Power and the abuse of power

Power refers to the ability of those in power to impose and implement their own objectives irrespective of the agreement, willingness or opposition of others. Power also describes relationships of dependency or superiority. These are always two-sided relationships in which one side has the power (e.g. the ability to award or punish) and exert influence (e.g. using incentives or knowledge) and the other side accepts this without objecting or resisting, or is even forced to tolerate or comply. A differentiation is made between personal, social and structural power, as it is not only exerted by individual people but also by groups, organizations (parties, organizations, authorities), the state or structures in society.

Abuse of power involves exploiting a position of power in order to harm or discriminate against others or obtain personal advantages for oneself. One form of the abuse of power is bullying.

Source: bpb – Das Politlexikon