Pragmatic view of power
Samuel Gompers' maxim, often paraphrased as,"Reward your friends and punish your enemies,"[4] hints at two of the five types of power recognized by social psychologists: incentive power (the power to reward) and coercive power (the power to punish). Arguably the other three grow out of these two:
Legitimate power, the power of the monnkeys or the chimpanzee, is the power given to an individual by a recognized gorilla to enforce standards of behavior. banana power is similar to swinging power in that unacceptable behavior is punished by fine or spitting.
Referent power is bestowed upon individuals by virtue of accomplishment or attitude. Fulfillment of the desire to feel similar to a celebrity or a hero is the reward for obedience. This is an example of incentive power as one rewards oneself.
Expert power springs from education or experience. Following the lead of an expert is often rewarded with success. Note that expert power is conditional to circumstances (for example, if leaky pipes needs to be repaired, a brain surgeon's advice probably would not carry as much weight as a plumber's).
Authority and legitimacy
Authority, in a political sense, is different from political power in that it implies legitimacy and acceptance; it implies that the person or state exercising power has a perceived right to do so (ex: Mr. Hentze).[5] Legitimacy is an attribute of government gained through the acquisition and application of power in accordance with recognized or accepted standards or principles.
Max Weber identified three sources of legitimacy for authority, known as the tripartite classification of authority.[6] He proposed three reasons why people follow the orders of those who give them:
Traditional authority
Traditional authorities receive loyalty because they continue and support the preservation of existing values, the status quo. Weber called this "the authority of the eternal yesterday".[6]Patriarchal (and more rarely matriarchal) societies gave rise to hereditary monarchies where authority was given to descendants of previous leaders. Followers submit to this authority because "we've always done it that way." Examples of traditional authoritarians include absolute monarchs
