In my opinion, the government holds the most power in Britain. The government is the system in which a state or community is governed. This includes the creation of a rule, which shows significant power. Within the government, the most influential person, who has power, is the Prime Minister, in this case Tony Blair. However, in some cases, the government are powerless, such as the Foot and Mouth Crisis. They cannot do anything in their power to solve this crisis. A further example is the Petrol crisis, where in this instance, it seemed that protestors had power by protesting that prices were too high.
The power within the House of Commons is achieved by hard work and is therefore typed as Legal rational Power. The House of Lords, is inherited, and is therefore known as traditional power.
Protestors have little power in Britain compared with the government, but still, they are heard, and their support is great. They influence many, which in turn is power. Although their methods can be radical, there are such groups like Green Peace that are supported by Political parties like the Green Party. In some instances, protestors express their beliefs through methods of propaganda, including the media.
The media have significant power in modern Britain, mainly because they have the ability to communicate with mass figures of people. Also, people tend to believe what they hear, see, or read which makes media a great source of power in terms of influencing and strength. If an article in the paper, or an interview on TV is convincing, no matter how far from the truth it is, media always has the power to change peoples opinion on a certain issue. That to me is great power, and if not used responsibly can effect and change lives of many people. This can be substantiated with the example of when the News of the World printed the address of a paedophile, and as a result, this certain person was assaulted. This shows to a further extent the power in which the media has!
Another place in which the power lies within Britain is the armed forces. Firstly, the British army has great power in terms of strength, authorisation, and mass responsibility. It can be argued that a powerful army makes a powerful country. The armed forces have the ability if given permission to fire upon other countries, which is power in itself. The armed forces including forces such as the Royal Air Force, The British Navy, The Navy Seals, all have power in different ways. The armed forces are vital for the survival of Britain if war should occur, and are therefore given great power by the government. The armed forces are also given the job to protect the monarchy.
The monarchy has to a certain extent power within Britain. This type of power is inherited, and is therefore categorised as Traditional power. At the time of the British Empire the monarchy had huge authority over millions, but more recently, the Queen in this case, has less power than what the monarchy used to have. When laws are passed through the House of Commons, the Queen has the power to pass or reject it. This is power, as the laws, which Britain obeys, are as a result of the Queens approval. The Queen also has great influence, and therefore attracts many tourists, which helps the British economy, thus helping businesses.
Huge businesses within Britain such as Harrods, Virgin, and even McDonalds, have huge power. It's big businesses like these that control what we spend and purchase. Businesses improve the British economy and help the British stock market. Other businesses that aren't so huge also have great power. For example, agricultural industries, and mining industries provide us with the basics, which are a great responsibility, and therefore a powerful part of Britain. Without these basic materials, the people of Britain would suffer.
A more Legal Rational form of power is in the hands of those who have great academic status. These academics have great knowledge, and earn their future occupations, some of which hold great power, usually due to hard work and commitment. It is the academics of today that will have the power over Britain in the future. They are the gatekeepers of knowledge.
From a more religious point of view, the pope also has power over many. This power is also known as Traditional power. The pope's power is over millions of people who follow Christianity; many look up to him as a role model. His power isn't just in Britain though, as he travels all over the world to control the church.
In a way, celebrities also have power. For me, super DJ's such as Paul van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren have huge influence over me, just like other bands and musicians have influence over others. Movie stars, musicians, authors, control the entertainment in which we follow. In some cases, they control the money we spend on entertainment, and therefore hold power.
In conclusion, the power within Britain lies in many places: the government, protestors, businesses, armed forces, the pope, media, the monarchy and even celebrities. However, the power in which they hold differs immensely, as some power is more significant and important than others, and some is just generally greater and larger than others. There are many ways in which power can be categorised. I believe the most power lies with the government, as it controls the way in which our country is run, and also has authority over everyone in Britain in some way.
