ABSTRACT
The words power and Macht in English and German and pouvoir or puissance in French continue to be surrounded by a kind of sacred halo or, if one likes, charged with mysterious and rather frightening echoes. Trade unions, political parties, and pressure groups come on the scene as rivals, each seeking a maximum of power. The exchange relationship tends, according to the ideal type, toward equality; the power relationship appears in its essence asymmetrical and unequal. Competition for the foundation or instruments of power allows the comparison with economic competition. The word puissance has the double advantage of being usable in most cases in which the Germans say Macht and the Americans or British say power. Furthermore, since according to Littré puissance describes something permanent and lasting, and not only an action or exercise, it has a broader range of meaning than does pouvoir.
