Response to Two Faces in Power

Nandi Lewis

Class: Politics 166

Professor: Barry Murdaco

Lehman College

       

                                                           Reflection Paper 

                                     Two Faces of Power 

                         By Peter Bachrach and Morton S. Baratz

   “Of course power is exercised when A participates in the making of decisions that affect B. But power is also exercised when A devotes his energies to creating or reinforcing social and political values and institutional practices that limit the scope of the political process to public consideration of only those issues which are comparatively innocuous to A. To the extent that A succeeds in doing this, B is prevented, for all practical purposes, from bringing to the fore any issues that might in their resolution be seriously detrimental to A’s set of preferences?”

     In this particular part of the passage it has revealed to me that power is exercised in many forms in which can be disguised in order to not be seen as powerful. Bachrach and Baratz emphasize on how decisions make up the majority effects of the political system. In this case, A participates knowingly work together with B, exercising ways in order to get what is fulfilling to their needs. The needs of which executes one way of thinking undermining B participants acknowledgements of political ideas. The political process is hindered and resolutions towards better outcomes are in the hand of one group because of the fear of losing the attention to its own appetite, therefore causing limitations to discussions. I believe that it goes in comparison with the elitist because they are usually very expressive and orderly based off of a structure of which they stratify. Participants of group B would be pluralist because they feel that one person does not run the community but it takes many. Overall this certain part of the passage has clearly stated how power in political views build and misuse each other in order to establish each own power.

    The reason I choose this particular part of the passage is because its example allowed me to understand more of how power is exercised in one groups perspective. I understand that I don’t have to say that I am in power, but it is what I do with it. Do I make decisions based off myself and people that share similar desires as me? Or do I go after what is best for the whole community? There seems to never be a right or wrong answer but the approach in the political world you take can possibly affect individuals having them to feel as if they aren’t being heard. In conclusion, it seems the way one examines and uses power ultimately keeps the cycle of individuals never being satisfied.