Peter Barachand and Morton Baratz in their paper entitled “Two Faces of Power” argue that the study of power in the public setting should consider the power to control action as well as the power to act. They present a dualistic view on power in the policy environment in which the agent who wheels power is also able to prevent others from doing the same. Thus power is expressed not only in the act but also in the ability to limit the activity of others. This they contrast with the pluralist perspective, which they argue does not consider the power to prevent others from exercising power, but instead focuses on the ability to act in determining the existence of power Barachand and Baratz (1962). James Wilson in chapter 5 of “ Interests in Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why they do it?” provides a pluralistic explanation of how the power of government agencies is influenced by the environment in which they exist. He maintains that the policy environment is influenced by the interaction of various interest groups, which in turn creates constraints on the decision-making ability of agencies. Wilson defines for four kinds of agencies based on the constraints that are imposed on them: client agencies, entrepreneurial agencies, interest-group agencies and majoritarian agencies. Drawing on the example used by Barachand and Baratz (1962) the following is an application of the dualistic and pluralistic perspectives on power to the policy making process in a University or Institute of Higher Education to determine which of the two alternatives best explains power in this setting.
The pluralist perspective on power can be applied to academic institutions, as there are various interest groups that are concerned with the operation of the institution. The administration led by the President of the college is one such group responsible for design of policy and one might argue that power is concentrated in the hands of this group. However most higher educational institutions also have a Student Government Association that based on the size of the population that it represents also wields a significant amount of power. The teaching faculty at colleges and institutions of higher education also has a vested interest in the organization’s operation and as such will form themselves into Faculty Associations so that through collective action they may also have influence the operation of the institution. Institutions of Higher Educations are also becoming unionized and in situations where the faculty and staff union has the backing of a larger external parent union this employee group can exert significant influence on school policy. Wilson describes the environment in which government agencies exist and must design and implement policy as one populated by various interest groups. One might think of the Administration of the College as the agency who must balance the demands of the various interest groups. In a college environment the administration is similar to what Wilson calls a “client agency” where the decisions made are intended to benefit a single interest group “the students. As the various interest groups work together within a College community to design policy it becomes clear that the power truly lies with the administration of the college. As reform of college policy must ultimately be approved by the senior administration also the task of implementing new polices will also be supervised by the senior administration or their representatives. This is consistent with the pluralist perspective on power as being expressed in the act or making of decisions. As while the administration might encourage or entertain input from the various interest groups on campus through the formation of various committees composed of representatives from these groups. Ultimately the decision to approve and implement new policy is retained by the administration.
The dichotomous perspective on power presented by Barachand and Baratz can also be applied to the study of power in a Higher Education environment. They argue that power is also exercised when individuals or groups create social norms, values and institutions that ensure that their preferences prevail Barachand and Baratz (1962). One might argue that the administration in an academic institution decides and implements policy, as well as establishes the parameters within which advice will be received through the construction of committees and the retention of the power to implement. Thus administration is able to limit the influence of the various other interest groups in the college community.
Which of these two perspectives most accurately explains the existence of power? Well in the case of an Institution such as a College or University the institutional structure is set up in such a way that power is concentrated in the hands of the senior administration. While various interest groups do exist and they do have some ability to influence the formulation of policy and even the management of institution. Administration still retains the ability to implement and through the institutional structure and social norms of the institution is able to limit the influence of the other interest groups. So therefore one must conclude that while the pluralist perspective is indeed applicable, the view of power presented by Barachand and Baratz as being twofold in nature most appropriately describes the power in a Higher Education setting.
References
Wilson, James Q., Chapter 5: “Interests” in Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It, BasicBooks, 1989
Bachrachand, Peter and Morton S. Baratz, “Two Faces of Power,” The American Political Science Review, 56(4), 1962
The pluralist perspective on power can be applied to academic institutions, as there are various interest groups that are concerned with the operation of the institution. The administration led by the President of the college is one such group responsible for design of policy and one might argue that power is concentrated in the hands of this group. However most higher educational institutions also have a Student Government Association that based on the size of the population that it represents also wields a significant amount of power. The teaching faculty at colleges and institutions of higher education also has a vested interest in the organization’s operation and as such will form themselves into Faculty Associations so that through collective action they may also have influence the operation of the institution. Institutions of Higher Educations are also becoming unionized and in situations where the faculty and staff union has the backing of a larger external parent union this employee group can exert significant influence on school policy. Wilson describes the environment in which government agencies exist and must design and implement policy as one populated by various interest groups. One might think of the Administration of the College as the agency who must balance the demands of the various interest groups. In a college environment the administration is similar to what Wilson calls a “client agency” where the decisions made are intended to benefit a single interest group “the students. As the various interest groups work together within a College community to design policy it becomes clear that the power truly lies with the administration of the college. As reform of college policy must ultimately be approved by the senior administration also the task of implementing new polices will also be supervised by the senior administration or their representatives. This is consistent with the pluralist perspective on power as being expressed in the act or making of decisions. As while the administration might encourage or entertain input from the various interest groups on campus through the formation of various committees composed of representatives from these groups. Ultimately the decision to approve and implement new policy is retained by the administration.
The dichotomous perspective on power presented by Barachand and Baratz can also be applied to the study of power in a Higher Education environment. They argue that power is also exercised when individuals or groups create social norms, values and institutions that ensure that their preferences prevail Barachand and Baratz (1962). One might argue that the administration in an academic institution decides and implements policy, as well as establishes the parameters within which advice will be received through the construction of committees and the retention of the power to implement. Thus administration is able to limit the influence of the various other interest groups in the college community.
Which of these two perspectives most accurately explains the existence of power? Well in the case of an Institution such as a College or University the institutional structure is set up in such a way that power is concentrated in the hands of the senior administration. While various interest groups do exist and they do have some ability to influence the formulation of policy and even the management of institution. Administration still retains the ability to implement and through the institutional structure and social norms of the institution is able to limit the influence of the other interest groups. So therefore one must conclude that while the pluralist perspective is indeed applicable, the view of power presented by Barachand and Baratz as being twofold in nature most appropriately describes the power in a Higher Education setting.
References
Wilson, James Q., Chapter 5: “Interests” in Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It, BasicBooks, 1989
Bachrachand, Peter and Morton S. Baratz, “Two Faces of Power,” The American Political Science Review, 56(4), 1962
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