power capability is “property of a group or individual that enables it to be politically influential, or a political resource” (page 9). A power capability or political resource can be anything that gives an individual or a group of individuals some sort of an advantage of others. This advantage could be semi-control of the armed forces, ability to influence public opinion, ability to organize mass protest, mass land ownership, and mass investment in the country itself. In summary, a power capability is having access to a source of power that is useful in a grand scale. The system functions by negotiations or “taking into account” amongst existing power contenders with power capabilities “in planning their political strategies” (page 21). The negotiations are not always easy and newcomers are not welcomed with opened arms. A power contender must go through two phases in order to prove that he is worthy and that his power capability is important enough to gain him access and to be admitted into the political system. The first phase consists of “contenders ‘outside’ the coterie of elites…seeking to demonstrate a power capability that will gain them access to the political process” (page 21). This demonstration is done through revolutions, terror, and violence. The second phase consists of “manipulation and negotiation among power contenders with reciprocally recognized power capabilities” (page 21). The power contender must in these negotiations remind his fellow elites of his power capability and squeeze himself in for a piece of the “cake”. Since new power contenders are not welcomed with opened arms, the rules of admission are to prove that the power contender has the power capability to make him important to the small circle of elites. He proves his power capability through demonstrating. He does not necessarily want to use his powe...
