Political power arises between citizens acting together, not individually

Evidence

In contrast, the public sphere in theory, and at times in history, has been a doorway to political power. Unlike solitary ”points of light,” participants in the public sphere generate political power for common citizens: ”power springs up between men” when they act together, and vanishes the moment they disperse. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 135

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: Documents the theory of associative power (‘thousand points of light’ volunteerism lacks it) as background for my own argument that positive shared projects generate civic agency absent enemy threats.
• XREF: Arendt’s ‘power springs up between men’ — connects to earlier notes on the public sphere. — connects to: Political power requires people to live close enough to act together. — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing: Resisting the…, 597; Coercive government power depends on voluntary cooperation from many; Political actors form through regimes rather than preceding them. — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 576 (+10 more)

Broader Connections

• Joint attention practices generate shared political power. #exemplifies (0.90)
• Political power requires people to live close enough to act together. #expands (0.85) — Jenny Odell, How to Do Nothing, 597
• Direct collective refusal reveals the contingency of official power. #exemplifies (0.85) — Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster, From the Ground Up, 435
• The people is constituted politically, not given sociologically. #corroborates (0.82) — Ernesto Laclau, On Populist Reason, 443
• Coercive government power depends on voluntary cooperation from many #corroborates (0.80)
• Cooperation requires at least one party’s essential action beyond the other’s control. #expands (0.80)
• Political actors form through regimes rather than preceding them. #expands (0.75) — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 576
• Power grows with freedom and alternatives on both sides #qualifies (0.75) — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 598
• Political unity is constructed, not natural, and must overcome inherent faction #expands (0.75) — Russell Muirhead and Nancy L. Rosenblum, A Lot of People Are Saying, 146
• Mass politics traded individual agency for collective power through delegation #qualifies (0.72) — Anton Jäger, Hyperpolitics, 118
• Mystified power thrives when citizens are far from its sources #complicates (0.72)