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Power Resources

Political scientists often address the problem of resources. They do this to understand the nature of the impact of power, the sources of power relations and resources that are used to achieve the goal. Since power already by definition is the ability of an individual to manifest one's will contrary to the wishes of others, then the realization of it requires special means and methods. They need it to work on their subordinates, achieving their goals. In political theory, it is common to divide the means of influence into potential and real. Power resources are potential means, since they can be used, but are not used temporarily. And the real means, or the foundations of power, are the means that the authorities apply in this period of time. Of course, this classification is rather arbitrary, because there is no clear boundary dividing the two kinds of sources.

Since the resources of political power are very diverse, the question arises of the effectiveness and limits of their application in a particular situation. Hence the need to create a typology of sources of power.

The power resources are classified in political science by different criteria. The initial typologies (for example, Plato) were quite speculative.

For the first time, the resources of the authorities were classified seriously by N. Machiavelli in the works "Reflections on the First Decade of Titus Livia" and "Sovereign". The classification is based on the definition of the motives of people's behavior. Machiavelli believed that there were only two of them - fear and love. And fostering fear and beloved can control equally easily. Both motives are different in the way they work. So, if love is based on gratitude, which is not difficult to destroy an evil and self-serving person, then fear is characterized by firmness and strength. Also Machiavelli was also confident that the resource of fear affects differently. For example, a person can more or less calmly reconcile with the loss of freedom, honor, power, but will never reconcile with the loss of property. In addition, Machiavelli recognized such resources of power as human passions and vices (fearfulness, greed, falsity).

Subsequently, modern classifications, too, are based on the anthropological principle. At the same time, fear and belief were added to the fear. The persuasion resource can be successfully applied both in a totalitarian and in a democratic society. In the first case, this is done through the ideological processing of citizens and the constant monitoring of information seeping into the masses. In a democratic society, its use is carried out on the basis of an independent and voluntary choice by an individual of political values and preferences.

But the resource of interest lies at the heart of the relationship between power and personality only in democratic systems. Voters, as a rule, choose those politicians who can satisfy their material interests. That is, you can say that politicians buy the votes of their fellow citizens.

Power resources also differ in the cycle of action and effectiveness. Their use is necessarily influenced by a factor such as the type of regime. For example, the resources of fear and belief organically complement each other in a totalitarian system.

In terms of spheres of influence, the nature of the impact distinguishes between normative, coercive and utilitarian resources of power. In the first case, changing the rules and norms of citizens' interaction, the power thereby influences their perception of the world and behavior.

Using utilitarian resources, power affects the conditions of human existence. It meets the daily demands of people: for example, improving the conditions in which they are forced to work, increasing salaries or social benefits.

Forced resources (loss of property, fear of violence, fear for their lives, threat of dismissal, etc.) are associated with the threat of use of force.

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