Power and Authority
Power is the ability of a person or group to get others to do what they want, even against their own wishes or interests, whether through persuasion, reward or force.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Define power precisely, the ability to get others to act as you wish even against their will, and distinguish it from authority, power that is seen as legitimate.
- Learn Weber's three ideal types of authority in order, with a one-line definition and a named or clearly described example for each: traditional, charismatic, legal-rational.
- Practise identifying which type of authority a given scenario illustrates, by asking 'why do people accept this person's right to lead?' (tradition, personal qualities, or formal rules?).
- Learn the distinction between authority and coercion: coercive power is maintained by force or fear rather than being accepted as legitimate.
- Note that real leaders can combine types, e.g. an elected leader (legal-rational) who also has strong personal charisma, and be ready to explain why a case is 'mainly' one type.
- For an evaluation question on which type of authority is most stable or most democratic, weigh named strengths and weaknesses of each type and reach a supported conclusion.
Worked example
A new political movement forms around a single inspirational speaker who has no formal office or hereditary claim to power, but whose followers say they trust her personal vision for the country. Identify which type of Weberian authority this best illustrates, and explain your reasoning.
- Note what is missing: there is no hereditary claim, which rules out traditional authority, and no formal, rule-based office, which rules out legal-rational authority.
- Note what is present: followers explicitly cite the leader's personal qualities and vision as their reason for following her.
- Match this to Weber's typology: authority based on the exceptional personal qualities of an individual leader is charismatic authority.
- State the conclusion with the reasoning: this is charismatic authority, because legitimacy rests on the leader's personal appeal rather than tradition or a formal rule-based office.
- Add the evaluative point: Weber noted charismatic authority is often unstable, since it can fade if the leader loses popularity, and creates a succession problem when the leader leaves.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Define power.Show answer
Answer: The ability of a person or group to get others to do what they want, even against their own wishes, through persuasion, reward or force.
Q2Define authority.Show answer
Answer: Power that is seen as legitimate by those subject to it, so they accept the right of the person or institution to exercise it.
Q3Name Weber's three types of authority.Show answer
Answer: Traditional, charismatic and legal-rational authority.
Q4Give an example of traditional authority.Show answer
Answer: A hereditary monarch, whose right to rule is accepted because of long-established custom and lineage.
Q5Why did Weber see charismatic authority as relatively unstable?Show answer
Answer: Because it depends on the personal qualities of one individual leader, so it can weaken if the leader's popularity fades, and it creates problems finding a successor once that leader is gone.
Q6Explain the difference between authority and coercion.Show answer
Answer: Authority is power accepted as legitimate by those subject to it, whereas coercion is power maintained mainly through fear or force, without that acceptance.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Sociology exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Explain two differences between traditional authority and legal-rational authority, using Weber's typology.
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Discuss the view that legal-rational authority is the most appropriate basis for power in a modern society. Refer to Weber's typology of authority in your answer.
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See real GCSE Sociology past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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