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Power shifts visualised

Fredrik the Frisian

Updated: Oct 14, 2024

The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer shows a rapid decline of people’s trust in politics, their institutions, media and even the business innovations. This process will increase in speed when the looming debt crisis unfolds.

 

This is a worrying development given the scope and number of people (billions) involved in countries governed by authoritarian regimes and democracies. In both cases individuals with power are losing trust of the people.

The question arises how much power people in visible positions have to address and dissolve problems. Or is there a power behind the power?


Division Democracy versus politics/dictatorial powers

This article (1 of 3) explores historical events changing the power balance and its direction, resulting in a Power framework called Dunamis. Greek for Power.



Historical power shift from authoritarian rule to democracy

In the past many nations were governed by feudal lords, nobility and aristocracy. Around 1800 democratisation started, but it took decades and sometimes centuries to evolve. It could be rather smooth without revolution as the British case shows. Or it was through collapse of the old ruling class, followed by revolution and the promise of a better future, ending up failure, as the power transition shows in Russia/USSR.

 

Power shift United Kingdom

Power shifted gradually from aristocracy towards democracy, caused by the industrial revolution (new technology) and other social development as this British democratisation case from History & Policy explains.


Duname power model - Britisch case

Summary Historical lessons from the British case (Supported by AI)

Britain's democratization was successful, producing a stable liberal democracy, and contrasts with more turbulent democratization efforts elsewhere. It attributes Britain's success to evolutionary changes managed by traditional elites, economic growth to a form of capitalism, and a vibrant civil society.

 

Elites and civil society are both essential for democratization. Elites manage transitions, while civil society fosters democratic values and skills. In Britain, elites were flexible and included new groups when deemed fit, leading to a smooth transition without overthrowing the old regime. Civil society thrived, promoting self-help and voluntary associations. Maintaining a liberal democracy is challenging and requires more effort than often realized.


Conclusion

A shift of power while continuing principally the same economic system, in this case capitalism, is possible as history shows.

 

 

The economic axis extension towards Communism

 

Power shift Russia to USSR

Power shift in Russia between 1900 - 1938 can be visualised. At the beginning of 1900 nobility ruled Russia representing an authoritarian regime and was still a primarily agricultural economy. The reforms started already in 1861, but without developing a more industrial (innovation/investment) capitalistic economy.

 

After the civil war 1917 -1923 the communists take power in Russia, install a much harsher regime and apply the economic theories of communism.

This is depicted below.

The economic axis is now extended with communism at the end while country government shifts from authoritarian to dictatorial.




By combining the horizontal government axis (democracy versus dictatorship) with the vertical economic axis (capitalism versus communism), the power model Dunamis is created.


Power Model Dunamis Economic system versus Government structure

The model’s validation

Listen to Deng Xiaopings advisor: “Deng said: …….” explaining the transformation sequence of China versus USSR mentioning these two axes. Hour/minute 01.03.00


Based on Deng Xiaoping’s statement, the developments of Russia and China during the turn of the 20th century can be visualised in the Dunamis model.

 

Russia

From 1989, Russia went with a non-functioning communistic economy towards capitalism and moved parallel over the government axis from dictatorship to democracy. This resulted in chaos and all the power taken by oligarchs. Oligarchy is a form of dictatorship. If you vote, it is in name only, because democracy has no power. The Russian Government gradually took control over the county again meaning the power shifted towards a form of democracy while parallel building the institutions for a capitalistic type of economy.  

 

China

China, as Deng Xiaoping said, first reformed to a more open and capitalistic model over the economic axis. Thereafter they altered the dictatorial style and reviewed varieties in their one-party democracy.

China did not plunge in chaos like Russia did.

 

 

Dunamis Power groups explained

The two largest power groups in societies are corporate powers operating from within an economic system and, currently political parties operating within a government structure. Both axes have various appearances.

 

Economic system

The economic system axis-ends are Capitalism and Communism.

 

Capitalism represents free market and capital principles. Only a person with sufficient power, being a shareholder or through direct participation can influence a corporation/organisation, or (s)he has to start a business.

 

Communism uses organisations to create wealth (goods & services) benefiting all people equal. This can be applied to the economy as a whole or elements of it. So-called common goods like; electricity, health care or infrastructure are organisation types belonging on the communism axis, unless they are privatised.

 

Government structure

The government structure axis-ends are Democracy (exercised through one, two or more political parties) and Dictatorship (exercised by a single individual or small group). A person can influence a democracy by voting, direct participation in a political party, or indirectly through a lobby group. A lobby group is an example of power behind the power.

Within a political party power is concentrated around a small number of persons. The political party’s principles and culture cannot be significantly influenced by a person unless s/he obtains a position with sufficient power. Another option is to start a new political party.

 

In a dictatorship a person has no influence, unless s/he becomes a dictatorship member. Both government structures on this axis have various appearances.


The Lex Fridman podcast with Vejas Liulevicius about Communism, Marxism, Nazism, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler for a comprehensive background story about the different ideologies.

 


Variations on the axis

The axis ends in the Dunamis model represent the most extreme form of either economy or government. They are theories and utopias. A society consists of a variety of government and economic appearances.



Variations on the Dunamis Power Model Economic and Government axis


Cultural contemplation's

This model is created from a North-West European perspective. More economic and government types can be added to the axes. Also, the positioning of institutions, governments and large corporations within the quadrants vary, depending on your definition or experience of power. Expect people from every country & culture around the world to apply this model differently.

By discussing this we will get a much-needed understanding of each other.

 

For more info about culture and its development: Culture Questioned

  

The next article is about current power shifts, but in which direction?


Freark (Fredrik) de Vries


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