1. Concept, structure, types of power. Features of political power.

2. The role and functions of power in the system of social relations.

3. Resources of power and motives of subordination.

4. Legitimacy of political power.

1. Concept, structure, types of power. Features of political power.

Among the many scientific definitions of the concept of "politics", the following definition is central: Politics –is an activity directed at the state power for the purpose of its acquisition, distribution, retention and use for various interests and purposes. In other words, the category of "power" in political science has the same fundamental meaning as the concept of "energy" in physics or "money" in economics. Therefore, clarity and certainty in understanding the semantic meaning of the terms "power" in general and " political power” in particular is a necessary prerequisite and condition for the successful study of the course “Political Science”. The manifestations of power are well known to all. In our lives, we constantly encounter it, observe it and say: about the power of parents over children, or vice versa; about the dean's power over students; about the power of an officer over soldiers; about the power of nature, fear, love, traditions, habits, public opinion, religion, political party, people, mafia, state, etc. Observing and analyzing these phenomena, it is easy to notice and draw the following conclusions:

1. Power - it is always and first of all a relationship between people, characterized by domination and submission, an order and its execution. It arises as a relationship and does not exist outside the relationship. Power is impossible without submission;

2. Fundamental Feature of all human communities lies in the fact that power is present here always and everywhere. It is irremovable from social reality.

3. Power and power relations it is an objectively necessary factor, without which the existence of society is impossible.

There are general, universal definitions of power that apply to any social relations where some dictate behavior to others and control them. One such definition, which is considered classical in modern political science, was formulated by the German sociologist Max Weber(1864-1920): "Power is any possibility to carry out (to exercise) one's own will within given social relations, even in spite of resistance and regardless of what such possibility is based on."

ATstructure power includes the following components: subject, object, resources, the process of ruling, social norms that sanction power relations.

Subject and object are direct carriers, agents of power. Subject embodies the active, guiding principle of power. It can be a separate individual, a social group, a community of people, for example, a local community or people, an organization, an international community. The main quality of the subject of power is will to power . However, for most people, power in itself is not a value. They do not experience psychological pleasure from the possession of power. Many of them, who turned out to be political leaders, even feel embarrassed that they dispose of hundreds of thousands of their own kind. For this type of people, the desire for power is instrumental in nature, that is, it serves as a means of achieving other goals, such as obtaining high income, prestige, profitable connections, privileges, and self-affirmation.

At the same time, in every society there are people for whom power is not a means for something, but an end in itself, a value in itself. Commanding others, knowing that the fate of many people depends on you, brings them the highest pleasure. AT this case the desire of the individual for power and especially the possession of power often perform for him the function of subjective compensation for his own inferiority. This type of personality is characterized by an excessive, sometimes pathological, will to power “for its own sake”, which poses a serious danger to others. The scale of this danger is directly proportional to the breadth of the power of this subject. Therefore, political psychologists recommend that It is better to trust power to someone who is at least partially burdened by it.

An object power embodies a relatively passive principle in power relations. The main quality of the object of power is willingness to obey . Subordination is as natural to human society as leadership. The boundaries of the relation of the object to the subject of domination extend from fierce resistance to voluntary submission. Power is impossible without submission. If there is no subordination, there is no power, despite the fact that the subject striving for it has a pronounced will to rule and even powerful resources of coercion. Awareness of the dependence of power on the obedience of the population found practical expression in the actions of civil disobedience, widely used by the opposition as a means of non-violent struggle against dictatorial regimes.

Domination process occurs when all the components of the vrost are set in motion. The process of ruling is characterized, first of all, by the ways, mechanisms of ruling. There are two main ways to rule:

political mobilization - inducement of the object to active actions pleasing to the subject of power;

political demobilization - Ensuring the inaction of the subordinate, neutralizing, blocking the types of their behavior that are undesirable for the authorities.

Various options are possible classification of power.

Depending on theresources on which power is based, it is divided into economic, social, informational, power, etc.

Byspheres of manifestation distinguish between state power, party, church, military, etc. Government unlike other types of political power, it is characterized by supremacy, binding decisions for any other power and the legality of the use of violence within the territory of the state;

Depending on thebreadth of distribution allocate the power of international organizations, central, regional and local (local) authorities.

Depending on thefunctionsauthorities power is divided into legislative, executive and judicial.

Byways of interactionsubject and object distinguish between democratic, authoritarian and totalitarian governments.

Different types of public power are in complex interaction. The ruling elite in any large organization (state, party, trade union, corporation, etc.) tends to break away from the inert "masses", to oppose itself to ordinary members. It forms a more or less closed group, pursuing mainly its own interests. This trend was formulated by the German sociologist Robert Michels as "ironthe law of oligarchization. The hierarchical structure of power, developing according to its internal laws, reproduces oligarchic tendencies on an expanding scale. One such trend is that the oligarchy wants to perpetuate itself. To do this, it seeks to expand its power, concentrating in its hands the weight of more functions and resources of the organization. Such a process can be called the law of accumulation of power, which can be most fully manifested at the state level in the form of a constant expansion of state control over society up to its absorption. State power is always tempted to concentrate as much resources as possible in its hands, absorb other types of power, primarily economic, informational, ideological, which leads in various ways to the nationalization of economic power, the elimination of independent media, the suppression of dissent, etc. (absolute monarchies, tyrannies, oligarchies, totalitarian states).

The highest, most developed type of political power is state power, which is characterized by the following additional features:

Remoteness from society, expressed in the existence of a special class of persons and apparatus of government, exercising an imperious will;

Sovereignty, i.e. the status of supreme power in a certain territory;

Centralization and universality;

Monopoly on the legal use of force for the purpose of coercion;

The maximum amount of resources.

Power- there is the ability and ability of some to model the behavior of others, i.e. force them to do something against their will by any means, ranging from persuasion to violence.

- the ability of a social subject (individual, group, layer) to impose and carry out their will with the help of legal and norms and a special institution - .

Power is necessary condition sustainable development of society in all its spheres.

Allocate power: political, economic, spiritual family, etc. Economic power is based on the right and ability of the owner of any resources to influence the production of goods and services, spiritual - on the ability of the owners of knowledge, ideology, information to influence the change in people's consciousness.

Political power is power (the power to impose a will) transferred by the community to a social institution.

Political power can be subdivided into state, regional, local, party, corporate, clan, etc. power. State power is provided by state institutions (parliament, government, court, law enforcement agencies, etc.), as well as a legal framework. Other types of political power are provided by relevant organizations, legislation, charters and instructions, traditions and customs, public opinion.

Structural elements of power

Considering power as the ability and ability of some to model the behavior of others, you should find out where this ability comes from? Why during social interaction people are divided into those who rule and those who are subject? In order to answer these questions, one must know what power is based on, i.e. what are its bases (sources). There are countless of them. And, nevertheless, among them there are those who are classified as universal, present in one or another proportion (or form) in any power relationship.

In this regard, it is necessary to turn to the accepted in political science classifications of grounds (sources) of power, and to understand what type of power is generated by such of them as force or the threat of force, wealth, knowledge, law, charisma, prestige, authority, etc.

Particular attention should be paid to the argumentation (evidence) of the proposition that power relations are not only relations of dependence, but also of interdependence. That, with the exception of forms of direct violence, there is no absolute power in nature. All power is relative. And it is built not only on the dependence of the subject on the ruling, but also on the ruling on the subject. Although the extent of this dependence they have different.

The closest attention is also required to clarify the essence of differences in approaches to the interpretation of power and power relations among political scientists representing different political science schools. (functionalists, systematists, behaviorists). And also what is behind the definitions of power as a characteristic of an individual, as a resource, as a construction (interpersonal, causal, philosophical), etc.

The main features of political (state) power

Political power is a kind of power complex, including both state power, which plays the role of "first violin" in it, and the power of all other institutional subjects of politics in the person of political parties, mass socio-political organizations and movements, independent media, etc.

It should also be taken into account that state power, as the most socialized form and core of political power, differs from all other powers (including political ones) in a number of ways. significant features, giving it a universal character. In this regard, one must be prepared to reveal the content of such concepts-signs of this power as universality, publicity, supremacy, monocentrism, diversity of resources, monopoly on the legitimate (i.e., provided for and stipulated by law) use of force, etc.

From the state (or more broad sense with political) power are organically connected with such concepts as "political domination", "legality" and "legitimacy". The first of these concepts is used to denote the process of institutionalization of power, i.e. its consolidation in society as an organized force (in the form of a hierarchical system of government agencies and institutions), functionally designed to carry out general leadership and management of the social organism.

The institutionalization of power in the form of political domination means the structuring in society of relations of command and subordination, order and execution, the organizational division of managerial labor and the privileges usually associated with it, on the one hand, and executive activity, on the other.

As for the concepts of "legality" and "legitimacy", although the etymology of these concepts is similar (in French the words "legal" and "legitime" are translated as legal), in terms of content they are not synonymous concepts. First the concept (legality) emphasizes the legal aspects of power and acts as an integral part of political domination, i.e. legally regulated consolidation (institutionalization) of power and its functioning in the form of a hierarchical system of state bodies and institutions. With clearly defined steps of order and execution.

Legitimacy of political power

- political property of a public authority, meaning the recognition by the majority of citizens of the correctness and legality of its formation and functioning. Any power based on popular consensus is legitimate.

Power and power relations

Many people, including some political scientists, believe that the struggle to acquire power, its distribution, retention and use constitute essence of politics. This point of view was held, for example, by the German sociologist M. Weber. One way or another, the doctrine of power has become one of the most important in political science.

Power in general is the ability of one subject to impose its will on other subjects.

Power is not just a relationship of someone with someone, it is always asymmetrical, i.e. unequal, dependent, allowing one individual to influence and change the behavior of another.

Foundations of power in the very general view act unmet needs some and the possibility of their satisfaction by others on certain conditions.

Power is a necessary attribute of any organization, any human group. Without power, there is no organization and no order. in every joint activities of people there are those who command and those who obey them; those who make decisions and those who execute them. Power is characterized by the activities of those who govern.

Sources of power:

• authority- power as a force of habit, traditions, interned cultural values;
• strength- “naked power”, in the arsenal of which there is nothing but violence and suppression;
• wealth- stimulating, rewarding power, which includes and negative sanctions for uncomfortable behavior
• knowledge- the power of competence, professionalism, the so-called "expert power";
• charisma- leader's power, built on the deification of the leader, endowing him with supernatural abilities;
• prestige- identifying (identifying) power, etc.

The need for power

The social nature of people's lives turns power into a social phenomenon. Power is expressed in the ability of united people to ensure the achievement of their agreed goals, to assert generally accepted values ​​and to interact. In undeveloped communities, power is dissolved, it belongs to everyone together and to no one in particular. But already here public power acquires the character of the community's right to influence the behavior of individuals. However, the inevitable difference of interests in any society violates political communication, cooperation, consistency. This leads to the decay of this form of power due to its low efficiency, and ultimately to the loss of the ability to achieve agreed goals. In this case, the real prospect is the collapse of this community.

To prevent this from happening, public power is transferred to elected or appointed people - the rulers. rulers receive from the community powers (full power, public power) to manage social relations, that is, to change the activity of subjects in accordance with law. The need for management is explained by the fact that people in relations with each other are very often guided not by reason, but by passions, which leads to the loss of the goal of the community. Therefore, the ruler must have the power to keep people within the framework of an organized community, to exclude extreme manifestations of selfishness and aggression in social relations, ensuring the survival of all.

Types of power

Power is determined by the dominant socio-political system in the country. Each power consists of types: political, economic, family and others. Power, in a broad interpretation, is a set of power relations, a system of power, the basis of which is the will of the people or a certain social structure, social community, a certain social stratum, etc.

Will is the source of power and the power itself is capable, without resorting to the organization of its own will, to directly make power decisions that become the norm for all participants in the act of will. And power is also an organizational aspect, a functional power load - law, that is, the power of institutions - political, social, - the mechanisms of the political system of society, and in a public organization - the power of its elected bodies. All this makes it possible to correctly navigate the system of power mechanisms, politically mature to participate in their formation and implementation of power.

Power is a real opportunity to exercise one's will in social public life, naming it, if necessary, to others. Accordingly, to the means of power on which it is built, types of power are also distinguished: economic, social, spiritual and informational, coercive (which is often called political) and political. Depending on the subjects, power is divided into state, political, trade union, etc.

Political power

What is political power? Political power is a certain aspect of the relationship between large social communities of people. Political power is political domination, a political and legal guarantee of a certain type of economic, social relations, one of the types of authority, in fact, political authority. Political power is one of the most important manifestations of power, characterized by the real ability of a certain social community (class, execution, nation or other social community), as well as individuals who reflect its interests, to exercise, realize their will through politics and legal norms. Political power is political relations that correspond to social and structural interests, arising from the ownership of the means of production, which determine the social advantages and authority of the owner, and, therefore, lead to the creation of a subject and the object of power, i.e., to the relations of domination and subordination.

The complete identity of power and authority is inherent in primitive society, with the complication and development at certain stages, the difference between power and authority grew. The more irreconcilability between managers and managers, the more coercion, violence, the more the authority of the manager falls. In a number of definitions, power is characterized as a targeted impact of a social community, layer, individual (holder of power) with the help of certain means (tools of power) on subordinates (classes, persons, communities), as a result of which the subject party is forced to fulfill the power of the bearer. In the literal sense, power is one of the functions of the government and its bodies, society and its bodies, the head of the family, etc., which consists in coercive activity with the consent of persons belonging to the same state, society, family, etc. Power operates within formal structures, determines the behavior of people with the help of incentives and sanctions, a system of statuses, positions, prestige, and so on.

Naturally, the definition of political power as the organized violence of one class to suppress another is about political power in an antagonistic, uncompromising society, because there is violence against another class and social strata. Political power as violence, coercion is absent in a society where there are no classes, there are no irreconcilable relations. Political power is any force-based, coercive power of one group of people over another group or other groups of people in an antagonistic society. The exercise of political power requires all those elements that are generally necessary for the exercise of power, as well as social separation between the group (groups) exercising power and the group (groups) in relation to which power is exercised, and organized coercion as the basis for the exercise of power.

The functions of political power are determined by their content: the formation of the political system of society, the organization of its political life, political relations, which include relations between the state and society, social groups, classes, associations, political institutions, apparatuses and bodies government controlled, political parties, citizens, etc., managing the affairs of society and the state on different levels; management of government bodies and political, as well as non-political, processes, control of political and other relations, and finally - created of a certain type of management characteristic of a particular society, political regime and political system(monarchical, republican), open or closed, closed, fenced off from the state (autocratic) society, the political system inherent in a certain state, the political relations corresponding to it, and other political characteristics command and execution - two equal universal principles authorities. They are inseparable and interact, like two people - tends to rule (imperious) and perceiving power. Both types are socially necessary, reproduced in the form of large political structures and relations between them - the state and society, the government and the masses, etc.

Political power is a specific form of social relations between social and institutional subjects of politics, as a result of which some of them have the ability and ability to carry out their will, expressed in political and legal norms.

Varieties of political power are (according to the subjects of domination) the power of one social group over another (for example, the domination of one class over another); government; party power, as well as other political organizations and movements; power of political leaders. Although there is a point of view that state power and political power are one and the same phenomenon. There is a rational grain in this approach since the floor. power really exists in the first place in relation to the state, and its other agents (parties, leaders) appear with the emergence of the state as its attributes. In this case, according to the functions of the institutions exercising it, it is expedient to divide political power into z/d, executive and judicial. Power within a particular social community, depending on the method of organization and methods of ruling, can be democratic or non-democratic, legal and shadow.

The political power structure includes

subjects of power (state, parties, leaders),

objects of power (individual, social group, society),

functions of power (management, regulation, control),

power resources.

The resources of power are the means of imposition, i.e. the means by which the powerful influence of subjects of power on the object of power is carried out.

There are several classifications of political power resources.

1) utilitarian, compulsory, normative.

utilitarian - material and other social benefits related to the daily interests of people (an example of their action is an increase in social payments from the state),

coercive - punishments launched when utilitarian resources are powerless (for example, prosecution strikers who were not afraid of economic sanctions),

normative resources - influence is carried out by changing the rules of interaction between individuals.

2) economic, social, cultural-informational, coercive and demographic resources.

economic - various material values,

social - social statuses,

cultural and informational - information and means of its dissemination and receipt,

coercive resources - army, police, court,

demographic resources - means that a person becomes a resource of power when it is used as a means of realizing someone else's will. In general, a person is a subject and an object, and not a resource of power.

12. Legitimacy of political power and its types.

Legitimacy (from French - legality, the translation does not correspond to the content of the concept) is a positive assessment, recognition of the legitimacy of power, the consent of the population to obey it. Legitimacy is the goal of any regime, because it guarantees the stability of this regime. Do not confuse legitimacy and legality. In some political systems power can be legal and illegitimate, as, for example, during the rule of metropolises in colonial states. In others - legitimate, but illegal, as, say, after the accomplishment of a revolutionary coup, supported by the majority of the population. Thirdly, both legal and legitimate, as, for example, after the victory of certain forces in the elections.

Max Weber made a great contribution to the theory of the legitimacy of political power. He also belongs to the well-known classification of types of legitimacy of power, depending on the motivation of submission:

Traditional legitimacy is characterized by the fact that submission to power has become part of the customs of the people, has become a tradition. Such legitimacy is characteristic of conservative regimes, as, for example, in states with a monarchical form of government, where the supreme power is inherited. Long-term submission to this power (the power of the monarch), which has become a tradition, creates the effect of justice and legitimacy of this power, which gives it stability and sustainability.

Rational (democratic) legitimacy, based on people's belief in the validity of formal rules (for example, the rule of law, the election of the legislature, other general democratic norms) and the need to comply with them. In a state characterized by democratic legitimacy of power Citizens are subject to laws, not to persons.

Charismatic legitimacy is based on the belief in exceptional qualities, a special gift, i.e. charisma of a political leader. Unconditionally believing in all the actions and plans of a charismatic leader, people lose the ability to critically evaluate. This emotional surge, which forms the authority of a charismatic leader, most often occurs during a period of revolutionary change.

Weber also noted especially totalitarian regimes that are outside the scope of the theory of legitimacy. Totalitarianism is not legitimate. One can speak of legitimacy here only at the level of the ruling elite.

The legitimacy of power is closely related to its effectiveness. Efficiency characterizes the degree to which the government performs its functions and achieves its goals. The higher the legitimacy, the more effective the political power and vice versa. For example, crisis situations that have arisen in post-socialist countries cause such a phenomenon when part of the population does not trust either the leaders who have come to power or democratic procedures. There is also no traditional legitimation, because the very foundations of the PSO have been destroyed. This largely complicates the activities of governments in solving various kinds of problems of a generally significant nature.

At the same time totalitarian regimes, not being, by and large, legitimate, have proven their effectiveness in certain situations.

The concept of "power" is one of the fundamental categories of political science. It gives the key to understanding political institutions, politics itself and the state. The inseparability of power and politics is recognized as a matter of course in all political theories past and present. Politics as a phenomenon is characterized by a direct or indirect connection with power and activities for the exercise of power. Social communities and individuals enter into various relations: economic, social, spiritual, political. Politics, on the other hand, is a sphere of relations between social groups, layers, personalities, which deals mainly with the problems of power and control.

The phenomenon of power was paid close attention to by all prominent representatives political science. Each of them contributed to the development of the theory of power.

Modern concepts of power are very diverse. Within the framework of an educational lecture, it is advisable to formulate generalizing provisions.

In the broadest sense of the word, power is the ability and ability to exercise one's will, to have a decisive influence on the activities, behavior of people with the help of any means - authority, law, violence. In this aspect, power is economic, political, state, family and other. Such an approach also requires a distinction between class, group and personal power, which are intertwined but not reducible to each other.

The most important type of power is political power. Political power is real ability given class, group, individual to carry out their will in politics and legal norms. Political power is characterized either by social domination, or the leading role, or the leadership of certain groups, and most often various combinations these qualities.

It should also be noted that the concept of political power is broader than the concept of state power. Political power is exercised not only by state bodies, but also through the activities of parties, public organizations various types. State power is a kind of core of political power. It relies on a special apparatus of coercion and extends to the entire population of a given country. The state has a monopoly right to develop laws and other orders binding on all citizens. State power means a certain organization and activity in the implementation of the goals and objectives of this organization.

In political science, the concept is used source of power. The sources, or foundations, of power are diverse, since the structure of social relations is diverse. The grounds (sources) of power are the means that are used to influence the objects of power in order to achieve the goals. Resources Powers are potential bases of power, that is, means that can be used, but are not yet used or are not used enough. The whole set of used and possible bases of power constitutes its potential.

The recognized source of power is strength. However, the power itself also has certain sources. Sources of strength can be wealth, position, possession of information, knowledge, experience, special skills, organization. Therefore, in general terms, we can say that the source of power is a set of social factors that create the prevailing, dominating, dominating will. In other words, these are economic, social, psychological foundations political power.

The state power can achieve its goals various means, including ideological influence, persuasion, economic incentives and other indirect means. But only she has a monopoly on compulsion with the help of a special apparatus in relation to all members of society.

The main forms of manifestation of power include domination, leadership, management, organization, control.

Political power is closely related to political leadership and authority, which in certain senses act as forms of exercising power.

The emergence and development of political power is due to the vital needs of the formation and evolution of society. Therefore, the government naturally performs exceptionally important special functions. It is the central, organizational and regulatory control of policy. Power is inherent in the organization of society and is necessary to maintain its integrity and unity. Political power is aimed at regulating social relations. It is a tool, the main means of managing all spheres of public life.