Section 1
Politics, Power, and Authority
By Boundless
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/5060/square/state-of-the-union.jpeg)
Political sociology studies the relation between state and society, authority and power, and the methods used to formulate social policy.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/14999/square/lyoxford20060328-kaihsutai.jpeg)
Power is frequently defined as the ability to influence the behavior of others with or without resistance.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/5955/square/is-a-county...-nara-558210.jpeg)
Authority refers to the use of power that is seen as legitimate or socially approved/recognized.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/1251/square/olice-officer-in-riot-gear.jpeg)
Max Weber conceived of the state as a monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/1255/square/louis-xiv-of-france.jpeg)
Traditional authority refers to a form of leadership in which authority derives from tradition or custom.
Rational-legal authority is a form of leadership in which authority is largely tied to legal rationality, legal legitimacy, and bureaucracy.
Charismatic authority is power legitimized by a leader's exceptional personal qualities, which inspire loyalty and obedience from followers.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/8476/square/idential-inauguration-2005.jpeg)
In the United States, transfers of authority generally occur after presidential elections.