The word Authority is derived from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state (in the form of Members of Parliament, Judges, Police Officers, etc.), by academic knowledge of an area (someone can be an authority on a subject).

Authority in Philosophy

In government, ''authority'' is often used interchangeably with "power". However, their meanings differ: while "power" is defined as "the ability to influence somebody to do something that he/she would not have done", "authority" refers to a claim of legitimacy, the justification and right to exercise that power. For example, while a mob has the power to punish a criminal, for example by lynching, people who believe in the rule of law consider that only a court of law has the authority to order punishment.

Since the emergence of social sciences, authority has been a subject of research in a variety of empirical settings: the family (parental authority), small groups (informal authority of leadership), intermediate organizations, such as schools, churches, armies, industries and bureaucracies (organizational and bureaucratic authorities) and society-wide or inclusive organizations, ranging from the most primitive tribal society to the modern nation-state and intermediate organization (political authority).

The definition of authority in contemporary social science is a matter of debate. According to Michaels, in the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, authority is the capacity, innate or acquired for exercising ascendancy over a group. Other scientists, however, argue that authority is not a capacity but a relationship. It is sanctioned power, institutionalized power.

In political philosophy, the jurisdiction of political authority, the location of sovereignty, the balancing of freedom and authority (cf. Cristi 2005), and the requirements of political obligations have been core questions from Plato and Aristotle to the present. In many democratic societies, there is an ongoing discussion regarding the legitimate extent of governmental authority in general. In the United States, for instance, there is a widespread belief that the political system as it was instituted by the Founding Fathers should accord the populace as much freedom as reasonable, and that government should limit its authority accordingly.

In religion, there is a tendency to act in the belief that what will result will be different than what would have happened had a subservient act(e.g. prayer, meditation, service to others, etc.) not been performed- this is the essence of exercised authority. What one does in expectation of meeting with the approval of the divine is derived from some means of obtained faith. The faith comes by being affected by the authoritative direction of the divine. Authoritative sources in religion communicate their direction through commandments and/or expressed approval of behaviour deemed to be acceptable or beneficial, with the expectation that the subject of this didactic process will use wisdom and understanding in their actions of service.

==Weber on Authority== Max Weber, in his sociological and philosophical work, identified and distinguished three types of legitimate domination (''Herrschaft'' in German, which generally means 'domination' or 'rule'), that have sometimes been rendered in English translation as types of authority, because domination isn't seen as a political concept in the first place. Weber defined domination (authority) as the chance of commands being obeyed by a specifiable group of people. Legitimate authority is that which is recognized as legitimate and justified by both the ruler and the ruled.

Weber divided legitimate authority into three types:

The first type discussed by Weber is ''Rational-legal authority''. It is that form of authority which depends for its legitimacy on formal rules and established laws of the state, which are usually written down and are often very complex. The power of the rational legal authority is mentioned in the constitution. Modern societies depend on legal-rational authority. Government officials are the best example of this form of authority, which is prevalent all over the world.

The second type of authority is ''Traditional authority'', which derives from long-established customs, habits and social structures. When power passes from one generation to another, then it is known as traditional authority. The right of hereditary monarchs to rule furnishes an obvious example. The Tudor dynasty in England and the ruling families of Mewar, in Rajasthan (India) are some examples of traditional authority.

The third form of authority is ''Charismatic authority''. Here, the charisma of the individual or the leader plays an important role. Charismatic authority is that authority which is derived from "the gift of grace" or when the leader claims that his authority is derived from a "higher power" (e.g. God or natural law or rights) or "inspiration", that is superior to both the validity of traditional and rational-legal authority and followers accept this and are willing to follow this higher or inspired authority, in the place of the authority that they have hitherto been following. Examples in this regard can be NT Rama Rao, a matinee idol, who went on to become one of the most powerful Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh.

History has witnessed several social movements or revolutions, against a system of traditional or legal-rational authority, which are usually started by Charismatic authorities. Weber states that what distinguishes authority, from coercion, force and power on the one hand and leadership, persuasion and influence on the other hand, is legitimacy. Superiors, he states, feel that they have a right to issue commands; subordinates perceive an obligation to obey. Social scientists agree that authority is but one of several resources available to incumbents in formal positions. For example, a Head of State is dependent upon a similar nesting of authority. His legitimacy must be acknowledged, not just by citizens, but by those who control other valued resources: his immediate staff, his cabinet, military leaders and in the long run, the administration and political apparatus of the entire society.

Authority in a Liberal Democratic State

Every state has a number of institutions which exercise authority based on longstanding practices. Apart from this, every state sets up agencies which are competent in dealing with one particular matter. All this is set up within its charter. One example would be a port authority like the Port of London. They are usually created by special legislation and are run by a board of directors. Several agencies and institutions are created along the same lines and they exercise authority in certain matters. They are usually required to be self-supporting through property taxes or other forms of collection or fees for services.

See also

Authority (sociology)

Authority (management)

Anti-authoritarian

Appeal to authority

''Auctoritas''

Authoritarianism

Cognitive authority

Dominance (ethology)

Milgram experiment

Petty authority

Prestige (sociology)

References

Giorgio Agamben, ''State of Exception'' (2005)

Hannah Arendt, ''Between Past and Future'' (New York, Viking, 1961) "The Concept of Authority"

Józef Maria Bocheński, ''?'' (1974)

Renato Cristi, ''Hegel on Freedom and Authority'' (2005)

Stuart Lachs, ''Means of Authorization: Establishing Hierarchy in Ch'an/Zen Buddhism in America'' (1999)

Rafael Domingo Osle, ''Auctoritas'' (1999)

Karl Popper, ''On the Sources of Knowledge and of Ignorance'' (1960)

Max Weber, ''Economy and Society'' (1922)

External links

Qualitionary - Legal Definitions - Authority

Appeal to Authority Breakdown

Category:Social ethics Category:Social psychology Category:Political philosophy

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name	Doc Hastings
image name	Dochastings.jpg
birth date	February 07, 1941
birth place	Spokane, Washington
residence	Pasco, Washington
alma mater	Pasco High School
occupation	Former small businessman
state	Washington
district	4th
term start	January 3, 1995
preceded	Jay Inslee
succeeded	Incumbent
party	Republican
spouse	Claire Hastings
religion	Presbyterian
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1964-1969
Unit	Reserves}}

Richard Norman "Doc" Hastings (born February 7, 1941) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes most of the central part of the state, including Yakima, Wenatchee, and the Tri-Cities.

Early life, education and career

Doc Hastings was born in Spokane, Washington. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1964 to 1969. He studied business administration at Columbia Basin College and Central Washington University. Hastings was named Columbia Basin Alumni of the Year in 2001. He returned to Central Washington as commencement speaker in 2008.

Before being elected to Congress, Hastings ran his family-owned small business, Columbia Basin Paper and Supply. He was an active member of the Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the Pasco/Kennewick Rotary Club, the Pasco Downtown Development Association, and the Pasco Jaycees. He also served on the Board of Directors of Yakima Federal Savings.

His father, Ivan Hastings, passed away September 12, 2002 at age 89 and his mother, Florene, passed on May 22, 2011 at age 97.

Washington House of Representatives

Hastings served in the Washington House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987, where he was selected by his colleagues to be Assistant Majority Leader and Republican Caucus Chairman. Hastings voluntarily left the Legislature so he could be home with his kids as they experienced their high school years.

Political campaigns

Hastings first ran for the 4th District in 1992, but lost to Democratic State Representative Jay Inslee by two percent. Although Hastings carried the Tri-Cities, he lost the rest of the district.

Hastings sought a rematch against Inslee in 1994. This time Hastings handily won by six percentage points, capitalizing on anger at Inslee's campaigning as a centrist while establishing one of the most liberal voting records in Congress. (Inslee later returned to Congress as a representative from the liberal leaning 1st District.) Hastings was reelected in 1996 with 53% of the votes cast in his favor. Hastings has carried over 60% of the vote in each election since, and has become the most popular and recognizable politician in Central Washington.

2010

United States House of Representatives elections in Washington, 2010#District 4

2012

A campaign committee has been formed to fund a run for office by Hastings in 2012.

Contributors

Hastings consistently gets the majority of his campaign contributions from donors in his home state.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Committee on Natural Resources (Chairman)

*As Chairman of the full committee, Rep. Hastings may serve as an ''ex officio'' member of all subcommittees.

Rep. Hastings was once the ranking member of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. He replaced Joel Hefley as committee chairman in 2005 when Hefley's term as committee chairman expired.

Caucus Memberships

House Nuclear Clean-Up Caucus (Chairman & founder)

Northwest Energy Caucus (Co-chair)

Rural Health Care Coalition

Specialty Crop Caucus

Hastings is the senior Republican in the Northwest Congressional delegation.

Controversies

Congressman Hastings built the case that led to the expulsion of Democratic Congressman James Traficant from the United States Congress in 2002. As Chairman of the Investigative Subcommittee of the United States House Committee on Ethics, Hastings was tasked with reviewing the file from Traficant's trial and other material to determine if there had been a violation of House rules. Hastings said on the floor of the House, "''After considering all of the evidence, I concluded that Mr. Traficant's offenses were so serious and so purposeful that expulsion from the House is the only appropriate sanction''." The measure to remove Traficant from the House passed 420-1.

Hastings may have had ties to the lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, convicted of bribery of elected officials. In 1996, Abramoff and his lobbying firm had as many as 36 contacts with Hasting's office, resulting in as many as 85.57 billed hours regarding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Abramoff bragged to the CNMI of having "excellent" ties to Hastings. Hastings' 2004 campaign had received $1,000 from Abramoff personally and an additional $5,647 from Abramoff's lobbying firm, which was also one of the largest law firms in the State of Washington, Preston Gates. Preston Gates, which was also Microsoft's law and lobbying firm, also contributed to Washington Democratic candidates for Congress that cycle, including the delegation's most liberal member, Jim McDermott, representative from Seattle.

Following Hastings' work that led to fellow Republican James Traficant's removal from the House, Hastings was named to the Chairmanship of what was then a dysfunctional United States House Committee on Ethics. Soon after being named Chairman, two senior staff members for the committee were fired, and Hastings attempted to place his then Chief of Staff, Ed Cassidy, onto the Ethics Committee staff. Democrats cast this a partisan move, while Republicans pointed out that such a change in staff is the norm with the naming of a new committee chairman. Nearly all information with regard to this "controversy" is from unnamed sources, generally described as Congressional staffers. The claim that Hastings fired the entire committee staff to protect Tom Delay has become something of an urban myth. Hastings received some criticism from Democrats for inaction as chairman of the committee, particularly in the DeLay case. By rule, the House Ethics Committee's work, votes, and investigation findings are kept strictly confidential. Therefore, it is impossible to verify what Hastings did or did not do as chairman of the committee.

In 2008 as Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Hastings pushed the investigation of Charlie Rangel. A four-person investigative subcommittee was formed with Hastings as co-chair. The subcommittee's subsequent report led to Rangel's loss of the chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee and censure by the House in 2010.

Political Positions

On the Washington Congressional Election 2010 Political Courage Test, Hastings responded that he is favor of charter schools, gun owners' rights, and the line-item veto. He is in favor of establishing a "functional and enforceable guest worker program." He is favor of a reduction in spending in almost all areas of the Federal budget. He is in favor of eliminating Federal spending for the arts and the United Nations, and favors decreasing spending on climate change, international aid, and welfare. He is opposed to tax-payer funded political campaigns. On social issues, he responded that he believes marriage should be between one man and one woman, that English should be the official language of the United States, that he does not support embryonic stem cell research, and that he thinks government should end affirmative action programs.

"''Top priorities must be creating jobs, getting our economy back on track, and stopping reckless spending that has left our nation with the largest deficit in history''," wrote Hastings in response to Project Vote Smart.

Hastings is the chairman of the United States House Committee on Natural Resources and is a proponent of increasing domestic production of oil and gas, including drilling in the remote Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. He said, “Promoting new domestic energy production, including in the Arctic, will be a priority,” for the House National Resources Committee.

Interest Group Ratings

Hastings is rated as one of the most business-friendly representatives in Congress, according to the United States Chamber of Commerce which gives Hastings a score of 94 out of 100 based on his 16-year voting record. The Club for Growth gives Hastings a grade of 94 out of 100. The National Taxpayers Union gives Hastings a grade of A. Hastings is also given an A grade by Keep America Safe. Hastings is a conservative, earning a 95.15 lifetime rating, as of 2010, from the American Conservative Union. Hastings has strong pro-life views on abortion issues, demonstrated by consistent ratings of 100% from the National Right to Life Committee. Hastings rates low with some union groups. In 2009 and 2010, he received grades D and F from the National Education Association, and a rating of 0% from the American Association of University Women. Hastings also rates low with some environmental groups. In his latest ratings he received a 0% from the League of Conservation voters and an 8% from Republicans for Environmental Protection.

Personal life

In 1967, Hastings married his wife, Claire, in Sacramento, California. Together they have three children: Kirsten, Petrina, and Colin. They live in Pasco.

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |+ : Results 1992–2006 !|Year ! !|Democrat !|Votes !|Pct ! !|Republican !|Votes !|Pct ! !|3rd Party !|Party !|Votes !|Pct ! |- |1992 | | |Jay Inslee | align="right" |106,556 | |51% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |103,028 | |49% | | | | | | |- |1994 | | |Jay Inslee | align="right" |81,198 | |47% | | | | align="right" |92,828 | |53% | | | | | | |- |1996 | | |Rick Locke | align="right" |96,502 | |47% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |108,647 | |53% | | | | | | |- |1998 | | | | align="right" |43,043 | |24% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |121,684 | |69% | | |Peggy S. McKerlie | |Reform | align="right" |11,363 | align="right" |6% | |- |2000 | | |Jim Davis | align="right" |87,585 | |37% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |143,259 | |61% | | |Fred D. Krauss | |Libertarian | align="right" |4,260 | align="right" |2% | |- |2002 | | |Craig Mason | align="right" |53,572 | |33% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |108,257 | |67% | | | | | | |- |2004 | | | | align="right" |92,486 | |37% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |154,627 | |63% | | | | | | |- |2006 | | | | align="right" |77,054 | |40% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |115,246 | |60% | | | | | | |- |2008 | | | | align="right" |99,430 | |36.91% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |169,940 | |63.09% | | | | | | |- |2010 | | | | align="right" |69,512 | |32.4% | | |Doc Hastings | align="right" |145,317 | |67.6% | | | | | |

See also

central Washington

United States House Committee on Natural Resources

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington's 4th congressional district

References

External links

Congressman Doc Hastings ''official U.S. House site''

Doc Hastings for U.S. Congress ''official campaign site''

Profile at SourceWatch

Chairman House Committee on Natural Resources

Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Washington (state) Category:Members of the Washington House of Representatives Category:People from Spokane, Washington Category:Washington (state) Republicans

de:Doc Hastings sv:Doc Hastings