ABSTRACT
Power is the key variable in the triad from the causal and explanatory standpoint. Of the two principles which govern the distributive process, need and power, the first is relatively simple and poses few problems of great importance or difficulty. The transition from the rule of might to the rule of right usually means greater decentralization of power. Institutionalized power differs from force in a number of ways which deserve note. One of the basic distinctions within the category of institutionalized power is that between authority and influence. One foundation on which institutionalized power commonly rests is the private ownership of property. The ownership of property is frequently dissociated from occupancy of a particular office or role. Since property is something in short supply and hence of value, the owner of property controls a resource which can be used to influence the actions of others.
