Abuse of Power

Power can be defined as the determining system that produces outcomes in the shortest time possible. In social contexts, this form of power is exemplified by the authority of the state—particularly the executive branch in systems governed by a tripartite model (legislative, judicial, and executive), or by a singular authority figure in centralized systems (king, emir, sultan, ruler). Abuse of power refers to any action that exceeds the legitimate authority of the power holder. The most immediate and common form of abuse is the expansion of one’s power beyond its original limits. Crucially, human rights violations are not exclusive to authoritarian systems; they are a universal feature of governance. All governing systems—whether democratic or autocratic—violate the rights of some social groups. Therefore, the challenge of human rights should not be framed around the complete eradication of abuses, or the establishment of a fixed list of “non-negotiable” rights. Rather, the focus should be on creating institutions that limit harm, constrain the abuse of power, and provide systems of accountability. Since power structures inherently produce human rights violations, one way to fully eliminate such violations would be to eliminate those power structures themselves. However, this is neither possible nor desirable, as human societies require institutions of governance and social control to manage the inherent conflicts resulting from competing interests, scarcity of resources, and other factors. The more realistic and practical course of action is to reform power systems in ways that contain their potential for abuse and ensure that any resulting harm […]