Understanding Political Power and the Social Contract

Understanding Political Power

Political power is defined as the ability of a person or group to impose its will on others, especially when the imposed behavior is contrary to the wishes or inclinations of those being subjected to it. Power translates into a relationship where one element is controlled, influenced, or determined by the other component of the relationship. Power permeates all aspects of our lives, being exercised within the family and in education. Power relations exist across the entire social fabric.

While there are many areas of power, there are also varying degrees of intensity and different ways it can be exerted. Relationships can be defined as power relations, however, the procedures upon which they are based are very different. Therefore, it is wrong to confuse the concept of power with manipulation, extortion, or violence. Power also has a positive or productive dimension, without which social life would be impossible. The main interest lies in organizing decisions or modifying the operation of society.

What is of particular interest is political power, that which occurs in the organization of the polis, community, or society at large. Therefore, political power is the power that affects the administration, control, and distribution of the common good. Currently, this function is carried out by the state, which is considered the political power of those involved in its regulation. Thus, political power is the ability to participate in the decisions of the state, something that can be done not only by politicians but also by ordinary people.

The Social Contract

Some theories that defend the need for a state are known as social contract theories. These aim to explain the origin of society and the state and justify their existence. Contract theories arise at the moment when there is a change of perspective: the consideration of the state as natural is replaced by the certainty of its conventional character. Both the laws and social norms, as well as the institutions and organs of power, are seen as a human creation that can be discarded or modified. The state is the result of a covenant or contract, similar to what occurs in the constitution of a commercial company or an association.

This theory of the social contract is not intended to describe a historical fact; in reality, it is a metaphor to highlight the conventional character of the state.