Authority as a Concept in Political Science

When a traffic constable raises his hand, you stop — not because he could physically force every car on the road, but because you accept he has the right to make you stop. That accepted right is authority, and it is the single word that turns raw power into government.

In two minutes

Authority is power that carries, and is generally recognised as carrying, a right to be obeyed — the crucial addition that separates a government from a gang with guns.

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