L5: State Power and Authority Flashcards
who made a systemised approach to thinking about power
steven lukes
what are the three (broad) faces of power
- ‘First face’- Intuitive definition
- ‘Second face’- Agenda Setting
- ‘Third face’- Sociology of power
In relation to the first face of power, empirical studies differ between:
o Pluralists: see political power as distributed across multiple decision makers
o Elitists: see political power concentrated in the hands of a few
What did dahls study on who has power show
o power to be distributed across networks of individuals (‘notables’ in his terminology); no one person or office governs, but there are dense networks among those who do
the second face of power sees a shift from what to what
• Shifted from looking specifically at individuals and their power, but rather the situation and context of the event
explain what emphasis the second face of power has
o Emphasis on the context and process through which decisions are made, not the decisions themselves
who described the second face of power
• Peter Bachrach and Morton Baratz:
who described the third face of power
• Lukes’ Power: A Radical View (1974)
explain the third face of power
o that shapes interests- the ways people interact with each other + interests within
o First two faces of power focus on specific conflicts and who ‘wins’ - power is often exercise outside such conflicts
what is the third face of power built on
• Antonio Gramsci’s ideas about hegemony : idea that any ruling class in systems is try to inculcate ideas and beliefs which support them against the interests against the people who should be arguing against it
eg. cast system
how is power exercised (3rd face)
exercised by shaping the interests of people through ideological means
what type of power do liberals prefer and why
pluralist power structures as a guard against absolutism and to protect freedom – this is the essence of the separation of powers doctrine
what sort of power should the state have according to liberal ideology
• The Harm Principle suggests a very limited scope of power and limited to Face 1 – the power to prevent A from harming B
