Authority & Hierarchy

• Authority telling people in society what to do means that society functions better.
• Authority is linked to ideas of paternalism and hierarchy - there should be a social structure with people in charge of others, and those people act in the best interests of those they have authority over.
• Authority also has links to ideas of the social contract - by giving up some of our freedom we gain security through law and order.

According to theorist Max Weber, there are three types of authority:

• Charismatic authority - where authority comes from the personality and characteristics of the leader.
• Rational-legal authority - where authority comes from the legal system and rationalism,
• Traditional authority - where authority comes from tradition and custom, and acceptance of the historical state of affairs.

• Some theorists (such as Max Weber) have argued that conservatives favour ‘traditional’ authority as this reflects cultural customs and respects historical tradition.
• Traditional authority is more likely to preserve tradition in society, and traditional hierarchies.
  • An example of traditional authority in the UK is the fact that of the 56 prime ministers the UK has had so far, 42 have studied at Oxford or Cambridge.
  • The monarchy is an example of traditional authority in the UK.

• Conservatives believe that political systems and structures that are hierarchical are the best political systems and structures.
  • These structures will be the fairest and most beneficial to the people inside them.
• We are all born with different merits and abilities, and so some people are more suited to leadership and high status, and others are more suited to low-status positions and jobs.
  • Revolutionary change and abandoning hierarchy is ignorant of this fact, according to conservatives.

• David Cameron’s governments 2010-16:
  • Dominated by Old Etonian, privately educated and Oxbridge graduates
  • Oliver Letwin, Boris Johnson, Jo Johnson, Ed Llewellyn, Rupert Harrison.
  • At one point in 2015, 14 out of 28 cabinet members were privately educated.

• New Right conservatism accepts that there are natural inequalities in society.
• However, New Right conservatives don’t necessarily want to preserve this order and hierarchy.
• Instead, inequalities lead to people to strive to work harder to improve their place in life.