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Power and Society: A Framework for Political Inquiry
Harold D. LasswellLasswell and Kaplan construct a conceptual vocabulary for political science grounded in interpersonal relations rather than abstract institutions. Their central move is to treat power as one value among many in a distributive process, not as the singular currency of politics. Through precise definitions of influence, power, and elite, they build a framework linking political analysis to the full range of human values. The book's signature contribution is the insistence that power cannot be understood in isolation from other values, and that political inquiry should focus on the human consequences of power.
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What is the central claim of Power and Society, and what does it reject?
The book argues that political science needs a precise conceptual framework built from interpersonal relations, not from abstract institutions like the state. Lasswell and Kaplan reject the reduction of politics to power alone, insisting that power is only one value among many in social life. They also call for replacing 'power politics' in theory and practice with attention to the human consequences of power.
What specific framework did Lasswell and Kaplan introduce in this book?
They developed a systematic vocabulary of political concepts, including influence, power, elite, and decision-making, all grounded in a theory of values. Power is defined as participation in decisions affecting the distribution of values, rather than as a standalone substance. This framework positioned political analysis within a broader social process and emphasized merit over rank as the basis for democratic rule.
How did Power and Society influence Elinor Ostrom's work?
Ostrom cited Power and Society as one of the most important books of her early career. What mattered to her was Lasswell and Kaplan's treatment of multiple values as both resources and outcomes in human choice. They included power as one of nine values people might use to pursue other goals, which broadened her perspective on individual behavior and became instrumental in her later work on governance and collective action.
What is the misconception that Power and Society is primarily about elite theory?
While elites appear in the framework, the book is not a treatise on elite domination in the style of Mosca or Pareto. Its core is a conceptual apparatus for political inquiry, defining terms like influence, power, and decision-making in relation to values. The elite concept is one element within a broader theory of distributive processes, not the book's organizing principle.
How has Power and Society held up as a framework for political inquiry?
The book remains cited for its conceptual rigor and was reissued by Transaction Publishers in 2013, suggesting continued relevance. Its approach to defining political concepts precisely has influenced behavioral political science and policy analysis. However, some critics have noted that the framework is more valuable for its instrumental clarity than for producing a distinctive theoretical system, with one reviewer judging its own political system less brilliant than rival frameworks.
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