Philippine Politics, Government, and Citizenship PDF

PHILIPPINE POLITICS, GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENSHIP WEEK 3: POLITICAL POWER  AGENDA POWER & TYPES OF NATIONAL POLITICAL POWER AUTHORITY DIMENSIONS METHODS OF...

PHILIPPINE POLITICS, GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENSHIP WEEK 3: POLITICAL POWER  AGENDA POWER & TYPES OF NATIONAL POLITICAL POWER AUTHORITY DIMENSIONS METHODS OF EXERCISING OF NATIONAL NATIONAL POWER POWER  Some social scientists define it as the POWER use of force, whereas many others explain it as the capacity to secure desired goals through the use of force or even by exercising influence. Another definition is from Schwarzenberger, who views power as "the capacity of one to impose his will on others by reliance on effective sanctions in case of non-compliance. In Social Science and Politics, it is defined as the ability to outright control the behavior of people. It is an authority when the power is perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Power may also be seen as evil or unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as reserved only for humans as social beings. NATIONAL POWER is the "combination of power and capability of a state that the state uses for fulfilling its national interests and goals," according to Paddleford and Lincoln. It is simply the ability or capability of a nation to secure the goals and objectives of its national interest in relation to other nations. It involves the capacity to use force or the threat of using force or influence over others to secure the goals of national interest. DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL POWER MILITARY ECONOMIC PSYCHOLOGICAL POWER POWER POWER  DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL POWER The three forms of national power are inseparable from each other. Without economic power, no nation can develop its military power, and without the latter, no nation can play an active role in international relations. Psychological power can be enduring and really effective only when it is backed by economic and military power. MILITARY POWER Military power is an important dimension of national power. It is regarded as absolutely essential for achieving the objective of ensuring the security of the nation. For every nation, security is the most vital element of its national interest. It is the primary concern of every nation to work for its security. Military power is such a vital part of national power. The role and importance of a state in international relations depend on its military power. No state can get recognition as a superpower without being militarily superior. ECONOMIC POWER Economic power is the second important dimension of national power. It is constituted by the ability of a nation to satisfy its own needs and to control the behavior of other states by affording or denying access to economic goods and services. The economic means of foreign policy are today the most vital means that a state can use to influence the actions and behavior of other states. No state can become a military power without having adequate economic power. Economic power is used by rich and developed nations to influence other states by granting them economic aid and loans and trying to secure their interests in international relations. It is used as a means to induce and coerce the desired change in the behavior of other states. PSYCHOLOGICAL POWER It means the power of opinion and the image of the nation. The role of propaganda and persuasive negotiations in international relations has been used by states to secure an intended change in the behavior of other states. By using psychological and cultural means, a nation always tries to influence the people and leaders of other nations. The ability to influence others through systematic publicity and educational and cultural relations constitutes the psychological part of the national power of a nation.  METHODS OF EXERCISING PERSUASION NATIONAL POWER FORCE/ VIOLENCE REWARDS PUNISHMENTS PERSUASION The art of persuasion consists in defining and logically explaining a particular problem, issue, or dispute to other nations. An attempt is made to persuade other nations to adopt a particular and desired view or perception of the nature of the issues involved in any bilateral or multilateral problem, dispute, or issue. The attempt is to convince others about the goodness of the policies of the nation. Diplomacy basically uses persuasion to secure support for the foreign policy that it represents.  REWARDS The offering of rewards can be material, economic, or psychological. A nation can give material help to another nation in times of crisis or in other ways. The practice of giving economic aid and easy loans, or grants-in-aid, is another method of winning support and inducing a change in the behavior of other states. The token support or grant of certain honors to the statesmen, philosophers, artists, scientists, and scholars of other nations also serves as psychological rewards intended to keep the other states friendly and cooperative.  PUNISHMENTS A powerful nation can inflict punishment on an offending or unhelpful state by imposing economic sanctions, norms, or policies, placing trade restrictions, or ensuring the denial of a possible reward. A denial or reduction in foreign aid or loans or a refusal to export certain items or technologies can be used by a powerful nation to inflict punishment or pressure on other nations. FORCE/PHYSICAL VIOLENCE Physical force or violence can be used by resorting to war or acts of reprisal by a powerful state. A resort to war is the extreme form of force exercised and a method of last resort in international relations. It is a risky and dangerous method that can damage the national power of the state.  AUTHORITY The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics defines authority as "the power or right to give orders and enforce obedience; the power to influence others based on recognized knowledge or expertise." "It can most simply be defined as legitimate power. It is, therefore, based on an acknowledged duty to obey rather than on any form of coercion or manipulation. In this sense, authority is power cloaked in legitimacy or rightfulness". TYPES OF POLITICAL AUTHORITY LEGAL- TRADITIONAL CHARISMATIC RATIONAL TRADITIONAL It is the power that is rooted in the traditional, or long-standing, beliefs and practices of a society. It exists and is assigned to particular individuals because of that society’s customs and traditions. The ability and right to rule are passed down, often through heredity. It does not change over time, does not facilitate social change, tends to be irrational and inconsistent, and perpetuates the status quo. In fact, Weber states: "The creation of new law opposite traditional norms is deemed impossible in principle." Traditional authority is typically embodied in feudalism or patrimonialism. In a purely patriarchal structure, "the servants are completely and personally dependent upon the lord", while in an estate system (i.e., feudalism), "the servants are not personal servants of the lord but independent men" (Weber 1958, 4). But, in both cases, the system of authority does not change or evolve. CHARISMATIC It is an authority that stems from an individual’s extraordinary personal qualities and from that individual’s hold over followers because of these qualities. Such charismatic individuals may exercise authority over a whole society or only a specific group within a larger society. They can exercise authority for good and for bad, as this brief list of charismatic leaders indicates: Joan of Arc, Adolf Hitler, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and Buddha. Each of these individuals had extraordinary personal qualities that led their followers to admire them and follow their orders or requests for action. Charismatic authority is found in a leader whose mission and vision inspire others. It is based on the perceived extraordinary characteristics of an individual.  LEGAL-RATIONAL Legal-Rational authority derives from law and is based on a belief in the legitimacy of a society’s laws and rules and in the right of leaders to act under these rules to make decisions and set policy. This form of authority is frequently found in modern states, city governments, private and public corporations, and various voluntary associations. In fact, Weber stated that the "development of the modern state is indeed identical with that of modern officialdom and bureaucratic organizations, just as the result of modern capitalism is identical with the increasing bureaucratization of economic enterprise.