What are the similarities of power and authority

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The main difference between authority and power is that power is the capacity of a person to influence the beliefs, actions, or behavior of others, whereas authority is the legitimate power an individual or a group of individuals possess and practice over other individuals.

In politics and sociology, the terms authority and power refer to the impact or influence the governments and political systems have on individuals and larger social systems. Power and authority are two inter-related concepts. Although power is necessary for authority, it is sometimes possible to have power without authority.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is Power
      – Definition, Features
2. What is Authority
     – Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Authority and Power
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Authority, Power, Sociology

What is Power

We can define power as the capacity or ability of a person to influence the beliefs, actions, or behavior of others. Most sociological scholars use Max Weber’s definition of the concept of power, i.e., power is the ability to exercise one’s will over others.

Power can affect all in society. It can affect not just personal relationships but also larger social groups, professional organizations, as well as governments. Some see power as evil or corrupting, while some see it as good and empowering. A government’s power is not only limited to control the citizens of that government. A powerful country can also influence or support other countries or try to seize control of another country. The US joining the Allied Forces during the second world war and imposing sanctions on the North Korean government are two examples of dominant countries impacting other governments in the world. Attempts to gain power can sometimes lead to war, violence, abuse, or exploitation, for example, military coupes or rebellions.

However, it’s possible to command power without violence or military actions. Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. were able to become powerful influences and positively impact people using non-violent protests to combat injustice and corruption in society.

As we discussed in the introduction, authority is interrelated to power. We can define authority as the legitimate power an individual or a group of individuals possess and practice over other individuals. We call this legitimate power; this refers to the power individuals agree to follow according to specific procedures. They follow or listen to people in authority because they believe that these individuals are in a position that inherently holds a degree of respect or because they believe that these individuals are worthy of respect. An interaction between a police officer and a normal citizen in the country is a common example of how people interact with figures of authority in everyday life. Government authorities and elected officials are some other figures of authorities people usually accept. As seen from such interactions, people usually perceive the actions and demands of such authority figures as legitimate, reasonable, or true.

Max Weber divided authority into three categories: traditional authority, charismatic authority, and legal-rational authority. In traditional authority, the legitimacy of power exists due to long-standing tradition, for example, the king in a country. In charismatic authority, people accept the power because of the personal characteristics of the leader. Napoleon and Martin Luther King, Jr. are examples of such leaders. Furthermore, in legal-rational authority, the power becomes legitimate by laws, written rules, and regulations.

Definition

Power is the capacity of a person to influence the beliefs, actions, or behavior of others, whereas authority is the legitimate power an individual or a group of individuals possess and practice over other individuals.

Legitimacy

Power can be obtained illegitimately, whereas authority is legitimate power.

People’s Acceptance

Sometimes, an individual can have power, but without people’s acceptance. But in authority, people’s acceptance is mandatory.

Conclusion

The main difference between authority and power is that power is the capacity of a person to influence the beliefs, actions, or behavior of others, whereas authority is the legitimate power an individual or a group of individuals possess and practice over other individuals.

Reference:

1. “Power and Authority.” Introduction to Sociology | Lumen Learning.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Authority” By Nick Youngson (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Picpedia.org

When it comes to influencing or modifying others, two situations go hand in hand in the field of management: power and authority. These two are often used to compel people to act in a specific way. Many people believe that power and authority are synonymous, but there is a fine line between the two. It is meaningful to know the difference between them.

The main difference between power and authority is that power is a person’s ability to influence the opinions, actions, or behavior of someone else, whereas authority is the absolute power that a person or a group of individual citizens possesses and exercises over other individual people.

A formal designation or leadership role that gives someone the ability to influence others within their organization is referred to as authority. A person in positions of authority is frequently powerful, but power is not required for authority. Many hierarchical systems and organizations rely on authority to function quickly and efficiently.

On the other hand, Power is known as a person’s capacity or power to affect the belief systems, motives, or behavioral patterns of others. To become powerful, a person or organization doesn’t seem to have any prominent place inside a hierarchy. For example, even if they do not hold a managerial title, an employee with high experience and technical expertise will often become powerful and influential to their peer group, supervisors, and customers.

Authority is defined as the legitimate power that a person or a group of individual people possesses and exercises over others. This is referred to as legitimate power, as it refers to the power that individuals agree to follow according to specific procedures. They obey or listen to people in positions of authority even though they believe these people are fundamentally respected or just because they believe that these people are deserving of respect.

A typical example of how people communicate with figures of authority in daily situations is an encounter between a police officer and a regular citizen in the country. Other figures of authority that people generally acknowledge are public officials and elected representatives.

It is bestowed upon high-ranking officials to achieve the organization’s goals. It is centralized, flowing downward, that is, assigned from leader to subservient. In particular, authority is used to accomplish tasks through the use of others. It is affixed to the role, which means that anyone who obtains the position enjoys the authority that comes with it; the higher the position, the greater his authority. Because the authority is in the designation, the position offered to the person would be useless in the absence of authority. Furthermore, it is limited to the organization.

German Sociologist, Max Weber, distinguished three types of authority: traditional authority, charismatic authority, and legal-rational authority. The legitimacy of power exists in traditional authority leading to heavy culture. People accept charismatic authority because of the leader’s personal characteristics. Further to that, in the case of legal-rational authority, the power is legitimized through laws and written rules.

What is Power?

The term power refers to an individual’s personal ability to persuade others to do or not do something. It is self-sufficient and unofficial in nature, owing to status. It is a learned skill derived from knowledge and experience. It is the right to direct the behavior, choices, and actions of others. Most sociological scholars adhere to Max Weber’s definition of power, which states that power is the ability to exert one’s will over others.

Power has an impact on everyone in society. It can have an impact not only on close relationships, as well as on larger social groups and professional bodies. Some regard power as immoral or manipulating, while others regard it as beneficial and empowering. 

Power can be acquired through experience and ended up losing through mistakes and bad actions, but people do tend to become more important and successful as they work or live for longer periods of time.

Power is not hierarchical, because it can move in any direction, such as from senior to subordinate (downward) or junior to senior (upward), either between people who work at the same standard but in various departments of the same organization (horizontal), or even between people working at different levels and divisions of the same organization (vertical) (diagonal). It is not constrained in this way by any boundaries. Furthermore, it is frequently associated with politics.

Main Differences Between Authority and Power

The main distinctions between power and authority can be simply drawn on the following basis:

1. The legal and formal right to issue orders and commands, as well as make decisions, is referred to as authority, whereas Power is known as an individual’s ability or capability to influence and control the actions of others. 
2. Authority is an official right that vests in the hands of high-ranking officials or management personnel, whereas Power is a personality factor, i.e. an acquired ability.
3. Authority is complex and static, whereas Power is flexible and adaptable.
4. Authority can be depicted in an organizational chart because it flows downwards, whereas Power cannot be accurately depicted because it flows in many directions.
5. Authority is legitimate power, whereas Power on the other hand can also be obtained illegally.

Conclusion

Following a review of the preceding points, it is completely transparent that power and authority are not the same things but both are the methods of persuading others. Power is neither legitimate nor formal, whereas authority is both. Power has nothing to do about a person’s level or position. On the other hand, authority is entirely dependent on such two factors, that is the position level defines an individual’s level of authority. Violence can be a powerful person’s strategy, but using violent acts usually causes an authority figure to end up losing legitimacy.

References

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