Power
Definition
Power refers to the ability to exert control or influence over others. In the context of government, power is the authority and capability to make decisions and enforce them.
Analogy
Imagine that power is like a remote control. Just as a remote control gives you the ability to change channels on your TV or adjust the volume, power allows those in government to make important decisions and shape society.
Related terms
Authority: The right or legal basis for exercising power and making decisions.
Sovereignty: The supreme power or authority held by a state or governing body.
Consent of the governed: The idea that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent or approval of the people they govern.
"Power" appears in:
Subjects (16)
Practice Questions (5)
What principle, arguing that government derives its power from the people, was asserted by the American Revolution?
What concept, important to the American Revolution, argues that power derives from the people?
Which law did Andrew Jackson challenge by vetoing its recharter due to his belief that it gave too much power to a select few?
Which court case did the Supreme Court rule that Congress had no power to ban slavery in U.S. territories, further dehumanizing African Americans?
Which Supreme Court decision stated that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in federal territories?
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