Role of Power in Policy Development and Implementation - Research Paper Example

There is a significant role of power in the society. Those people who are given the power to govern have the authority to impose rules, create programs or decide important matters that involve the welfare of everyone. When we try to look around us we see people like the presidents, prime ministers, or kings who are given the power to rule over their countries. When one has power, the authority is given to that person to decide on things in behalf of the whole nation. Major Types of Power Power is being categorized into certain types to determine its nature and the way that it is obtained.

French and Raven in the year 1959 (as cited in “Five Bases of Power,” n.d.) were the social psychologists who formulated the five bases of power, which are the following: Positional Power Positional power is the authority given to people who have a position in an organization or society. It is considered as the most important among all the other types of power. This type of power is commonly present in organizations, appointing an individual to act as the leader so that jobs are performed well.

Reward Power The basis of which is the capability of an individual to give rewards to those who deserve to be given one. It is somehow related to legitimate power. Those who are in high corporate position have the power to offer rewards to their subordinates like bonuses, promotions and incentives to name a few. Personal Power Personal power is the power to persuade others through the interpersonal skill of an individual. It is the ability of someone to influence others by simply using their charm to attract people’s attention.

Most political leaders possess this type of power. Expert Power This is inherent to those who are intelligent people. The mastery on a specific body of knowledge is considered as expert power. This may bring someone to higher positions like in the government or organizations. Coercive Power This is considered as a negative type of power for it is more influenced by fear. This gives an individual the right to impose punishments and even stop someone from receiving benefits. Examples of Power Experienced In the Society The most prevalent type of power present in our district is positional power.

In the field of politics, the power is vested upon those people who qualify specifically for a government position by means of an election. In every district, a governor is elected who serves as the leader and decision-maker. The authority given to the governor is affiliated with great responsibilities. Practically as what the word position implies, positional power is dependent upon the position of an individual. So if the person is into the higher rank like in the case of a governor, then there is greater amount of power given.

The higher the position, the greater power is attained. Another common type of power present in the district is personal power. There are many of those successful people who have this quality of building relationships to other people, through the use of their persuasive and at the same time charismatic approach. Business owners have the ability to influence a consumer’s decision upon purchasing through their flowery statements. Well politicians also have their way of