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What is the power pyramid? Hierarchical power pyramid
The expression "power pyramid" was probably heard by everyone. It can even be said that every man in his life once or twice pronounced it in one context or another. But what is meant by it? You will say that it is understandable. And here not. Everyone has his own image associated with him, depending on which source he picked up the viral expression from. Let's look at it in detail.
One meaning or a lot?
There are also those who will begin to talk about the "Global Predictor", using information obtained from conspiracy experts. Who will be right? Most likely, everything.
Pyramid of power - the concept is far from unambiguous, multifaceted. It is never used alone. Its meaning is the listener (reader) only in the context of the topic the speaker is trying to disclose.
The fact is that the concept was born a long time ago. Yes, it was so capacious that for more than a millennium is held in the vocabulary of many peoples. Power itself is a burning issue. It is interesting for almost everyone. However, not everyone understands how it is carried out, what is necessary to possess it. So, the "pyramid of power" accumulates with all sorts of theories, sometimes close, but more often, far from the original (true) meaning.
Pyramid of power in ancient Egypt
For a deeper understanding it is necessary to turn to history.
Have you seen those same Egyptian pyramids? They contain the sacred meaning of that civilization. At its head was the pharaoh. He was a god on earth, the owner of everything that was on his lands, and herself, by the way, too.
He himself could not control "property". For this purpose, clans were formed, divided into several groups. Property issues were dealt with by the Vizier, through the work of a large number of assistants. Spiritual life was in the hands of the priests. They can be compared with the current media and politicians in one bottle. But Pharaoh was in charge of everything. His will was not disputed. And this thought no one could arise. In that society, from the cradle, the idea of the obedience of power was assimilated. We get the first simple pyramid. Its top is the pharaoh. Further - the vizier and the high priest. Then - "officials" of lower ranks. And the platform is the people.
Moving now
When a person starts to find out what the pyramid of power is, it invariably comes to analogy with the Egyptian system. So many centuries have passed, but in fact nothing has changed. Only the power itself has grown, supplemented by technology and institutions, and the meaning is the same. There is a peak - people making decisions that are mandatory for everyone (like Pharaoh). Then follow those who embodies them in life and controls the "executors". This layer has become wider, multi-stage. It now includes governing bodies (state and local), the media, the political system, the courts and so on. Well, the last layer (the base) has not changed.
Conspiracy theory
Literally a few words. Some researchers come to the controversial conclusion that the world is not ruled by governments, but by some invisible force. It is different from rock (or God). These are quite specific people who do not create the politics (solutions) themselves, but an ideology that leads to various consequences in the global development of mankind.
There are a lot of information on this matter. They have a different pyramid of power. Peak is a global predictor (the very rulers of the world). Next comes a layer of all kinds of managers visible to people. These include state leaders and money magnates. They are the hands of a global predictor. Next - the apparatus of governments and corporations. The basis, as you guessed it, is still the same. You can treat this theory in different ways. There is no direct evidence of its realism.
Main features
Now you can look at the root, so to speak, of the concept itself. The pyramid is characterized by steps. They talk a lot about them, trying to figure out what they mean. In fact, they are a clear and quite simple demonstration of the hierarchy.
The world (in Egyptian civilization) is built stepwise. And it is very difficult to rise from one level to another (it's easy to fall down). Here we come to the main characteristic of the pyramid of power. It is hierarchical. It separates layers separated from each other by more or less impenetrable boundaries. Remember: "How can I become a general? He has his own son! ". This, of course, is exaggerated. Only in a modern democratic society there is a clear line between the layers. It is easy to replenish the ranks of the people. Nobody will object.
The hierarchical pyramid of power under democracy is well disguised through the introduction into the minds of people of the idea that everyone has rights. But try to implement them actually. If one does not believe, let him begin to create himself a billion-dollar fortune. They say that Bill Gates also does not recognize the "old money" for his own.
The Pyramid of Power in Russia
Let us touch on a few realities of our life. In Russia there is a completely open hierarchy of power. It is fixed in the basic law. At the head is the president, elected by open popular vote. But according to his rights, he is not up to the pharaoh. Decisions on the development of the state are made by a collegial body - the parliament, and even then not all.
Russia is a federation. Each of its members has its own representative body. He takes decisions that are within his competence for the local level. This is the legislative power. It makes decisions. All the people we elect collectively make up the same Egyptian pharaoh. There is also an executive power. These are kind of viziers. They implement and monitor the implementation of decisions. The third branch of power is the judiciary. Its function is to consider disputes.
The conclusion can, unfortunately, do this: thousands of years have passed, and people have not been able to organize their lives in a new way. The pyramid of power does not lose its relevance.
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