The Dynamics of Political Power and State Sovereignty

Defining Power and Social Control

Power is defined as the ability or skills that individuals or groups possess to command and lead others. Those who wield power interfere with the will and actions of the governed, ensuring they adapt their behavior to the established scheme of the rulers. The regulation of power relations is based on a command-obey duality, where orders can compel obedience through violence and threats, or through dialogue and communication, while still imposing sanctions.

Power demands obedience from the governed, though they may choose not to follow orders. The likelihood of defiance depends on the coercive capacity (the capacity to punish) of the power holder to convince or compel obedience; if power is highly institutionalized, the coercive capacity is greater.

The Role of Institutions

Institutions are organized systems of relationships within a society that are relatively permanent and designed to satisfy specific needs. These institutions are governed by rules that may be social, moral, or legal.

Authority and Legitimacy

Two critical issues related to power are authority and legitimacy. Authority refers to the person or group that exerts institutionalized power, ensuring the command-obedience relationship is not questioned and becomes part of social custom. The acceptance of laws and orders presupposes a more or less explicit agreement among all members of society to obey authority and punish those who disobey; this agreement is what legitimizes power.

The Modern State

The state is the set of government organs within a sovereign country. The modern state dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries, when ecclesiastical power began to lose ground to secular power. The modern state possesses the following characteristics:

• Territoriality: It is a territory defined by borders, and any person found within those boundaries is subject to the law.
• Administrative and Legal Framework: The administration provides basic services for the operation of the country, and the bodies of state power derive all laws.
• Monopoly on Violence: The state is the only entity that can legally use violence to enforce the law.

Furthermore, the state is sovereign because there is no higher body to which it must submit.