12.1 Describe the sociological definition of power.

12.2 Discuss the importance of power and privilege in societies.

12.3 Compare the key points of the pluralist and elite theories of power.

12.4 Explain why some people participate in political systems and others do not.

12.5 Describe the major types of governmental systems in operation today.

12.6 Provide examples of the threats political systems can face from internal and external groups vying for power.

Key Points:

• Power involves the ability to realize one’s will, despite resistance.
• Power and economics impact our intimate (micro-level) lives, our (meso-level) organizations and institutions, and our (macro-level) national and global structures and policies.
• Leadership facilitates getting things done in any social group. It can be accomplished through raw power (coer­cion) or through authority (granted by the populace). Different types of leadership invest authority in the person, the position, or both.
• Various theories illuminate different aspects of political power and view policy-making processes in democra­cies very differently—as dominated by the power elite or as distributed among various groups so that no one group has complete power (pluralism).
• At the micro level of a political institution, individuals decide whether or not to vote or participate in politics. These decisions are not just individual choices but are shaped by culture and structures of the society.
• At the meso level, the political institution (when it func­tions well) works to resolve conflicts and to address social needs within the political system. This may be done with authoritarian or democratic structures. Within nations, meso-level political parties and poli­cies can also have major implications for national power distribution.
• The economic system ensures production and distribu­tion of goods in the society, and the type of economy in a society determines who has the power to plan for the future and who has access to resources.
• At the macro level, nation-states have emerged only in the past few centuries as part of modernity.
• At the global level, issues of power, access to resources, alienation, and ideology shape economic policies, war, terrorism, and the prospects for lives of peace and pros­perity for citizens around the globe.

Summary:

Political and economic systems are both sources of power and are highly interlinked. Those who have high status in one institution tend to also have high status in the other. However, some political and economic systems do a better job of producing and distributing resources, ensuring accountability of power so it is less probing, and providing checks on abuses of power.