- According to Harold Lasswell, politics is “who gets what, when, and how” and that political science is the study of “the shaping and sharing of power.”
- Power is the ability to have others do something, whether they like it or not. It often connotes sanctions for those who will not abide.
Kinds of Power:
- Legitimate power or "Positional power", it is the power of an individual because of the relative position and duties of the holder of the position within an organization.
- Referent power is the power or ability of individuals to attract others and build loyalty. It's based on the charisma and interpersonal skills of the power holder. A person may be admired because of specific personal trait, and this admiration creates the opportunity for interpersonal influence.
- Expert power is an individual's power deriving from the skills or expertise of the person and the organization's needs for those skills and expertise.
- Reward power depends on the ability of the power wielder to confer valued material rewards.
- Coercive power is the application of negative influences. It includes the ability to demote or to withhold other rewards.
- Informational power Informational power is based on the potential use of informational resources.