Political power : the development of the field Although the concept of power is central to the study of politics there is no agreement as to what exactly power is. Power is often viewed negatively as domination though it is also the case that power is created by people acting in concert in which case it can have positive effects. Making sense of this puzzle is one of the aims of this book which provides the reader with a clear and coherent way of understanding the various forms and manifestations of power and it does so by bringing together the most important and influential perspectives on power within the political and social sciences.