'A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do'. Does this sum up the essence of political power?
'A gets B to do something that he or she would not otherwise do'. Does this sum up the essence of political power? Political power has been described as an "essentially contested concept1" and for good reason. Of all of the concepts in political science, power is probably that which is debated most often. This is perhaps unsurprising due to its importance within the discipline. Heywood suggests that "without doubt, students of politics are students of power2". The quote in the question refers to Robert Dahl's "intuitive idea of power3" outlined in his early article 'The Concept of Power4'. It is also the most commonly used 'definition' of power; however, to what extent does it describe the nature and essence of political power? As the extensive debate suggests, there are many problems when defining power. As the 'Oxford Dictionary of Politics explains, issues of "Intentionality", "Comparability and Quantifiability" and "Time and Causation5'" make arriving at a definition very difficult. Without Intentionality, it argues, "we are left with a paradoxical and useless concept of power... the concept of power becomes vague to the point of meaningless". Also, for a universal concept of power, it must allow for comparative analyses in the form of "A has more power than C in context x" or "A has more power than anybody else in context x" for example. This quote in the question
'All political parties are prey to the iron law of oligarchy.' Discuss
'All political parties are prey to the iron law of oligarchy.' Discuss The 'iron law of oligarchy' was a phrase first used by the German sociologist Roberto Michels in his book Political Parties, published in 1916. From historic insight and studies of both the German SPD and the Italian Socialist parties, Michels concluded that all parties, whatever their initial intensions, would be controlled by a political elite or oligarchy, who separated themselves, by the control of the bureaucracy, from the masses of their own party ranks. The reasons for this tendency towards oligarchy were the natural necessity for society to have a ruling class, the self fuelling desire for party officials to gain and retain power, and the effectiveness that centralised parties had in a political environment. Since 1916 Michels' work has gained a huge amount of support, particularly as the pressures of parties to centralise power is becoming more important in an increasingly competitive political world, but it is not without its critics. Opponents claim that Michels and his followers paint too black and white a picture and while there does seem to be a strong tendency for oligarchy to form, it can not be said to be an 'iron rule', as there are a number of examples where political parties have not taken on such a form. Much of Michels 'iron rule' theory was influenced heavily by Karl Marx'
Why is the single currency so important? Discuss with relation to issues of economic and political union.
Why is the single currency so important? Discuss with relation to issues of economic and political union. The introduction of the single European currency on 1st January 1999 represented, without doubt, a revolution in the way economic matters of Europe are managed. The economies of Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland are now to a large extent harmonized under the one common currency, the Euro. Never before has such a project been undertaken uniting currencies and cultures alike. As deepening and widening of the European Union (EU) continues at a rapid pace, how does the single currency fit into the aims and goals of the European Council, and more importantly the aspirations of European citizens? Why is the success Euro crucial to the EU's long term stability and longevity? What political opposition exists towards the importance of the Euro as a driving force for further political integration? It is these questions that this essay seeks to address, providing political and economic reasoning in support of my arguments. Economically speaking, the introduction of the Euro was primarily designed to create a more stable European economy. Indeed, it was set out clearly in the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 as the underpinnings of all the European Commission's financial objectives for the single
Why is the Common Agricultural Policy so difficult to reform?
Ross Lucas GV244 Essay 3 Why is the Common Agricultural Policy so difficult to reform? The political stakes attached to CAP reform are high, with several groups having a vested interest in its future. The CAP was the first supranational policy of the EU, and some countries still hold a romantic attachment to rural culture, although now only 5% of the EU workforce is comprised of farmers, a figure which shrinks every year1. Yet this minority holds enough power to preserve CAP subsidies, against the interests of taxpayers and consumers. There are several reasons for this, the predominant one being that "there is greater institutional presence and activity in the agricultural field than in any other" 2. This applies to both the national and European level. Indeed the size and organisation of the EU farm lobby is greater than any comparative group, with potential countervailing forces being much smaller and less organised than the farm lobby. This essay will focus on three particular areas that make CAP difficult to reform; the susceptibility of national governments to pressure from the domestic agricultural community, the institutional bias in the EU towards agricultural interests and the asymmetry of interests towards CAP between consumers and farmers. Despite its obvious decline the farming population in the EU remains significant. In France
What evidence is there that the state is still the dominant actor in World Politics?
What evidence is there that the state is still the dominant actor in World Politics? For some 300 years from its emergence in the mid seventeenth century the state - in the specific form of the nation state - was rightly regarded as the dominant actor in international economic relationships. (Dicken; 1998, pp 79) One of the most prominent features of the global political system in the second half of the twentieth century is the significant surge in numbers and importance of non state entities. The rise of these transnationally organised non state actors (NSA) and their growing involvement in world politics challenge the assumptions of traditional approaches to international relations which assume that states are the only important units of the international system. This essay plans to analyse the extent of the states dominance in the sphere of world politics. The analysis of NSA influence and the states gradually decreasing dominance shall be explored with reference to two vastly different schools of thought. The first school of thought to be examined is that of 'realism' where a state-centric approach is adopted. The second school of thought to be considered is that of a complex interdependence system where NSA enjoy an almost equal pegging to that of states in the field of international relations. This essay shall refer to and question amongst other things, the growing
