Conflict is always present in society because of three major reasons. First, there are differences of belief or ideology. Second, there are differences in the perceived goals of the society. The Need for Government and Power Government refers to the institutions that resolve conflicts and allocate values, and possess power to enforce those rules. These institutions require authority, legitimacy, and power in order to accomplish their purpose of resolving conflict.
Authority is the feature of a leader or institution that compels obedience.
Usually this obedience derives from legitimacy. Legitimacy is the status conferred by the people on the officials, acts, and institutions of the government if the people believe that the actions taken are legal and right. Power is the ability to cause others to modify their behavior and conform to what the power holder wants. To sum up, authority is the legitimate use of power. A fundamental question of politics has to do with who makes political decisions for a society.