Power, Authority and Force are Distinct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Power, Authority and Force are Distinct - Essay Example Power, authority and force are three different aspects of an individual’s or society’s life. In a country, it is the government that is the sole authority and has the power to make decisions for the social welfare and wellbeing of the people. However, despite such power, the government cannot force or impose rules upon people if they do not wish to follow them and thus, there has to be some room left for liberal thinking or allowing the will of the people to persist. Power thus is the ability to get work done because of leadership skills; it is the capacity that a person may have in order to perform some work or carry out an action in an effective manner. Authority on the other hand is the supremacy or command that a person or a body has, to make decisions. Finally, force is the manner in which a person may impose upon another or coerce another in order to do something or carry out an action. In this manner, these three terms are distinct and will be discussed with vari ous examples during the course of this essay. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) All over the world, all the time, there are various examples of these three terms being combined and used in the same situation; where there is authority, there is power being wielded because only an authority on some matter has not only the full right but also the ability to exercise something; and sometimes, this exercising of power by an authority might turn out to be forceful upon a group of people that do not wish to follow it. Power is the ability to influence the outcome of events. It could be both correctly as well as incorrectly used and the incorrect use of power would lead to coercion or force upon people. Authority on the other hand is a very subjective term because it is bestowed upon people that seemingly do well in their respective fields; people who may be deemed fit in order to carry out a certain task. (Jovial Bard) For example, the president of the country is rightfully elected as the autho rity to carry out certain powers but they are not forced or imposed upon people. However, in some cases, like in countries where there are monarchs or countries like China that are completely republican in nature, the power wielded by the authority is forced upon the individuals and they have no choice but to follow the same. There are various views on this very subject; taking into account the reign of Saddam Hussein, the despotic leader, it may be understood that he assumed authority without commanding respect for the same. Thus, in the eyes of the rest of the world, especially the United States of America, he was deemed to be an illegitimate leader, who just assumed an authoritarian position. He had access to weapons of mass destruction which he threatened people all over the world with and thus this was an application of force on his part because of the high power that he held as the president of a country, as he imposed fear among the citizens and led them to a very terrifying and horrific way of life. (Bowen, D) Over the years, nonetheless, the power that the United States has over the rest of the world has been growing; especially because after the 9/11 attacks, the entire world held sympathy for the country and thus supported it with all their might. However, as the US has been