Meaning of Authority by Andrew Oforma Eze

Meaning of Authority by Andrew Oforma Eze. Email: ezeandrew50@gmail.com

     The term authority is often used interchangeably with power by some average learners, scholars and practitioners. However their meanings differ significantly. Authority is legal or constitutional right to issue a command or to carry out an action, while power can be used legally and illegally with or without the consent of the other party.

     According to Nwankwo (1992:13) authority is “the right to exercise political power.” Moreover, Ugwuanyi (2008:3) contends that power is transformed into authority by means of legitimacy.”  Ezeani (2006:32) is of the opinion that “the defining characteristic of authority is that, it is based on legitimacy.” Therefore, this means that anybody or institution that issues command without legal or legitimate right to do so  is only exercising naked power which may constitute a threat to the legitimate authority. Authority is usually associated with an office or institution.

     Furthermore, Roskin et al (1988: 6) view authority as “the ability of a given leader to win obedience.” They further differentiated authority from legitimacy and sovereignty as thus: “legitimacy is respect for a government; sovereignty is respect for a country; and authority is respect for an individual leader.” 
      Furthermore, Shively (2005) seems to have comprehensively unveiled what authority is all about when he aptly contends thus:

Authority is power based on a general agreement; (1) that a person or group has the right to issue certain sorts of commands and, (2) that those commands should be obeyed. If a person fails to obey authority, that failure is socially unacceptable, because the authority itself is based on general acceptance of its exercise.

He further contends that:

A parent has authority to tell children of a certain age when they should go to bed, with whom they should play, and so on: but as children grow older, the range of activities over which a parent has authority dwindles until it disappears. A teacher in a classroom has the authority to tell students how they should prepare for classes, but the teacher cannot tell them whom they may date or what political candidate to support (Shively, 2005: 156).
This shows that both authority and power are situational and dynamic. (See power).

Types or Sources of Authority
    There are many types or sources of authority. But due to philosophical reasons we shall examine Marx Weber’s types of authority which have relatively attained international recognition. According to Marx Weber, there are three types of authority namely:

1.Rational or Legal Authority: This is the type of authority which is derived from established laws and institutions in the state. It is derived from constitution, which stipulates the powers and functions of government and that of individuals. It is the highest form of authority.
2.Traditional Authority: It is derived from traditions, customs and culture of the people. It is the type of authority traditional rulers or traditional institutions exercise.

3.Charismatic Authority:  This is the one that is derived from an individual’s natural endowment which makes him or her unique among others.
Other types or sources of authority are political, economical, expert or information etc.