Power and Authority

Power and Authority

The concept of authority is complex and difficult, but extremely important because it cuts to the heart of all human social arrangements. Authority is most often defined in terms of power, and specifically in terms of having the power to control things or affect outcomes.

Some, however, argue that authority is very different from mere power because authority is something which must be accepted voluntarily whereas power can exist without consent. Max Weber distinguished three types of authority based upon the nature of their legitimacy, which is another key issue in the discussion of authority systems. The three ...