Learning Activity Sheet in

Philippine Politics and Governance

First Semester, SY 2020-2021

For the Learners: General Instructions

This is your Learner’s Activity Sheet (LAS) No. 3. In answering this LAS, please be reminded of the
following:
1. Use the Leaner’s Activity Sheets with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
LAS. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the Activities and Exercises.
2. Do not forget to write your name on every page of your answer sheet. Do not forget to
include your grade and section, subject and date of submission.
3. Do not jump to the next activity or exercise if you have finished the previous task yet. Answer
chronologically, as arranged in the LAS.
4. Read and understand the instructions carefully before doing each task.
5. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks. Do not cheat. Remember, you will learn
better if you this
6. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
7. Submit your LAS on time.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this LAS, or if you need
clarifications, do not hesitate to contact your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you
are not alone. These general instructions apply to Understanding Society Culture and Politics as
well.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and gain
deep understanding and appreciation of the subject.

What I Need to Know

This learner’s activity sheet will help you understand politics and political science, governance, political
ideologies, power, states, nations, and globalization (Learning Competency).

After you have completed this activity sheet, you are expected to (Learning Objectives):

1. Analyze the nature, dimensions/types, and consequences of power

Lesson Analyze the nature, dimensions/types, and consequences of power

3 (HUMSS_PG-12-Id-13) 1. Explore!

Activity 3.1 How much do you know about power? Answer this pre-test first to gauge your understanding about power.
Copy the statements or questions and write the letter and the word in the blank spaces before every number (Example:
A – Power). Do not copy the choices anymore. Do this activity in your answer sheet (intermediate paper)

1. This is defined as the ability of a person to carry out his/her will and to control or impose
restrictions on other people.
A. Power B. Legitimacy C. Authority D. Influence
2. This is the authority based on a person’s traits and how he or she is perceived by other
people.
A. Legitimate B. Charismatic C. Legal-rational D. Traditional
3. This is the authority based on traditional values and social ties and institutions.
A. Legitimate B. Charismatic C. Legal-rational D. Traditional
4. This type of power is based on the individual’s personality and the ability to attract followers.
A. Coercive B. Legitimate C. Referent D. Expert
5. This is the ability to entice or convince through persuasion and other non-coercive means.
A. Power B. Influence C. Authority D. Legitimacy
6. This refers to the acceptance of the recognition of the right to exercise power.
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 A. Power B. Influence C. Authority D. Legitimacy
7. This is the ability of the state to use the police to ensure law and order.
A. Police Power B. Eminent Domain C. Taxation D. Punishment
8. This is the power of the government to acquire private property for public use.
A. Police Power B. Eminent Domain C. Taxation D. Punishment
9. This power allows government to impose and collect taxes from its citizens.
A. Police Power B. Eminent Domain C. Taxation D. Punishment
10. A public official who made decisions without following the rules or proper procedures,
commits what type of power abuse?
A. Abuse of power B. Abuse of discretion C. Abuse of authority D. Graft

Activity 3.2 May power ito!

What is power for you? Inside the box, draw an object, person or anything that symbolizes what
power is for you. Then, make a short explanation why you chose that object/person. Do this activity in your
answer sheet.

May power ito!

Power: Nature, Dimensions, Types and Consequences

2. Learn

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. – Lord Acton
Power doesn’t corrupt people, people corrupt power. – William Gaddis
The only way to predict the future is to have the power to shape the future. – Eric Hoffer
Power is one of the important concepts and plays a huge role in politics, from governing how decisions
are made, to how political actors interact with one another.
The Meaning of Power
Politics always involves the exercise of power by one person or persons to another person or persons
(Shively, 2012). Power is the ability to get someone do something he/she wants to accomplish, thus making
things happen in the way he/she wants. In having such ability, along with the exercise of power is an influence.
Thus, influence is the process by which a person affects the behavior and feeling of another person. In order
to influence a person, there must be an authority which is the right to change another person. Power is as well
a prime ingredient of politics (Roskin, et. al., 2012). However, there are instances that power becomes cynical,
brutal and self-destructive.
In social science and politics, power is the ability to influence or outright control the behaviour of
people. Thus, without power, it would be impossible for the government to maintain law and order to pursue

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policies for social, economic and political development of the country. Without power, the government is
rendered inutile, as it cannot perform its functions to maintain the government.
Max Weber defined power “as a tool for individual or a group of humans to achieve their objectives
even though their behaviors involves with violence or coercion.” For him, through power (with the use of force
or coercion), one can pursue what he wants, even if this action would harm others.
Karl Marx defined power in the context of politics and the elites. “According to him, power in politics
becomes an instrument for elite groups to maintain their influence and using power to rule other group of
people.” Power, in the form of influence and resources, makes the elites a steady picture in the politics. R. H.
Tawney, on the other hand defined power as “the capacity on an individual, or group of individuals, to modify
the conduct of other individuals or groups in the manner in which he (the power holder) desires.” (A has power
over B if A can get B to do something that B would not otherwise do). For Tawney, power is used to make
others follow the command of others which without the use of power, that other person will not follow the
commander.
The Significance of Power
Why is power very important? Why do some people fight just to come out as more powerful?
There are six factors why the power is very important:
i) Power is an instrument for individual to achieve objectives or aims.
ii) Power is the tool for the leader to gain support from the people as to implement certain policy
iii) Power can be considered as a guarantee for the leader to convince people.
iv) Power symbolizes strength and influence. Only those individuals with freedom of power are able to
do whatever they want.
v) Power ensures the government administration run smoothly.
vi) Power ensures there is peace and surveillance in the country.

What are the Different Forms of Power?

John French and Bertram Raven introduced the following five forms of power based on the perception
and understanding of the various participants in society. Each member of a group or society recognizes that
certain individuals in their group posses a degree of power based on the nature of their relationships with other
members of the group.

1.) Force: The Coercive Power

“This form of power is based upon the idea of coercion. This
means that someone is forced to do something against their will. The
main objective of coercion is compliance. This form of power illustrates
what happens when compliance is not obtained. There are also other
forms of power that can be used in a coercive manner such as
withholding rewards or expertise or using referent power to threaten
social exclusion. The force of power is also associated positively with
punitive behavior and negatively associated with conditional reward
behavior. This form of power often leads to problems. In many cases this
form of power is abused. Coercive power can lead to unhealthy behavior
and dissatisfaction at work. Leaders who use this leadership style rely on
threats in their management styles. Often these threats relate to dismissal
or demotion.”
https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/five-forms-of-power-french-raven/
Picture downloaded from: https://pt.slideshare.net/NazifaTasnim/politics-
power-and-action-46742483/2

2.) Wealth: The Reward Power

“This type of power involves the ability of individuals to delegate
matters they do not wish to do to other people and to reward them for this.
For managers in an organization it is a perceived possibility to value or

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reward their subordinates’ good results in a positive manner. This form of power is based on the idea that as a
society we are more inclined to do things well when we are getting something in return for this. The most
popular forms are raises, promotions or compliments. The problem with this form of power is that when the
reward does not have enough perceived value to others, the power is weakened. One of the frustrations when
using rewards is that they often need to be bigger than the last time if they are to have the same effect. Even
then, when they are given regularly, employees can become satiated by the rewards and as a result, they will
lose their effectiveness.”
Picture downloaded from: https://pt.slideshare.net/NazifaTasnim/politics-power-and-action-46742483/2

3.) Position: The Legitimate Power

“This form of power gives the ability to link certain feelings of
obligation or notion of responsibility to the management. Rewarding and
punishing employees can be seen as a legitimate part of the formal or
appointed leadership role. Most managers in organizations execute a
certain degree of reward and punishment. Legitimate power is usually
based on a role. People always run with the pack and traditionally obey
the one person with power which is solely based on their position or title.
This form of power can easily be overcome as soon as someone loses
their position or title. This power is a weak form to persuade and convince
other people.”
https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/five-forms-of-power-french-raven/
Picture downloaded from: https://pt.slideshare.net/NazifaTasnim/politics-power-and-action-46742483/2

4.) Popular Support: The Referent Power

“This form of power is about management based on the ability to
administer to someone a sense of personal acceptance or approval. The
leader in this form of power is often seen as a role model. Their power is often
treated with admiration or charm. This power emanates from a person that is
highly liked and people identify strongly with them in some way. A leader who
has referent power often has a good appreciation of their environment and
therefore tends to have a lot of influence. Responsibility in this form of power
is heavy and one can easily lose oneself in this. In combination with other
forms of power, it can be very useful. Celebrities often have this form of power
in society, but also lose a lot of power because of certain circumstances.”
https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/five-forms-of-power-french-raven/
Picture downloaded from: https://pt.slideshare.net/NazifaTasnim/politics-power-and-action-46742483/2

5.) Expertise: The Expert Power

“This form of power is based on in-depth information, knowledge or
expertise. These leaders are often highly intelligent and they trust in their
power to fulfil several organizational roles and responsibilities. This ability
enables them to combine the power of reward in the right mode. The fact is
that if someone has a particular expertise within an organization, they can
often persuade employees, who trust and respect them, to do things for
them. This expertise is greatly appreciated and forms the basis of this type
of leadership.”
https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/five-forms-of-power-french-raven/
Picture downloaded from: https://pt.slideshare.net/NazifaTasnim/politics-power-and-action-46742483/2

Power and Governance

In governance, our government is vested with inherent powers, found in the Constitution to, to control
the behaviour of its citizens, to manage the resources of the government and to acquire property for public use.
The power of the government to control its citizens’ behaviour in order to maintain peace and order is
called police power. The power of taxation enables the government to impose and collect taxes from its
citizens in order to maintain the resources of the government. These resources are used to maintain the
government and fund its programs and projects. Lastly, the power of eminent domain enables the government
to use private property for public use.

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 The exercise of these inherent powers are not absolute. For example, in the exercise of its police
power, the government cannot arbitrarily arrest individuals without the due process of law, which includes
among others, respect for the rights of the arrested individual. The government cannot likewise impose taxes
on its citizens without a law empowering the government to collect such taxes. The government cannot use
private property without paying the citizen the “just compensation” for the use of the said private property.
Thus, in every exercise of power, there is always a corresponding responsibility.

Authority, Political Power and Legitimacy

Authority is closely associated with power; it is formal or legal as distinguished from personal power.
Involved in the concept of authority are: i) a position - authority is attached to these position; and, ii) roles - the
set of patterned expectations about behavior that the members of society attach to a position in an institution.
Rogow & Lasswell (1963) defined authority as the legitimate (conforming to establish rules and
procedures) exercise of power. It is power assigned to a position by the popularly accepted ground rules for
the operation of the political system. Thus, people who exercise power with authority tends to be more
powerful than those who do not have authority. Roskin supported this definition by defining authority as the
“leader’s ability to gain loyalty”.
Power may also be classified based on the different types of authority. Authority, is the right to exercise
power. In some instances These types of power are: 1.) charismatic authority, which is based on the
personal qualities of the individual who wields power. This person’s authority is recognized based on his or her
traits and how he or she is perceived by other people in the society. 2.) Traditional authority, which is rooted
in traditional values and existing social ties and institutions. 3.) Legal-rational authority that is based on a
system of laws and regulations, and an established bureaucracy. A person exercising legal-rational authority
has been empowered by the law to exercise power.

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy is the
founder and leader of Kingdom
of Jesus Christ, has thousands
of followers all over the world, He
has made claims that he is the
“Appointed Son of God”. He
exemplifies what charismatic
authority/power is.
Sultan Esmail Kiram, the leader
of a sultanate in Sulu, led his
sultanate and followers to pursue
back Sabah, Malaysia. The
stand-off which took place in
2013 was participated in by
around 200 followers. He
exemplifies what traditional
authority/power is.
Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the
incumbent president of the
Philippines garnered an
overwhelming number of votes
during the presidential elections.
He is well admired by some
Filipinos, and hated by his critics
as well. His authority or power is
an example of legal-rational.

The Consequences of Power

So why did Spiderman say, “with great power comes great responsibility?”
Power, when wielded by entities such as the state, often yields significant effects on society. The
exercise of political power is primarily intended to ensure social control. This generally results in government
influencing the development of individuals in society, as well as group behavior and identity. Democratic
governments utilize their power to uphold democratic ideals and institutions, and inculcate a democratic
mindset among the citizens. Within groups and organizations, the exercise of various forms of power by their

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members results in well-defined hierarchy that enables them to identify their individual roles, responsibilities,
privileges, and rights within the group. A well-balanced power structure within an organization contributes to its
stability and efficiency.
However, irresponsible use of power limits individual freedom and imposes restrictions to citizen’s
actions. A government that ignores lawful limits on its powers is bound to violate the bounds and freedoms of
its citizens. Misuse of power by the government eventually leads to loss of legitimacy, especially if the citizens
consider the government actions as violations of democratic ideals and the general welfare. This leads to wider
dissent among citizens who resort to rebellion or terrorism which in turn bring about instability in government
and society. Many totalitarian states have successfully used the full power of the state to stamp out dissent
among its citizens and have retained power for a long time.

A. Responsibility and Accountability (of people exercising Power)

Since the exercise of political power by the government originates from the consent of the citizens,
government action should be defined by responsibility and accountability. Responsibility is closely associated
to obligation, which refers to an action that an individual is required to perform. Accountability refers to the
acknowledgement of responsibility for an action and its consequences. Public officials, in particular are
expected to uphold various responsibilities in exercising their authority. They have legal responsibilities,
which refer to a set of obligations outlined by law, and moral responsibilities, which refers to doing actions
that are considered to be morally and socially acceptable and deserving of praise.
There are various ways that power can be abused, especially by government officials. Some officials used their
authorized power for illegal acts or doing something that is already beyond the limits of their authorized power.
This is called abuse of authority. The mayor allowing “sabungans” to operate during the pandemic is an
example of abuse of authority. Other officials willfully disregard the rules or proper procedures in order to
proceed to doing something. This kind of abuse is called abuse of discretion. For example, the mayor is
authorized to purchase building materials but he did that without conducting proper bidding which is the proper
rule to follow. Abuse of power pertains to misconduct in office, where an official performs unlawful actions
while in office. For example, the mayor orders the demolition of the market even if there is no law allowing him
to do such act.
The clearest example of abuse of power in government is corruption, which is the use of authority
of influence for private interest. One example of corruption is bribery, nepotism, influence peddling. Graft is
a form of political corruption where an official uses public funds for his/her personal gain. Graft and
corruption is very prevalent in the Philippines.

Effects of Power
A. Positive

 Power prompts people to take action

 Makes individuals more responsive to changes within a group and its environment
 Powerful people are more proactive, more likely to speak up, make the first move, and lead negotiation
 Powerful people are more focused on the goals appropriate in a given situation and tend to plan more
task-related activities in a work setting
 Powerful people tend to experience more positive emotions, such as happiness and satisfaction, and
they smile more than low-power individuals
 Power is associated with optimism about the future because more powerful individuals focus their
attention on more positive aspects of the environment
 People with more power tend to carry out executive cognitive functions more rapidly and successfully,
including internal control mechanisms that coordinate attention, decision-making, planning, and goal-
selection

B. Negative

 Powerful people are prone to take risky, inappropriate, or unethical decisions and often overstep their
boundaries
 They tend to generate negative emotional reactions in their subordinates, particularly when there is a
conflict in the group

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  When individuals gain power, their self-evaluation become more positive, while their evaluations of
others become more negative
 Power tends to weaken one’s social attentiveness, which leads to difficulty understanding other
people’s point of view
 Powerful people also spend less time collecting and processing information about their subordinates
and often perceive them in a stereotypical fashion
 People with power tend to use more coercive tactics, increase social distance between themselves and
subordinates, believe that non-powerful individuals are untrustworthy, and devalue work and ability of
less powerful individuals

3. Engage

Activity 3.3 Identify the powers/authorities of your local officials. Describe how these powers are used during
this COVID-19 pandemic. Name at least five officials. In the last column, state your opinion or observation
about how the power was used. Make a table for your answer. Follow the format given below.

Official Power/Authority Type of Type of How it was Observation/Opinion

Power Authority used/applied
1. Barangay Listing of qualified Legitimate Legal- The barangay The barangay captain
Captain SAP beneficiaries Rational captain, in committed abuse of
selecting the power because he
beneficiaries of the used his power to

SAMPLE ONLY SAP, included his

relatives and allies
even if they were
not qualified.
manipulate the listing.

2. Barangay
Tanod
3. Municipal
Mayor
4. Municipal
Vice-Mayor
5. SB Members

4. Apply/Assessment

Objective Essay. Answer the following questions briefly but concisely. A yes or no answer, without the given
explanation will not be given any point. Copy the scenario and the questions that follow before answering in
your answer sheets. There can be more than one correct answers to a question. Be sure to defend it correctly.
Maximum of 5 points will be given for each correct answer.

1. Mayor V, talked to the residents of Sitio Chaka. He offered a sum of money to each resident in exchange of
the land where they are living because he is planning to build a high-end mountain resort in the area. He said
that through this resort, the income of his municipality would increase and therefore, benefitting the entire
residents. Some residents refused the offer, but Mayor V said that they cannot refuse because the property will
be used for the good of the people, thus a proper exercise of the power of eminent domain by the government.

A. What type of power of authority did Mayor V use? Why do you think so?
B. Was the mayor correct in saying that the residents cannot refuse the offer because it is the right of
the government to exercise the power of eminent domain? Why/Why not?
C. If Mayor V will purse with his plan despite the refusal of some of the residents, will he commit some
form of power abuse? Explain your answer.
D. As a concerned citizen and an affected resident of the area, what are you going to do about the
situation? What are the actions that you would take? Explain your answer.
References:

Books:

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Joven, Arnel (2017). Philippine Politics and Governance. Quezon City, Philippines. C&E Publishing, Inc. Note: Most of the
discussion were taken from this book. No copyright infringement is intended.)
Tabajen, Rhene & Pulma, Erlinda (2016). Philippine Politics and Governance. Pasay City, Philippines. JFS Publishing
Services

Web Sources:
Van Vliet, V. (2010). Five Forms of Power (French and Raven). Retrieved [Oct. 9, 2020] from toolshero:
https://www.toolshero.com/leadership/five-forms-of-power-french-raven/

https://pt.slideshare.net/NazifaTasnim/politics-power-and-action-46742483/2
https://www.slideshare.net/fikhrisafwan/c2-power-legitimacy-authority

Should you need any further

information, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
GUADA FE F. VELMONTE
0945 248 8508
Facebook: Guada Fernandez

PLEASE PREPARE FOR A LONG QUIZ. THE TEST PAPER FOR THE FIRST LONG QUIZ WILL BE GIVEN DURING MODULE 3
DISTRIBUTION. COVERAGE FOR THE LONG QUIZ: FROM LESSON 1 TO LESSON 4.

Answer key to What

Answer key to Explore – Answer Key to Engage – Lesson 2
you Know – Lesson 3
Lesson 1
From Center to Left 1. A
1. Politics
2. B
2. Government Liberalism-Social Democracy-Feminism-Socialism- 3. D
3. Government Communism-Anarchism 4. C
4. Governance/Politics
5. B
5. From Center to Right 6. D
Government/Governance
7. A
6. Government Neoliberalism-Conservatism-Reactionism-Fascism 8. B
7. Government
9. C
8. Politics
10. B

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