Political scientists often address the problem of resources.They do this to understand the nature of the impact of power, the sources of power relations and resources that are used to achieve the goal. Since power already by definition is the ability of an individual to manifest one's will contrary to the desires of others, then the realization of it requires special means and methods. They need it to influence their subordinates, achieving their goals. In political theory, it is common to divide the means of influence into potential and real. Power resources are potential means, as they can be used, but are not used temporarily. And the real means, or the foundations of power, are the means that the authorities apply in a given period of time. Of course, this classification is rather arbitrary, because there is no clear boundary dividing the two kinds of sources.
Since the resources of political power are verythere is a question about the effectiveness and limits of their application in a particular situation. Hence the need to create a typology of sources of power.
The power resources are classified in political science by different criteria. The initial typologies (for example, Plato) were quite speculative.
For the first time seriously the resources of the authorities were classified by N.Machiavelli in the works "Reflections on the first decade of Titus Livia" and "Sovereign". The classification is based on the definition of motives of people's behavior. Machiavelli believed that there were only two of them - fear and love. And fostering fear and love can be managed equally easily. Both motives are different in the way they work. So, if love is based on gratitude, which is not difficult to destroy an evil and self-serving person, then fear is characterized by firmness and strength. Also, Machiavelli was also convinced that the resource of fear affects differently. For example, a person can more or less calmly reconcile with the loss of freedom, honor, power, but will never reconcile with the loss of property. In addition, Machiavelli recognized such resources of power as human passions and vices (fear, greed, deceit).
Subsequently, modern classifications also tookbased on an anthropological principle. At the same time, fear and confidence were added to the fear. The resource of persuasion can be successfully applied both in a totalitarian and in a democratic society. In the first case, this is done through the ideological processing of citizens and the constant monitoring of information seeping into the masses. In a democratic society, its use is carried out on the basis of an independent and voluntary choice by an individual of political values and preferences.
But the resource of interest lies at the heart ofthe relationship between power and the individual only in democratic systems. Voters, as a rule, choose those politicians who can satisfy their material interests. That is, we can say that politicians buy the votes of their fellow citizens.
The power resources also differ in the cycle of actionand efficiency. Their use is necessarily influenced by such a factor as the type of regime. For example, the resources of fear and belief organically complement each other in a totalitarian system.
По сферам влияния, по характеру воздействия the normative, coercive and utilitarian resources of power vary. In the first case, changing rules and norms of interaction of citizens, the power thereby influences their perception of the world and behavior.
Utilitarian resources, poweraffects the conditions of human existence. It meets the daily needs of people: for example, improving the conditions in which they are forced to work, increasing salaries or social benefits.
Forced resources (loss of property, fear of violence, fear for their lives, threat of dismissal, etc.) are associated with the threat of use of force.
