power belongs to the president of the country, elected by popular vote, parliament or some special institution.

The mechanism of functioning of democratic power is based on the principle of its division into legislative, executive and judicial. Relations between the people and their representatives in power structures are built on the basis of trust, control, constitutional limitation of the competence of government bodies and officials and their complete independence within the law. The basic principle of a democratic society: "Everything that is not prohibited by law is allowed."

Political and state power are very closely connected with each other. Political power comes from the state and is realized in real life only with its direct or indirect participation. At the same time, the concept of political power is broader than the concept of state power, since political activity is carried out not only within the framework of the state, but also in other components of the political system of society: within the framework of political parties, public organizations and etc.

Government is special kind political power. This is a socially organized power that has a monopoly right to legislate binding on the entire population and relies on a special apparatus of coercion as one of the means to comply with laws and orders .

State power is a form of political power, its core, characterized by a real opportunity and ability to influence the nature of the activities and behavior of all citizens of the state in order to manage social processes, ensure organization and order in society.

An integral feature of state power is a monopoly on the legal use of force, physical coercion. The range of actions of state power extends from the restriction of freedom to the physical destruction of a person who has committed a serious crime against society. The ability to deprive citizens of the highest values, which are life and freedom, determines the special effectiveness of state power. To perform the function of coercion, the state authorities have special means (bodies): the army, the police (police), the security service, the court, the prosecutor's office, etc.

State power has the following distinctive features:

- acts as a force that concentratedly expresses and symbolizes society as a whole;

- has a monopoly on the legal use of force, physical coercion with the help of the apparatus of violence;

- has a special apparatus for managing the entire society;

- has the exclusive right to regulate the life of the entire society, the right to issue laws and regulations binding on the entire population, the right to levy taxes and various kinds of fees.

Using state coercion, the ruling subject imposes his will on the subject. In this, state power differs, in particular, from authority, which also subjugates, but does not need state coercion.

State coercion- this is a psychological, material or physical (violent) impact of the authorized bodies and officials of the state on a person in order to force (force) him to act at the will of the ruling subject, in the interests of society and the state.

Functions of state power. The functions of state power can be classified on various grounds.

For reasons of occurrence functions of state power functions of state power can be initially divided into:

on functions arising from class contradictions(suppression of resistance of exploited classes, etc.);

to functions arising from the needs of society as a whole(“functions of common affairs” - economic, environmental, etc.).

According to the direction of the functions of state power are divided into internal and external:

- internal functions - the main activities of public authorities to manage the internal life of society;

- external functions - the main activities of public authorities in the international arena.

Internal functions state authority:

1. Legal function - ensuring law and order, establishing legal norms, protecting the rights and freedoms of man and citizen.

2. Political function - ensuring political stability, developing program-strategic goals and objectives for the development of society.

3. Organizational function - streamlining all power activities, monitoring the implementation of laws, coordinating the activities of all subjects of the political system.

4. economic function– organization, coordination and regulation of economic processes with the help of tax and credit policy, planning, creating incentives economic activity, implementation of sanctions.

5. Social function - ensuring the cooperation of various sectors of society, the implementation of the principle of social justice, protecting the interests of all categories of citizens, supporting housing construction, healthcare, and public transport systems.

6. ecological function– ensuring a healthy living environment, establishing a regime for nature management.

7. Cultural function - satisfaction of cultural needs, the formation of high spirituality, guaranteeing an open information space.

8. Educational function - ensuring equal access to education.

External functions of state power:

1. The function of ensuring national security is to ensure the security of a citizen, state, society, protection of the constitutional order, territorial integrity, sovereignty of the state.

2. Function international participation and ensuring peace - ensuring participation in the development of the system of international relations, activities to prevent wars, reduce armaments, and participate in solving global problems.

3. Function of cooperation in economic, political, cultural and other spheres with other states.

The implementation of the above functions of state power contributes to the normal stable functioning of the entire political system of society.

Any political activity is ultimately connected in one way or another with state power. One can argue about what factors underlay the emergence of the state, whose interests are expressed by certain public entities. But it is an axiom that the state power is the quintessence of the result of the political activity of people and their associations. It is the possession of state power that allows political forces to achieve their goals.

test questions

1. Give a generalized definition of the concept of "power".

2. What, in your opinion, is the main purpose of power in society?

3. List the main structural elements authorities.

4. What are the resources of power, what is their role in the process of functioning and implementation of power?

5. Define political power and list its distinguishing features and functions.

6. How do political power and state power relate to each other?

7. What is the legitimacy of political power? How does it relate to the concept of "legal power"?

8. What is the difference between the behavioral interpretation of power and the structural-functional interpretation of power?

Literature

Irkhin, Yu.V., Zotov, V.D., Zotova, L.V. Political science: textbook. - M.: Jurist, 2002. - S. 166-182.

Mukhaev, R.T. Political science: textbook. for university students. - 3rd ed., revised. and additional – M.: UNITI-DANA, 2007. – S. 101-121.

Political science: textbook / ed. A.V. Konchugova - M .: Military University, 2006. - S. 73-86.

Mukhaev, R.T. Legal basis Russian state: textbook for university students. – M.: UNITI-DANA, 2007. – S. 23,42-45.

Similar information.

Essence of political power

Political power is a special social institution that streamlines the social. attitudes and behavior of the individual. P.V. - the determining influence on the behavior of the masses, groups, organizations with the help of the means possessed by the state. In contrast to the moral and family power of P.V. is not personal-direct, but socially-mediated character. P.V. manifests itself in general decisions and decisions for all, in the functioning of institutions (president, government, parliament, court). Unlike the legal authority that regulates relations between specific subjects, P.V. mobilizes large masses of people to achieve goals, regulates relations between groups at a time of stability, general agreement.

The will to power for some is complemented by the need for others to join the will of power, to identify with it, to obey it.

The main components of power are: its subject, object. Wed (resources) and process, setting in motion all its e-you and har-shchisya fur-mom and ways of interaction of the subject and object. Subject of power embodies its active, guiding principle. It can be an individual, an org-tion, a community of people, for example, a people or even the world community united in the UN.

The subjects of political power have a complex, multi-level character: its primary subjects are individuals, the secondary ones are political organizations, the subjects of the highest level, directly representing various social groups and the whole people in power relations, are political elites and leaders. Communication between these levels can be broken. Thus, for example, leaders are often torn away from the masses and even from the parties that brought them to power.

The subject is determined by the content of the power relationship through the order (instruction, command). The order prescribes the behavior of the object of power, indicates (or implies) the sanctions that the execution or non-performance of the order entails. From the order, the nature of the requirements contained in it, the attitude of the object, the executors, the second most important element of power, largely depends on it.

The object of power. Power is always bilateral, asymmetric, with the dominance of the will of the ruler, the interaction of its subject and object. It is impossible without subjection of the object. If there is no such subordination, then there is no power, despite the fact that the subject striving for it has a pronounced will to rule and even powerful means of coercion. Ultimately, the object of the imperious will always has an extreme, but still choice - to die, but not to obey, which found, in particular, its expression in the freedom-loving slogan “it is better to die fighting than to live on your knees.”

The scale of the relationship between the object and the subject of domination ranges from fierce resistance, the struggle for destruction to voluntary, joyfully perceived obedience. The qualities of the object of political domination are determined primarily by the political culture of the population.

The concept of power resources. The most important social reason for the subordination of some people to others is the uneven distribution of power resources. In a broad sense, power resources are "anything that an individual or group can use to influence others." That. resources of power are all those means, the use of which provides influence on the object of power in accordance with the goals of the subject. Resources are either values ​​that are important for the object (money, consumer goods, etc.), or resources that can affect the inner world, human motivation (television, the press, etc.), or tools (tools), with the help of which it is possible to deprive a person of certain values, the highest of which is usually considered life (weapons, punitive organs in general).

Resources, along with the subject and object, are one of the most important foundations of power. They can be used to reward, punish or persuade.

Structural foundations P.V. - laws, court, state. apparatus, enforcement units, party discipline, leader's authority, central and regional structures. Guided by the anthropological principle, these types of foundations are distinguished by P.V. like fear, interest, conviction.

Types of power. Features of various e-in power - subject, object, resources - can be used as the basis of its typologies. One of the most meaningful classifications of power is its division in accordance with the resources on which it is based, into economic, social, spiritual and informational, coercive (which is often called political in the narrow sense of the word, although this is not entirely accurate) and political in the broadest sense. , the proper meaning of the word.

Depending on the subjects, power is divided into state, party, trade union, army, family, etc. According to the breadth of distribution, a mega level is distinguished - intl. org-tion, N: UN, NATO, etc.; macro-level - central government bodies; meso-level - organizations subordinate to the center (regional, district, etc.) and micro-level - power in primary organizations and small groups. It is possible to classify power according to the functions of its bodies: for example, the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the state; according to the ways of interaction between the subject and the object of power - democratic, authoritarian, etc. authorities.

Interaction of political and other authorities.

Political power is characterized by a number of distinguishing features:

legality in the use of force within the state-va;

supremacy, obligatory decisions for any other power. P. V. can limit the influence of powerful corporations, media and other institutions, or even eliminate them altogether;

publicity, i.e. universality and impersonality. This means that political power, in contrast to the private, personal power that exists in small groups, on behalf of the whole society, appeals with the help of law to all citizens;

monocentricity, the presence of a single decision-making center. In contrast to the political power of the ek-th, the social and spiritual-informational powers are polycentric. In a democratic market society, there are, as you know, many independent owners, social funds, etc.;

variety of resources. P.V., and especially the state, uses not only coercion, but also eq, social, cultural and information resources.

The merging of political, economic, social and spiritual-information authorities with the command role of politics is observed in a totalitarian state. The democratic system, however, presupposes the separation of both these authorities themselves and each of them: in ek-ke - the presence of many competing centers of influence, in politics - the division of power between the state, party parties and interest groups, as well as the state power itself on legislative, executive and judicial, in the spiritual sphere - the availability of education, cultural-informative pluralism.

A separate, most important type of power is political power. The very phrase “political power” in literal translation means “power in the polis community”. The modern meaning of this concept demonstrates that power and politics are inseparable and interdependent. Power is a means of implementing policy. And politics is the interaction of community members about mastering the means of power influence. Therefore, political relations can be called political-imperious.

Political power, like any other power, means the ability and right of some social subjects to exercise their will in relation to others, to command and control others, relying on strength, authority and rights. But at the same time, it has its own specifics, unlike other forms of power. Political power is always exercised by a minority, an elite. This type of power arises on the basis of the connection, the relationship of two components: people who concentrate power in themselves, and organizations through which power is exercised. hallmarks political power are:

supremacy - the binding nature of its decisions for the whole society and, accordingly, for all other types of power. It can limit the influence of other forms of power, putting them within reasonable limits, or eliminate them altogether;

generality, i.e. publicity. This means that political power acts on the basis of law on behalf of the whole society and is binding on all;

• the legality of the use of force and other means to ensure organized coercion within the country;

Monocentricity, i.e. the existence of a nationwide center (system of authorities) decision-making;

variety of resources.

Thus, political power is a form of social relations inherent in a politically organized community of people, characterized by the ability of certain social subjects to subordinate the activities of other social subjects to their will with the help of state-legal and other means. Those. it is a system of political domination in society, the ability of its subjects to realize their will, using the powers and resources of the state.

Forms of political power:

state;

party;

· the power of socio-political organizations and movements.

Political power is based on three principles: coercion, legitimacy and consent

An indispensable condition for the existence of state political power - legitimacy - is the public recognition of the legitimacy of power, the trust of citizens in it, their consent to obey its conditions and requirements. Each government strives to become legitimate, realizing that in this way it guarantees stability for itself. Legitimacy cannot be created artificially, it must arise in the minds of people. Sources of legitimacy may be different. The most common of them:

Tradition. In this case, people recognize power and agree to obey it, as if out of habit.

Moral qualities of representatives of power.

Success in solving social problems.

Faith in the sanctity of power. Power in this case is recognized because it is given from above and to encroach on it is to encroach on the shrine.

The origin of the ruler

Confidence that this power has been established as a result of legal procedures

M. Weber made a great contribution to the theory of legitimation of power. Depending on the motives of submission, he identified three main type of legitimacy of power:

1) Traditional legitimacy. It is based on the authority of traditions and customs, the habit of obeying authority, faith in the steadfastness and sacredness of ancient orders.

2) Charismatic. Rest on personal merits, the exceptional talent of a political leader, and the trust of his subjects. Charisma means a special gift that a leader has.

3) Rational legal. It is based on the recognition of legal norms, the constitution, which regulate the relationship of control and subordination. It is typical for democratic states and implies strict observance of laws by all structures of society, including government bodies, the trust of citizens in state institutions, and not in individual leaders, obedience to the laws, and not the personality of the leader.

Recognition of the legitimacy of power is extremely important for its effectiveness. Today, one can often hear people from various social groups claim that they need strong power. However, the term "strong power" is interpreted in different ways. First, let us ask ourselves the question: can a power based on physical violence be considered strong? Apparently not. After all, the government resorts to physical coercion when it has no other arguments. Therefore, violence is an indicator of a certain weakness of power. Moreover, the government, which has embarked on the path of violence, sooner or later comes to a standstill. This happens, first of all, because any violence gives rise to protest and, ultimately, reciprocal violence. J. Locke wrote: "The use of force without authority always puts the one who uses it in a state of war as an aggressor and gives the right to deal with him accordingly."

Of course, any power, incl. and political, contains an element of coercion. Moreover, there are structures that carry out sanctioned, legitimate violence. However, there must be limits to its application.

Thus, strong power is not synonymous with violence. This is, first of all, effective power, problem solving in a timely manner, with minimal costs and losses. The effectiveness of power is its effectiveness, the degree to which it performs its functions in political system and society, realizing the expectations of citizens. Indicators that testify to the effectiveness of power, should be sought in all spheres of public life. The most important of them are the following:

Mortality rate, birth rate, life expectancy;

The level of material well-being;

The level of physical security of citizens (the level of crime in society, the number of car and aircraft accidents, accidents at industrial enterprises, etc.);

The level of taxes;

The size of the administrative apparatus;

The level of education of the population;

Unemployment rate.

Power efficiency- variable value. It can grow, and then the power in society enjoys support, but it can also decrease, which often becomes the cause of the coming crisis.

In modern conditions, the legitimacy and effectiveness of power are the two most important conditions for its stability, trust in it and support by its citizens. Despite motivational differences, the legitimacy and effectiveness of power are interrelated. Ultimately, any type of legitimacy of power is largely determined by the population's hopes for its effectiveness, i.e. satisfaction of his requirements.

Since power tends to accumulate, this can only be prevented by dividing it horizontally and vertically. The meaning of the separation of powers is not only in a clear delineation of functions, but also in the mutual containment of branches by each other.

The accumulation of power is also hindered by the existence of opposition in society (from the Latin opposition = opposition). In modern political life, the opposition is a group of people who, more or less organized, oppose the intentions and actions of state power. The essence and forms of the opposition's actions depend on specific political conditions. Opposition can be of the following types:

Hidden and open.

constructive

Loyal
66. Sources of power

The economic domination of a social group naturally leads to its political domination. But this circumstance does not automatically provide access to the means of power to specific persons. what factors give rise to the power of individual individuals that make up ruling group What is the basis of their dominant position? What are the sources of power? Power grows from the subjective differences of people, from the objective heterogeneity of their position in society. Therefore, the sources of power are varied. In political science, the main sources of power are: physical strength, wealth, knowledge, position and organization.

Physical strength must have been the original basis of power. This source of power relies on fear as a factor in achieving the desired behavior. This conclusion follows from the consideration of questions of the origin and essence of the state. In the initial act of clarifying "who is who", the dominant position was occupied by the one who had more physical strength and with its help he was able to impose his will on his rivals. But physical strength is still one of the foundations of power today.

Wealth has been a source of power since time immemorial for the simple but compelling reason that its owners can provide people with a livelihood. In return, the owners receive obedience to their will of those who depend on them financially. Therefore, this source of power is based on the interest of an individual or group. In today's world, wealth itself may not be a direct source of power. However, the ability of the wealthy to influence access to power is perhaps greater than ever before. For example, generous payment for appropriate media work can be a decisive factor in securing the dominant position of a particular political group.

Knowledge, information, experience have always served as a source of power. This has been noticed since ancient times. Indeed, history gives many examples of the influence of knowledge holders under the reigning persons. The value of knowledge, practical experience as a source of power especially increases in the conditions of developed civilizations, whose life requires the possession of the most diverse and extensive information, as well as a variety of all kinds of skills and abilities.

The position held has been an important source of power since ancient times. In traditional societies, belonging to the privileged class was an indispensable condition for access to power. AT modern society the position occupied or, which is the same, the social status of the individual is one of the most important sources of power.

The organization is also one of the most powerful sources of power. It has long served not only to mobilize people and material resources but also the implementation of the decisions taken by the authorities. In fact, the position held makes sense as a source of power only as an element of the organization.