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Difficulty: HardPower: Definition, Sources, Forms, and Acquisition

A newly inaugurated constitutional government mandates that all military formations submit their operational budgets to a civilian legislative committee for approval. However, a regional commander threatens to deploy troops independently if the budget is reduced, asserting control over military hardware and armed personnel. Which form or source of political power is the regional commander primarily relying upon to enforce compliance, as distinct from constitutional authority?

  1. Coercive power derived from control over instruments of physical forceAnswer
  2. B
    Legal-rational authority derived from codified constitutional provisions
  3. C
    Traditional power rooted in custom, hereditary succession, and ancestral lineage
  4. D
    Charismatic power based on personal magnetism and popular devotion of citizens

Answer

Coercive power derived from control over instruments of physical force
Coercive power is the ability to compel obedience through the threat or use of physical force, punishment, or physical control over armed apparatus. In the scenario, the regional commander uses control of military hardware and armed personnel to intimidate civilian authority, demonstrating coercive power rather than legitimate constitutional right.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the action of the regional commander in the scenario
The commander threatens the deployment of troops and physical force using military hardware to bypass legislative budget control.
Identifying the specific mechanism of compliance is necessary to distinguish power forms.
2
Differentiate between power types and constitutional authority
The reliance on physical force and hardware represents coercive power, whereas constitutional approval represents legal-rational authority.
Power is the capacity to compel compliance through force or reward, while authority is the recognized, legitimate right to command.

Key Concept

Forms and Sources of Power vs. Authority
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Power: Definition, Sources, Forms, and Acquisition

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