Three Dimensions Of Power By Steven Lukes
Steven Lukes identifies three dimensions to power in his book A Radical View. The second dimension refers to a person, group or entity that creates and reinforces political and social values and institutional practices that restrict the political process’s scope. The third dimension describes the ability to get someone to do things they don’t want and to exert power over them by shaping their needs and wants. For example, during a news briefing, the secretary of state at the White House decides which questions and topics will go on, and controls the conversation. To form opinions or make decisions, the audience has only what was discussed during the briefing. This example illustrates how controlling situations reduces the options people have and prevents them from making decisions.
The second dimension also includes mobilization bias. Mobilization bias can be illustrated by current and previous voting laws. Some citizens used to have to pay a fee in order to vote in elections. This prevented the poor from exercising their right to vote. Thirty-four states currently require identification to vote. Seventeen of these states have strict identification laws. Voter ID laws bar low-income and minority voters from casting a ballot because they can’t afford to buy an I.D. An I.D. can be purchased online or by traveling. Mobilization bias enables institutions and rules to be set up in a way that favors certain groups over others. Voter identification laws can benefit rich and white Americans while hurting the poor and minority Americans. Advertisements can be used to manipulate the needs and desires of viewers. This gives them power. Another example is how propaganda can be used to influence the public’s wants and needs. A politician might advocate legislation against climate change. The politician could then structure his speech to influence the public to support their cause. This could be achieved by only presenting their facts, focusing on the benefits and not the negatives, and twisting the arguments to their advantage. People can control information and shape preferences to exercise power. These examples and descriptions are the basis of Steven Luke’s arguments for the third and second dimensions of power.
