This work has two parts, in the first part different texts are addressed where theories and positions about the relationship between power and the State are exposed and the second part of the work consists of an application of the theories of these authors in current issues, that is to say, in what today we understand by State, politics and power.
The texts that are studied for this report are the following: first, there is Jorge Gilbert's text from his book Introduction to Sociology, chapter XII is analyzed, which talks about power, the State and politics; second is the text by Max Weber, which deals with politics as a vocation and finally the book Leviathan by Tomas Hobbes. By studying and analyzing these texts we can come to a greater understanding of what state means and what power means.
The second part of the work consists of an application of these theories, presented by the aforementioned authors, in current issues more specifically, the true relationship between power and the State is analyzed, for a better understanding of this topic a specific case in the Chilean government, where some of the different theories about power and the State can be clearly observed.
This research is aimed at both the Student and the common citizen who wants to know objectively what the relationship between power and state consists of; and take a position or form your own opinion based on your own conclusions.
State of the question:
Currently we can find various studies, reports, trials etc. about this topic, but the authors used for them have not varied much, they are the same classics that we will study in the theoretical framework, so in the second part we try to include some more recent authors giving a modern perspective to this analysis.
First part: Theoretical framework.
First text: Power, the State and Politics; Jorge Gilbert.
Politics in general terms can be considered for some a type of human interaction that involves one or more organized groups that acquire and exercise the power of society over the rest of the individuals that make it up and for others, it is the organized form through which power is distributed and decisions are carried out within a society.
Regardless of the definition considered, the objective of political practices is to achieve power and have control of society and thus direct them towards goals and interests. From this perspective, society is a continuous struggle for power that in modern societies is done through the state. The State is generally defined as a political institution that regulates conflicts, distributes resources and functions of a society, it is an abstract entity in charge of responsible individuals who perform, these individuals are transitory but the State is not, it lasts in time regardless of their rulers and political orientations.
The power.
Power is divided into: executive, legislative and judicial power, including the monopoly of legitimate physical violence. The states operate as elected governments. The various types of government that are generated originate state models: parliamentary, populist, military, socialist, social democrat, etc.
Max Weber (1921) defined power as the possibility of imposing the will of some individuals over the will of others. You can differentiate between legitimate power and illegitimate power. Legitimate power is called the forms of control exercised over individuals with their consent, who believe that the people who use it have the right to do so and illegitimate power corresponds to forms of control exercised over people who do not recognize the authority of others. individuals, having to resort to the threat or use of physical force and other types of pressure to achieve obedience or compliance with what is to be imposed, this is what Weber calls coercion. There are two types of legitimate power. The first is influence, based on persuasion.Another type is the authority of which is essential for the existence and functioning of the state and includes submission to officials and rulers who exercise said authority.
Power as illegal
This can occur for various reasons such as:
- Corruption and political fraud, which refers to the conduct of someone who wishes to obtain power and material benefits at the expense of public goods. Revolutions: Sometimes political systems are questioned or considered illegitimate by a large number of citizens, being able to unleash radical political changes. Terrorism: refers to the use of violence and death to achieve political objectives, it is a form of alien action and contrary to the legal norms and principles of established political systems.
The state
The State is defined as a geographically delimited segment of human activity in a united society through obedience to the sovereign authority that controls it, a definition closely related to the concept of sovereignty, which is based on the legal premise that all Political societies are or can be unified by means of a set of common laws and regulations. The coercive power together with the legal authority are the essential elements in the definition and application of the concept of sovereignty. The modern state is the product of a revolutionary effort by the political classes of Western European capitalism that was made to increase the territorial power of the princes at the expense of the national authorities.
The State and society are interconnected with each other but cover different spheres of social events: public sphere and private sphere. The private sphere includes basic or economic social activities and relations, and the public sphere refers to basic or economic practices and relations, and the public sphere refers to purely political practices and relations through which they are consolidated and guaranteed. the basic relationships for the reproduction of the necessary conditions required in the development of economic relationships and activities.
Second text: Politics as a vocation, Max Weber.
A person who does politics is a person who aspires to power, to power as a means to achieve other ends (idealistic or selfish) or to power "for power" to enjoy the feeling of prestige that it confers on him. The state is a relationship of domination of men over men, which is sustained through legitimate violence, for the state to subsist it is necessary that the dominated abide by authority and this occurs due to three types of justifications of domination.
First, traditional legitimacy related to custom; secondly, to link the authority of grace (charisma) related to the individual characteristics that an individual possesses and finally, the legitimacy based on legality, which refers to the belief in the validity of legal precepts. The obedience of the subjects is conditioned by reasons of fear and hope. Here the type of domination that interests us most is the domination produced by the surrender of those subjected to the purely personal charisma of the caudillo. The entire company of domination that requires a controlled administration and by another, the power of disposition.
In the modern State, the separation is made between the administrative cadre "administrative employees or workers" and the material means of the administration.
There are two ways of making politics a profession, or you live for politics, or you live for politics, this is not exclusive, that is to say, you generally do both. Those who live for politics make their life out of it in an intimate sense, or enjoy the exercise of power they possess or feed their balance and tranquility with the awareness of having given meaning to their life by putting it at the service of something. The person who makes a living from politics as a profession is the one who tries to make it a lasting source of income. The leadership of a State by people who live for politics and not politics means a plutocratic recruitment, this does not mean that the dominant group does not also try to live from politics and not get used to using their domination as well,This only means that professional politicians of this class are not obliged to seek remuneration for their political works, instead in a non-plutocratic recruitment of political personnel, the political enterprise provides regular and secure income. The policy can be honorary, it will be governed by "independent" people, that is, wealthy and above all by rentiers, but if the political leadership is accessible to people lacking assets, they must be remunerated. Every fight between parties pursues not only an objective goal but also control over the distribution of offices.It will be governed by "independent" people, that is, wealthy and above all by rentiers, but if the political leadership is accessible to people lacking assets, they must be remunerated. Every fight between parties pursues not only an objective goal but also control over the distribution of offices.It will be governed by "independent" people, that is, wealthy and above all by rentiers, but if the political leadership is accessible to people lacking assets, they must be remunerated. Every fight between parties pursues not only an objective goal but also control over the distribution of offices.
Today the operation has evolved, it has become a group of specialized intellectual workers, whose supreme value is integrity.
Third text: Leviathan. Tomas Hobbes.
Chapter 13 of this book deals with the natural condition of mankind with regard to its happiness and misery. He speaks that men are equal by nature, the differences are not appreciable so that certain individuals claim for themselves any benefit that another individual cannot claim for equal rights. What could generate inequalities is the vanity with which some see their own wisdom that they believe they possess in greater quantity than the vulgar. If two men want the same thing they become enemies and it is likely that they will join forces with others and go against him, that is, mistrust is generated. After mistrust, one goes to war, which results as a measure to protect against the mistrust that men expect for each other, it is about seeking self-preservation.
We find three causes of dissent: competition, mistrust and glory. Outside the civil states there is always war of each man against each man, a war in which nothing is unjust. What leads men to seek peace is the fear of death, the desire to obtain the things necessary to live comfortably and the hope that with their work they can achieve them.
The most important of the chapters read is everything related to the States that says the main purpose of the States existing is the fear of the people of not being able to maintain self-preservation and thus lead a more pleasant life, that is, the people What he wants is to get out of the war situation which is the result of the natural passions of men when there is no visible power that keeps them in fear and that with the threat of punishment, forces them to comply with their agreements and observe the laws of nature.
The State that Hobbes speaks of in Leviathan is a res publica, that is, an organized way of directing public things and that is born from the sum of individual wills that decide to act to achieve common advantages. When there is a voluntary transfer of power by the people, people can reveal themselves against the sovereign, when this causes damage to their bodily integrity or their physical freedom, that is, if the sovereign does not fulfill his part of the social contract (defend the freedom of individuals ensuring peace). Hobbes's objective is to describe the desire of men who love freedom but assume dominance over others in self-imposition of the limits in which they live in society, which is an instrument for their own preservation and thus obtain a quieter life,In other words, those who are subjected seek to free themselves from the situation of war, a situation derived from the passions of men when there is no visible power that limits and controls them through the fear generated by the punishment granted if they do not obey.
Hobbes admits three types of state: the monarchy, the aristocracy and democracy. For him, the most practical is the monarchy; since the difference between these types of government does not consist in the difference of power, but in the convenience or ability to ensure the peace and security of the people; after all, it is the reason why they are instituted.
The State is the only common power that can defend in an invasion of strangers, gives security in the field of work, society and thus lead a satisfied life, it is to confer all its power and all its individual strength to a group of men who by means of a plurality of votes, they can reduce the wills of the subjects to a single will.
In this way the LEVIATAN (mortal god) to whom we owe our peace and security is born and it is thanks to this authority that it is given to him by each man who is part of the state, since he possesses both power and strength and these characteristics make is produced that the wills of all are directed to achieve internal peace and help to fight the enemy.
II Part
Relationship between Power and State.
"The sovereignty of the State manifests through Power"
First of all, before exposing the relationship that exists between power and the State, it is of great importance to be clear about the meaning of each of these terms, and thus achieve a greater understanding.
We will begin by defining what we understand by State, which is the political status of an organized people within territorial borders. According to Weber, the state is an institutional-type domain association that, within a certain territory, claims (successfully) for itself, the monopoly of legitimate physical violence, which means that unlike other social institutions, the State is the The only source of the right to violence, directs and organizes the functioning of society where there is a dominant group that with authority controls the rest of society, we cannot ignore the other functions of the State such as when it assumes a regulatory role of relationships help to solve conflicts within different social groups,It acts as the supreme organizer of society in its different spheres (political, social, economic and cultural), so as Jorge Gilbert states, the State is a mechanism of domination of certain social groups over other sectors of society and on the other hand it is an instrument that allows to ensure the social order and the integration of the members of a society to ensure the integration of the members of a society to ensure its tranquility and continuity.economic and cultural), as Jorge Gilbert suggests, the State is a mechanism of domination of certain social groups over other sectors of society and on the other hand it is an instrument that allows to ensure the social order and the integration of the members of a society to to ensure the integration of the members of a society to ensure its tranquility and continuity.economic and cultural), as Jorge Gilbert suggests, the State is a mechanism of domination of certain social groups over other sectors of society and on the other hand it is an instrument that allows to ensure the social order and the integration of the members of a society to to ensure the integration of the members of a society to ensure its tranquility and continuity.
Now we will define what power is, there is no exact definition, so we will take some of the most used today, the first would be the one presented by Hobbes who speaks of Power as a capacity that a person or a group possesses to impose their will on others, and this would be done through the means available, which can be natural endowments or acquired means such as wealth. Another definition, according to Weber, power deals with the probability of imposing one's own will within a social relationship, even against all resistance, but although many authors associate power with the use of force, Weber suggests that in addition to that it also depends largely of authority, finally we present another position that speaks of power, the one given by Hanna Arendt,which speaks of the fact that power can only be really effective if it includes the consent of the subjects, that is, there must be a common will aimed at achieving objectives and pursuing general interests in society, unlike the previous definitions according to this author. Power is not about imposing one's own will on others regardless of their resistance, much less if this entails violence if not rather it is about the fact that the dominated group must absolutely agree, only then can there be power, for Hanna violence it is tyranny and has no Power.Unlike the previous definitions according to this author, power is not about imposing one's own will on others regardless of their resistance, much less if this involves violence if not rather it is that the dominated group must absolutely agree, Only then can there be power, for Hanna violence is tyranny and has nothing of Power.Unlike the previous definitions according to this author, power is not about imposing one's own will on others regardless of their resistance, much less if this involves violence if not rather it is that the dominated group must absolutely agree, Only then can there be power, for Hanna violence is tyranny and has nothing of Power.
Now that we have general notions about what Power and the State mean, we can continue moving forward to arrive at the relationship that exists between them. Most people directly associate power with the State, in fact some authors suggest that politics is participation in power or the struggle to achieve this power, but this depends a lot on the meaning we take of power, on the one hand this association is correct if we look at power as the ability to impose wills on others, which would be what happens in Chile or in any other state, where there is a government that directs and a society that obeys, and if we refuse to obey, the state has every right to use physical force, but then,Is there no power in other areas outside the State? In the daily life of any human being for example? Yes, we can also talk about power in different areas, if we look at it as the simple ability to influence others, to convince them to act in a certain way, for example.
In the State we can identify all the definitions of power already mentioned, there is a dominant group and another that obeys, there is a group that imposes its will on others, and these others agree to be directed by this dominant class, that is, there is consent, but Why do we obey? It is not because of fear, much less because of a threat from the State, if not most of the time it is because that is how everything works well, to understand this Weber suggests that there are three types of legitimate domination, there are three types of domination that make us obey without major displeasure, these would be:
- Traditional Domination: based on customs, simply because things have always been this way and since there have been no major problems, we accept certain things that are correct, by tradition Charismatic Domination: directly related to personal qualities of an individual that captivates citizens by doing That they believe in it and support it, consequently they abide by what it tells them. Rational Dominance: it is directly related to everything that is legal, that is, based on previously established rules and precepts.
These are the three justifications that Weber raises to explain the behavior of citizens in front of a State.
If we look at a modern State today and to be more specific, the State of Chile, we can observe that the relationship that has always been given to the term power and the State is no longer so, since today we are not We are faced with a State where only domination prevails, if we do not see a State more related to the regulation and preservation of the well-being of the citizenry, the old concepts of power can be seen more reflected in history in governments of character authoritarian, but today, where the majority of the States have Diplomatic governments, it can be observed that the true powers generated by the economy of each State, then, is the economy perhaps a new way of exercising power?
As we have already mentioned, in the past there was talk of a State with an almost unique power to dominate another group imposing its will, but today there is something that truly influences the behavior of people within a society or that influences the behavior of a certain country compared to others, is the economy.
What we can observe daily in the international media is that a State that has a larger and stronger economy is a State that can influence others, can impose its will, conditions or even dominate them directly or indirectly. A classic example of this is the United States, a country that has immense economic power worldwide and consequently is one of the countries that can influence others and exercise power through the economy in large numbers.
In this sense, power is related to the creation of the rules of the game, who sets the rules of action is who has the power. But today we do not focus on the territory itself through its governments.
Power in the Chilean State
Taking all this to the present day and relating it to the theories of power that have been studied throughout this research, we can say that power in the Chilean State is reflected in the same way, that is, the State is known as the authority established, which can exercise its power through legitimate force and there is recognition by citizens, that is, there is acceptance by the majority of Chilean citizens. This acceptance is explained by the three types of domination already mentioned above: traditional domination, charismatic domination and legitimate domination.
The traditional domination is reflected in that it has always been like this and it has worked well like that, it is a customary legacy that makes citizens consider the way the State works as something completely legitimate, in other words we see it as correct. Therefore, all the Chilean people simply abide by the decisions of the State and also participate in it as much as possible, in elections for example, which is one of the situations in which traditional domination can be observed.
On the other hand, the charismatic domination is clearly evidenced, which is present in each of the elections in the changes of government, to give a more specific example, we can mention the last elections where the current president Sebastián Piñera was victorious, the citizenship chose him. In his election, charismatic domination played a fundamental role, since people saw in him hopes, they saw in him a kind of heroism (subject to Weber's theories of domination) properly individual qualities that made him, for them, the best candidate. in relation to the other participants.
And finally, we can observe the legitimate domination in each of the established laws that, because they are based on the legality of the citizens, they respect.
Conclusion.
In this work, each of the theories about the State, Power and Politics of various Authors was analyzed, theories that helped us understand the fundamental role of the State, also helped us to observe closely how power is presented today in the Modern state and specifically in the State of Chile today.
It is evidenced that today in most cases domination is due to reasons very similar to antiquity, it is used to justify the actions of the State, the differentiation of dominations raised by Weber in which greater emphasis is given to charismatic domination because it is the one that most influences in this case the decisions of the governed.
In the past, power was presented more obviously through force, today there are other methods such as the economy, which is a very influential agent in the actions of various States, there are some that have greater domination through the world economy than others. But the main thing in this work was to identify the current manifestations of power in the States.
In summary, we can say that currently in the States there is still a dominant group and another dominated one in which the latter accepts to be dominated and voluntarily obeys, not only out of fear of the authority of the State, but also because of the conviction that this should be the case. And that's fine, so citizens have the right to choose who will be in charge of directing the country and ensuring its tranquility and social order.
Bibliography.
- Arendt, Hanna (1958) The human condition, Barcelona: Paidos.Mellosi, Dario (1992) It is the State of social control: a sociological study of the concepts of state and social control in the conformation of democracy, XXI century. Introduction to sociology, by Jorge Gilbert. LOM Editions, 1997.
