In
social science and
politics,
power is the ability to
influence or control the behavior of people. The term "
authority" is often used for power perceived as
legitimate by the
social structure. Power can be seen as evil or
unjust, but the exercise of power is accepted as to humans as social beings. In
business, power is often expressed as being "upward" or "downward". With downward power, a company's superior influences subordinates. When a company exerts upward power, it is the subordinates who influence the decisions of their leader or leaders.
