Understanding Political Power: Key Concepts & Definitions
Understanding Political Power: Key Concepts
Political Power: Authority common to all individuals of society, able to solve problems such as the collective distribution of economic resources, conflicts between social groups, or community defense.
Forms of Political Organization
State: A form of organization that exercises its power over a group of people living in a well-defined territory.
Territory: The physical basis of a state, bounded by state borders.
Border: An imaginary line that limits the territory over which a state exercises its authority.
People and Governance
Ethnicity: A natural grouping of individuals who share common cultural features and live in the same territory.
Nation: A group of people who share common traits.
Supranational Organizations: Decision centers that replace states themselves in certain areas, operating above national borders.
Range: The ability to govern themselves by their own laws.
Federation: A state political grouping that has a defined end.
Types of Government
Democracy: A government that exercises sovereignty through the will of the people.
Dictatorship: A government not chosen democratically.
Election: The action of electing a leader or representative.
Culture and Society
Interculturalism: The exchange between two or more cultures.
Decolonization: The process of a territory gaining independence from a dominating power.
Community: A social group characterized by a territorial link and cohabitation, or an affinity of interests and ideological convictions.
Multinational: All that is formed by several nations.
Mosaic: A composition of juxtaposed elements.
Governmental Bodies
Parliament: A representative house of a state.
Senate: A chamber that reviews and approves laws made by the congress.
Congress: A house of parliament with legislative power.
State Structures
Unitary States: States that hardly recognize any autonomy to the provinces that make them up, promoting uniformity in laws.
Decentralized States: States that recognize a degree of autonomy to the territories that belong to them.
Federal States: States where responsibilities are shared by the central government and constituent territories.
Confederal States: States that bring together independent states that delegate powers such as defense and foreign policy to the government of the confederation.
Dictatorship vs. Democracy
Dictatorship
Power is concentrated in the hands of a small group of people, which may be a party, a single organization, or a person (the dictator). The rights and freedoms of citizens are limited. There is no freedom to express opinions different from the official position of the system. Citizen participation in political life is scarce or nonexistent. The group that controls the power prevents opposition using methods ranging from control of the media to physical violence against those who do not share their ideas.
Democracy
Democracies are based on citizens’ rights and the expression of popular will through free votes. Power is vested in the whole. The constitution or fundamental law of democracy explicitly recognizes these basic principles. Free elections are held regularly, in which citizens of age choose rulers and authorities representing the whole nation. The decisions taken by the authorities reflect the desires of most citizens and protect the rights of minorities. Citizens have rights and freedoms.
Branches of Government in a Democracy
- Legislative Power: The ability to make and pass laws for all members of the community.
- Executive Power: Involves implementing laws and creating the means and mechanisms for compliance.
- Judiciary Power: The power held by judges and courts.
Both the judiciary and the legislature have the task of controlling the executive.