Power and Ideology

Power, by definition, is the "ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will" (Thio, 2000, p. 179). The relationship between power, and our belief system or ideology is quite simple - this control that can be exerted over another person, group, country, race, or religion is most often associated with wealth. The majority of sociologists believe that with wealth comes power, and with more wealth comes more power (Thio, 2000, p. 179).

Power is intertwined into our system of beliefs throughout - our political system is one prime example of that relationship. Most of the top government positions are occupied or funded by someone who is wealthy. George W. Bush hails from Texas, land of oil millionaires, and he once was the owner of the Texas Rangers. Yes, the owner of a Major League Baseball team. You might say he has some money. Wealthy persons are surely more likely to feel powerful.

This feeling of power only fuels their need for more wealth, and more power, which can cause them to become more active in local and national government - "working to retain or increase their power" (Thio, 2000, p. 179). Of course, on the other end of the spectrum are the lower-income people who feel virtually powerless. Their lack of money, their lack of status, and their overall lack of the means to get somewhere all contribute to their feelings of powerlessness. The idea of involving themselves in politics is foreign.

Literally, they feel as if politics, and government doesn't affect them so "why should I care?" Of course, the catch-22 is that this attitude prevents them from gaining any power in the future. Their indifference causes them to have even less power than they already had, making their situation worse. On the other hand, it gives more power to those who were already in power - it unevenly distributes the power in America, which isn't a new idea.

Karl Marx, and following Marxists saw that there is a small group of people in the United States that hold the power of the entire nation (Thio, 2000, 179). Marx believed that the capitalists in the U.S., the Fortune 500 businessmen, were the most powerful men in the country (Thio, 2000, 179). These men may not be in the Senate seat, or work with the President directly, but it is their money that is being used to protect their own interests, and fund the campaigns of the politicians. C.

Wright Mills had a similar idea in his theory regarding the "power elite" - a "small group of top leaders not just from business corporations but also from the federal government and the military" (Thio, 2000, p. 180). These individuals all share similar agendas, giving them massive control over the nation. These leaders tend to believe in the same causes, and focus on the same issues - for example, reducing corporate taxes. The sociologists who agree with Mills' theory are called elite theorists (Thio, 2000, p. 180).

Perhaps the most opposite sociological theory from the two mentioned above is the theory that power is "not tightly concentrated but widely dispersed...equally distributed among various competing groups" (Thio, 2000, p. 180). These pluralist theorists feel that these powers balance each other out, and allow for "competition and compromise," and give a certain amount of decision-making power to the average voter, such an you and me (Thio, 2000, p. 180).

Regardless of who holds the majority of the power, sociologists do agree that there are certain types of power exerted over different people at all times. Some governments have power of how people are allowed to worship, while some employers have control over what their employees can do on and off the clock. Power is a force that is working at all times, and is an "aspect of all...social interactions" (Thio, 2000, p. 357).

There are some kinds of power that may not be negative, such as the power that is labeled as "legitimate" by Thio on page 358. Legitimate power is when the person believes the control being exercised is with their "consent" or permission (Thio, 2000, p. 357). This type of power is either influence, which is the "ability to control others' behaviors through persuasion rather than coercion or authority" or authority, which is power represented by organizations.