Power and Ideology Term Paper

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Power, by definition, is the "ability to control the behavior of others, even against their will" (Thio, 2000, p. 179). The relationship between power, and our belief system or ideology is quite simple - this control that can be exerted over another person, group, country, race, or religion is most often associated with wealth. The majority of sociologists believe that with wealth comes power, and with more wealth comes more power (Thio, 2000, p. 179).

Power is intertwined into our system of beliefs throughout - our political system is one prime example of that relationship. Most of the top government positions are occupied or funded by someone who is wealthy. George W. Bush hails from Texas, land of oil millionaires, and he once was the owner of the Texas Rangers. Yes, the owner of a Major League Baseball team. You might say he has some money. Wealthy persons are surely more likely to feel powerful. This feeling of power only fuels their need for more wealth, and more power, which can cause them to become more active in local and national government - "working to retain or increase their power" (Thio, 2000, p. 179).

Of course, on the other end of the spectrum are the lower-income people who feel virtually powerless. Their lack of money, their lack of status, and their overall lack of the means to get somewhere all contribute to their feelings of powerlessness.

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The idea of involving themselves in politics is foreign. Literally, they feel as if politics, and government doesn't affect them so "why should I care?" Of course, the catch-22 is that this attitude prevents them from gaining any power in the future. Their indifference causes them to have even less power than they already had, making their situation worse. On the other hand, it gives more power to those who were already in power - it unevenly distributes the power in America, which isn't a new idea.

Karl Marx, and following Marxists saw that there is a small group of people in the United States that hold the power of the entire nation (Thio, 2000, 179). Marx believed that the capitalists in the U.S., the Fortune 500 businessmen, were the most powerful men in the country (Thio, 2000, 179). These men may not be in the Senate seat, or work with the President directly, but it is their money that is being used to protect their own interests, and fund the campaigns of the politicians.

C. Wright Mills had a similar idea in his theory regarding the "power elite" - a "small group of top leaders not just from business corporations but also from the federal government and the military" (Thio, 2000, p.….....

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