The production and reduction of uncertainty is the absolute precondition of power.

Evidence

Accordingly, a fundamental assumption of all power is that uncertainty exists in relation to the selection of the power-holding alter. For whatever reasons, alter has at his disposal more than one alternative. He can produce and remove uncertainty in his partner when he exercises his choice. This deviation via the production and reduction of uncertainty is an absolute precondition of power. It determines the latitude which exists for the generalization and specification of a particular communication medium – and is not, for instance, one particular source of power among others. — Niklas Luhmann, Trust and Power, 594

Categorization

• XREF: Directly supports the reader’s thesis: Stevens’s deference reduces complexity by surrendering selectivity, which Luhmann says is precisely how power works.