Why Politics Exist

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Why politics exist?

Politics is the operation of power in the society, the physical power,


the economic power, the legal power, and the power over opinion. Power is
used to pursue the interests that are often aggregated into factional
alliances. The study of politics is one of the oldest academic disciplines.

Political power, a German sociologist Max Weber defined power as


the ability to impose ones will “even in the face of the opposition from
others” while Hannah Arandt adds that “political power corresponds to the
human ability not just to act in concert” Authority is a political sense, is
different from political power in that it implies legitimacy and acceptance. It
states that the person or state exercising power has a perceived right to
do. Legitimacy is an attribute of government gained through the acquisition
and application of power in accordance with recognized and accepted
standard of principles. Traditional authority receives loyalty because they
continue and support the preservation of existing values, the status quo.
Max Weber called this as “the authority of eternal yesterday”. Sovereignty
is the ability of government to exert control over its sphere of influences
free from outside interference.

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