Power

This article deals with Power as it relates to NationStates. For more general information, see the Wikipedia article on this subject.

In sociology power is usually defined as the ability to impose one's will on others, even if the others resist. This can be using military force but it also covers influence and wealth etc.

Power is always relational: it is meaningless to say that a particular social actor "has power" without also specifying the other parties to the social relationship. Power is almost always reciprocal , but usually not equally reciprocal. Because power is both relational and reciprocal, sociologists speak in terms of the balance of power between parties to a relationship: all parties to all relationships have some power.

This definition of power in NS is used to postulate the Wank-power theorem. According to this theorem, there is an 'ignore' limitation on power that is claimed. This is not just through the use of IGNORE cannons but it may also be refusing to do things with certain players or simply not seeking them out int the first place. It all comes down to refusing to accept the means of control one claims to have.