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The concept of power
Author(s) -
Dahl Robert A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 0005-7940
DOI - 10.1002/bs.3830020303
Subject(s) - comparability , statement (logic) , power (physics) , notation , relation (database) , rank (graph theory) , legislation , simple (philosophy) , law and economics , positive economics , mathematical economics , political science , sociology , computer science , epistemology , mathematics , economics , law , arithmetic , philosophy , physics , quantum mechanics , combinatorics , database
What is “power”? Most people have an intuitive notion of what it means. But scientists have not yet formulated a statement of the concept of power that is rigorous enough to be of use in the systematic study of this important social phenomenon. Power is here defined in terms of a relation between people, and is expressed in simple symbolic notation. From this definition is developed a statement of power comparability, or the relative degree of power held by two or more persons. With these concepts it is possible for example, to rank members of the United States Senate according to their “power” over legislation on foreign policy and on tax and fiscal policy.