Power is an entity or individual’s ability to control or direct others, while authority is influence that is predicated on perceived legitimacy. Max Weber studied power and authority, differentiating between the two concepts and formulating a system for classifying types of authority

Generally speaking, citizens of nations wherein power is concentrated in one leader or a small group are more likely to suffer violations of civil liberties and experience economic inequality. Sociologists examine government and politics in terms of their impact on individuals and larger social systems.

politics — a means of studying a nation’s or group’s underlying social norms as values as evidenced through its political structure and practices. authority — power that people accept because it comes from a source that is perceived as legitimate. dictatorship — a form of government in which a single person (or a very small group) wields complete and absolute authority over a government or populace after the dictator rises to power…. democracy — a form of government that provides all citizens with an equal voice or vote in determining state policy.