Мухаев. SECTION II. The basic categories and problem complexes of a political science

The policy world represents the special kind of a social reality consisting of political artefacts (objects) - political institutes, the organisations, traditions and representations, the senses setting a line of activity of political actors (subjects). This difficult world of interactions concerning the political power, its organisation, distribution, realisation is described by a political science by means of a set of the categories (concepts) making language of a science. Each category describes quite certain set of the political phenomena and processes, reserving the concrete maintenance. By means of these concepts the policy world speaks, its interpretation is carried out.

Мухаев. Theme 5. The power, domination, legality

Policy basis is the power. It is presented by the state, its establishments and resources. The power promotes effective satisfaction of valid, group and private interests. For this reason it acts as the main object of struggle and interaction of groups, parties, movements, the states, individuals. However the power appears also the most mysterious, a puzzle in the politician. As the French philosopher E.Sharte has fairly noticed, «the power is inexplicable, and in they be its force». Nevertheless requirements of social development demand finding-out, whether is the power abstraction, a symbol or real action. Not one generation of philosophers, sociologists, political scientists tried to open the power nature, to understand that forces a society, group, the person to submit the authorities of the adventurer, the artful ambitious man, the worthless governor, the tyrant: fear of violence or desire to obey? Naturally, the power is not necessarily connected with violence: It is possible to speak about the power of gesture, idea, a sight, beauty, words, an instinct etc. Besides, carriers of the political power separate persons, groups, classes, parties, the states act.

The power as a category of a political science

Social sense of the power: a parity of the political power with domination, authority and legality

In XVIII century the French thinker Г дe Mabli (1709-1785) so has defined social appointment of the power: «the Purpose which is put to themselves by the people united by laws, is reduced to formation of the public power for prevention and suppression of violence and injustice of separate persons». The power was considered in those days as the terminator of an arbitrariness of monarchs, noblemen, a class of proprietors. However from the point of view of its social essence, a special role in a society the power represents itself as the universal mechanism of integration, the coordination, streamlining of interactions of the people realising own interests.

By the nature the power - the phenomenon social as arises in a society. The society without the power is a chaos, disorganisation, self-damage of social communications. The requirement for imperious mechanisms is caused by a number of the reasons, and first of all necessity to give to interactions between people expediency, a rationality, organisation, having created the general for all corrected behaviour. Besides, power presence is caused by objective requirement for regulation of social relations, the coordination and integration of variety of incoincident interests and requirements of people by means of various means, including compulsions. The matter is that the society represents set of the individuals which possibilities considerably differ. People occupy an unequal social status in a society, have a various standard of living, material riches, formation, are occupied by different kinds of the work which public estimations also differ. At last, one people are talented, others - not so, one are active, others are passive etc. All these displays of a natural and social inequality of people in a society generate incompatibility, and sometimes contrast of their interests and requirements. If not the power the society would be lost under cargo of infinite internal contradictions and struggle. The power co-ordinates these incoincident interests, regulates mutual relations between their carriers, provides interaction of social subjects and by that protects a society from anarchy and disintegration.

Fig. 5.1. Power structure

However social function of the power on maintenance of integrity and streamlining of various interests and relations between

By people it can be reached in the various ways that defines the social maintenance of the power. The imperious beginning can be constructive, creating, and can have destructive consequences: So, imperious management can be carried out contrary to interests operated by a manipulation by mass consciousness. We will tell, long brain washing of the population, creation of atmosphere of a mass psychosis and suspicion by means of propaganda myths about «military threat» or presence of "the internal enemy» considerably reduce rationality level in behaviour of people, conduct to their social and cultural degradation. Function of streamlining of social interrelations can be realised and by harmonisation of human interests and requirements, realisation of interests of the majority of the population. But quite often integrity of a society is reached by direct suppression of interests of one group (managing directors) (operated) another group. Hence, the social maintenance of the power is ambiguous.

Thus, the political power is internally inherent in any society as forces to respect an existing political order and rules basing him; protects a society from its own imperfections and weaknesses; limits in it results of rivalry between groups and individuals, protecting a society from entropy and chaos and providing internal cooperation and balance.

The political power is a special public relation which is shown in ability effectively to influence people and things, resorting to various means - from belief before compulsion. On the essence the power is compulsion. However possibility to force others does not exclude presence of the consent, joining, participation of persons in the certain social relation. Depending on means against which ability effectively leans to influence people and things, the power appears in various forms.

The form of realisation of the power is the authority - ability of the subject of the power to influence object, other people in the necessary direction without compulsion, threat of sanctions. The authority assumes informality of influence and voluntariness of submission. It is based on respect for the authority carrier, the consent to follow its instructions, a recognition руководимыми the rights of the subject of authority to management owing to possession by it any outstanding qualities: mind, knowledge, experience, sanctity, moral virtues etc.

Contrary to authority domination is possibility to achieve obedience from a certain group of persons, opi -