The greater the power,
the more dangerous the abuse.
EDMUND BURKE
The depositary of power is always unpopular.
BENJAMIN DISRAELI
Sovereignty, Power,
and Authority
Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
HENRY KISSINGER
AP Comparative Government
Unit III
Power is not only what you have but
what the enemy thinks you have.
SAUL ALINSKY
Sovereignty, Authority,
and Power

In this unit students will study the meaning
and sources of power defined by national
borders, as well as by supranational
systems such as the European Union,
ASEAN, the African Union…
“My people and I have come to
an agreement which satisfies
us both. They are to say what
they please, and I am to do
what I please."
-- Frederick the Great of Prussia
Political Culture

Political culture refers to the collection of
political beliefs, values, practices, and
institutions that the government is based on.
For example, if a society values individualism,
the government will generally reflect this
value in the way that it is structured and in the
way that it operates.
 If the government does not reflect basic
political values of a people, it will have
difficulty remaining viable.

The State


The state is the structure within which the
business of governing takes place.
Finer identifies five characteristics of states.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Geographic borders within which the population
accepts a common government.
Government is served by specialized personnel,
civil to carry out its daily business and military to
protect it from internal and external threats.
The government and population that constitute a
state are recognized by other such entities as
independent and sovereign within its borders.
Nationality
Community
•
The fourth and fifth he feels are more modern in origin.
Combined, they are that the population feels a sense of
common nationality and community.
The Historical Evolution of
Authority in the State

The historical evolution of political traditions
shape a country’s concept of who has the
authority to rule and its definition of
legitimate political power.
 This evolution may be gradual or forced,
long or relatively brief, and the relative
importance of tradition varies from country to
country.
 A country’s political culture is an important
factor in the way it views authority and
power
The State Has Evolved
 While
the state has always been
with us, its form has evolved
substantially.
 This
evolution has revolved around
the matter of authority to govern.
How Do States Gain and Keep
Control?
Four theories
 By Force
 By Evolution
 By Divine Right
 Through Social Contract

Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu…
Power VS Authority
Power is the ability to get someone to do
something -- because that someone feels
required to follow your directions, or
because you're persuasive, or because
you're holding a gun to his head.
 Authority is the RIGHT to use power,
granted by a culture, custom, constitution,
or law.

Power VS Authority

This distinction is important because it is at the
root of many serious political debates.
Should
the US invade Iraq?
• Clearly we had the POWER to
do so, but did we have the
authority?
Power VS Authority

This distinction is important because it is at the
root of many serious political debates.
 Should
the US use extraordinary
rendition to take detainees to third
countries for interrogation?
• Clearly we have the POWER to
do so, but do we have the
authority?
Power VS Authority

This distinction is important because it is at the
root of many serious political debates.
 Should
the US provide universal
health care or control the salaries of
corporate executives?
• Clearly we have the POWER to
do so, but do we have the
authority (via the Constitution)?
Who has political power?
Who has the authority to rule?
Different countries answer these
questions in different ways, but they
all answer them in one way or
another.
 Countries that have no clear answers
often suffer from lack of political
legitimacy - or the right to rule, as
determined by their own citizens


Referred to as Illegitimate or illiberal
Legitimacy

When people feel that their government is valid
and they follow the laws based on some
organization, their government is legitimate.



Legitimacy is a give and take relationship
between the government and the masses.
Legitimacy is the foundation of establishing a
political culture – the politicalization and
socialization of the society.
Political efficacy (the belief that you have the
ability to impact government) is required for a
government to be legitimate
Sovereignty, Authority,
and Power


We will also concentrate on how power is
defined and used in different types of political
regimes, and how political legitimacy is
expressed.
Ask yourself:
What
are the sources of
authority, political power and
governance in the U.S.?
…. in our six core countries?
Sovereignty, Authority,
and Power

Ask yourself:
 What
are the influences and
impacts that history, political
culture and socialization patterns
have had on the political
development of each core country
both individually and
comparatively??
How is Power Obtained?
 Legitimate
Techniques
 ??
 Illegitimate
 ??
Techniques
How is Power Obtained?
 Legitimate
 Must
Techniques
have consent of the governed
• Democratic processes such as elections
• Monarchies, if people support royal rule
 Illegitimate
 Military
Techniques
coup
 Dictator take-over
 Election fraud
Government legitimacy comes
from its sovereignty,
authority, and power

Factors influencing legitimacy include:
The state’s history of leadership
 Supranational systems
 Religious or other social movements
 Economic considerations

How is Legitimate Power
Obtained?

Legitimacy may be secured in a number
of ways, using sources such as
1.
2.
3.
Social compacts
Constitutions
Ideologies
Legitimacy:
Important Themes
1.
2.
What are the Sources of Public Authority
and Political Power?
What was the key to Establishing a
political culture?
You should be aware of both of these in each
of our 6 countries post revolution through
today.
I love power. But it is as an artist
that I love it. I love it as a
musician loves his violin, to draw
out its sounds and chords and
harmonies.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
Democracies and
Legitimacy

The most common source of legitimacy
today is the perception that a government is
operating under democratic principles and is
subject to the will of the people.


Governments often claim a popular mandate to
exercise power, however, how this mandate is
derived can vary sharply from regime to regime.
Liberal democratic states claim democratic
legitimacy on the grounds that they have
regular free and fair contested elections.
Democracies and
Legitimacy

A liberal democratic state may also gain legitimacy if
the population believes that the following factors hold:








Free and fair elections
Accountability
A rigid written constitution, or well-respected
constitutional conventions
Popular participation
A strong and independent media
A system of checks and balances
Economic stability
Political stability
Are Democracies ALWAYS
Legitimate??

Democratic legitimacy is also claimed by states which
reject liberal democracy, and the fact that states
whose values are antithetical to liberal democracy
claim democratic legitimacy causes much controversy
over the meaning of the term democracy.


Communist states often claim democratic legitimacy
on the grounds that they won a popular revolution and
are acting on behalf of the people in accordance with
the scientific rules of Marxism.
Nazism and Fascism also claim (ed) to represent the
will of the people more directly and authentically than
liberal democracy.
Constitutionalism and
Legitimacy

A related form of political legitimacy involves
constitutionalism or the belief that an action
is legitimate because it follows regular
procedure.

This form of legitimacy is related to democracy
in that the justification of those constitutional
procedures are agreed to be popular consent,
but it may result in different outcomes, in that
constitutional procedure often require
supermajorities or are intended to protect
minority groups.
Nationalism and Legitimacy

Patriotism and nationalism can inspire loyalty to
a state.


This can take many forms. Democracy as described
above is sometimes called civic nationalism.
Other forms of nationalism that can be beneficial to
a state include


ethnic nationalism, where the state derives
legitimacy from cultural or hereditary groups,
religious nationalism, where the state derives
legitimacy from a shared religion.
Communism and
Legitimacy

In principle, communist states attempt to
acquire legitimacy through their fostering
economic equality and economic growth.

Food for thought
• However, many communist
states in history moved back to
totalitarian methods when they
failed to achieve these goals.
Traditionalism and
Legitimacy

In monarchies, the king gained legitimacy through the
popular perception that he was the rightful lord of the
kingdom.


This perception was often enhanced by propagating the
belief that he was divinely ordained to hold his post.
This form of legitimacy remains today in the form of
absolute monarchy where the monarch still have
effective power, and constitutional monarchy where
traditional sources of legitimacy have been combined
with democratic and constitutional sources of
legitimacy.
Power is given only to those
who dare to lower
themselves and pick it up.
Only one thing matters, one
thing; to be able to dare!

FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY
When is a Government
considered Legitimate?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Ideology
Continuity
Familiarity
Standing traditions/common
issues
Propaganda – Politicalization.
Strength of force
When is a Government
considered Legitimate?
1.
Ideology
►
Community values and
ideals are reflected
When is a Government
considered Legitimate?
2. Continuity
►
No other force to compete
with the present system.
When is a Government
considered Legitimate?
3. Familiarity
►
The people inherited the
current system. They
know of no other way to
be ruled.
When is a Government
considered Legitimate?
4. Standing
traditions/common issues
►
Bond people together.
When is a Government
considered Legitimate?
5. Propaganda – Politicalization.
►
►
The government controls the
sources of information through a
controlled press or school system.
All you see is what the government
wants you to see.
• This impacts the socialization of
the system.
When is a Government
considered Legitimate?
6. Strength of force
► You follow me or you don’t
follow anyone.
How does a Government
Maintain Legitimacy?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Through Political Institutions
and Organizations
Through Political Ideologies
By establishing Political
Symbols
By unraveling political and
social problems
How does a Government
Maintain Legitimacy?
1.
Through Political Institutions
and Organizations
► Parties, Branches of
Government
How does a Government
Maintain Legitimacy?
2. Through
►
Political Ideologies
Communism, Socialism,
Democracy…
How does a Government
Maintain Legitimacy?
3. By
establishing Political
Symbols
►
Flag, anthem…
How does a Government
Maintain Legitimacy?
4. By
unraveling political and social
problems
►
Work on solving important
issues
How does a Government Maintain
Legitimacy?
These four examples come
together to promote the political
socialization of the stateAnd this establishes the political
culture of one’s society . . .
promoting legitimacy.
"The optimist proclaims that
we live in the best of all
possible worlds; and the
pessimist fears this is true.“
--Irving Caesar
Power tends to corrupt;
absolute power
corrupts absolutely.

LORD ACTON
Sources
•APCG Institute Instructor Dave LaShomb