Sociology of Political Order - An Introduction

Source: Ian Robertson

Over 2000 years ago the philosopher Aristostle observed that we are political animals. We are indeed, and necessarily so, for politics is an inevitable consequence of social living.

Power: "the ability to control the behaviour of others, even in the absence of their consent."

When people accept the control even when they diagree with its application to them, it legitimate power. A judge's decision is accepted by a person even though he may not be happy with the decision.

It is coercion when people do not agree with the exercise of power. A dacoit taking away household goods by controlling the behaviour of people by threatening them with dire consequences.

State

State is the institution in the society that successfully claims a monopoly on the right to use force within a given territory.