The Use Of Power

Power is ability to do or have done what will commands and the mind plans. It can be used for good or ill. Happiness comes from good use, misery from ill use. The role of power in a struggle between protagonists focuses on the differences between individuals and groups. They have different goals and interests. No one enters the arena sure of losing, and there is no position so strong that it cannot be overturned.

Power is also important in the creative actions of people and the possibility for change. If something happens there is usually someone or group behind it, emphasising the importance of managerial skills. Explanations of the exercise of power often sound as if the actions were consensual, arrived at by the group. It is probably partly true that the decision was made after a process, a struggle, with power underlying it.

According to Lukes, power is getting someone to do something they wouldn't otherwise do. It involves a conflict of interests. At another level, power is preventing or excluding options from being considered and further than that, the prevention of the forming of preferences and choices. The narrowed social horizons of working class people may be a case of such a radical view of power. A group under power never able to formulate its own interests.

The formation of coalitions, according to Fincham and Rhodes, is an important power tactic. Interest groups faced with powerful opposition join forces. A winning coalition will depend on the relative power of the groups involved. If the combined power of smaller unified groups is sufficient against a third group the coalition will succeed. If not, it might not be worth forming. The groups might be in agreement about everything but unable to work together without a good manager. Differentiation among managers is important. The issue at stake will be a condition of formation. It may unite otherwise unlikely or disparate groups. Interest group tactics are the preferred option of professionals.

There is always uncertainty in the outcomes of coalition formation. There is usually imperfect information. Gains and losses are spoken of but they are the expectations of people. The amount of power each potential individual or group has is difficult to determine so also the power of the coalition. Each participant has the opportunity of winning. The actions taken by the leaders can turn a weak position into a winning combination by applying good management skills.