Distinguishing Power, Authority & Legitimacy: Taking Max Weber at His Word by Using Resources-Exchange Analysis

Power is a puzzling notion. It seems so useful as a way to talk about politics in ordinary discourse, but when used to analyze politics systematically it quickly becomes entangled in a snarl of concepts, its precise nature and meaning growing less clear in the underbrush of related terms. This article seeks to clear away some of this tangle. Using the framework of resource-exchange analysis, the author explores the concept of power, following Weber's formulations, and seeks to clarify its relation to authority and legitimacy. His approach illuminates not only the notion of power but also many problems of political analysis and discourse.