Understanding Political Power and the Modern State
What is Political Power?
Power is the capacity to influence the behavior of others. It exists in various forms within human society – military, religious, sports, etc. This article focuses on political power, which possesses these key characteristics:
Characteristics of Political Power
- It affects the entire community.
- It is inescapable and coercive, meaning non-compliance results in sanctions.
According to sociologist Max Weber, the state is a political community governed by a power that holds a monopoly on legitimate violence.
How is Political Power Manifested?
Political power manifests through rules and laws. These rules, like power itself, are generally unavoidable and coercive. They are enforced to maintain order. The rule of law, therefore, is a manifestation of political power. Other non-legal standards, such as social norms, educational regulations, religious norms, and sports rules, also exert influence but with social rather than legal sanctions.
Legitimacy of Power
Why do people obey power?
Max Weber also addressed the question of legitimacy. Power is considered legitimate when there is a consensus within society that it is just and rightful. Weber identified three primary reasons for the legitimation of power throughout history:
- Physical Strength: This is the most primitive form of legitimacy, where the strongest group dominates.
- Traditional Legitimization: Power is inherited through traditional means, often passed down from one generation to the next. This includes charismatic authority, where a leader derives legitimacy from their personality and charisma.
- Legal Form: Legitimacy rests on established laws. Power is considered legitimate when it arises from democratic processes like elections.
Political Organizations and the State
Political power operates through increasingly complex organizations. An organization is a structured entity with interconnected parts, inputs, outputs, and functions aimed at self-preservation. All organizations exhibit resistance to change.
Power and politics are inherent to all organizations. Every human society has some form of political organization, with varying levels of development. However, not all political organizations are considered states.
Characteristics of a State
A state is a distinct political organization with the following characteristics:
- It emerges within a specific time and territory. The modern state originated in Western Europe during the Renaissance (late Middle Ages and early modern period).
- It features the institutionalization of power relations.
Institutions
An institution is a structure with human, material, and financial resources dedicated to achieving specific objectives. In the context of a state, institutions aim to serve the general interest. A state comprises a set of political institutions, such as the Canary Islands.
Elements of a State
From another perspective, a state consists of three fundamental elements:
- Political Power: This is essential for a state to exist. In the modern state, it is often referred to as sovereign power or sovereignty.
- People: A state cannot exist without a population. The state exercises power over individuals from birth to death, influencing aspects like nationality and legal status.
- Territory: A state must have a defined territory, typically demarcated by borders. This includes land, airspace, and maritime zones.
1. Political Power (Sovereignty)
Sovereignty in the modern state has two key characteristics:
- Supreme Power: There is no higher authority within a state’s borders.
- Perpetuity: Sovereignty is theoretically indefinite, although increasing interdependence between states in modern times has led to limitations on absolute sovereignty.
2. People (Nationality)
The state’s power extends to its people throughout their lives. Nationality establishes a unique legal and political relationship between an individual and a state.
3. Territory
A state’s territory encompasses not only its landmass but also its airspace and maritime zones. Defining maritime borders can be complex, as seen in the case of the Canary Islands and Morocco, where disputes over the median line determining territorial waters persist.
Problems in the Canary Islands
:
The problem of territorial sea in the Canaries. The International Law of the Sea says that when two states are close as Morocco and Lanzarote, half of the sea for one and the other half goes to the other, so that the median is plotted. This Morocco does not recognize it.
Inland canary, for example, Tenerife – Gran Canaria. In between have no control over international waters