Which type of political power in your opinion is the most dangerous and/or destructive?
In social science and politics, the word “power” is used to define the influence of a person on the behavior and actions of the public. Political power enables the ones in charge to use the public resources, governmental and social programs as they see them fit. I think that the term “political power” does not only refer to the King, Prime Minister or the President, but it also includes business heads, the bosses, the CEOs or anyone in charge.
French and Raven came up with five forms of power in 1959. The legitimate power comes from electoral mandates, cultural norms, social hierarchies, and organizational structures. Reward power is when people expect to get rewards from a person if they perform certain actions. CEOs, managers, and directors who can provide raises, promotions or opportunities are believed to have reward power. Coercive power enables a person to threaten or put someone into a situation they will preferably want to avoid. By knowledge and skill, people possess expert power that makes other people value their decisions and judgments. Referent power comes when people have a strong liking for someone. Celebrities possess this power and thus, can influence certain affairs of people’s lives.
Any power that is being exploited or being misused is destructive in my opinion. Anyone in charge who uses its influence over others in an unhealthy manner or is unfair or unjust to the people under him is destructively using his power. Although all types of power can be exploited in certain ways, I believe that if misused, legitimate power would prove to be the most dangerous one because it influences much larger and sensitive areas of people’s lives. It is capable of affecting social, political, economic and religious aspects as well.
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