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Main article: French and Raven's five bases of power

Much of the recent sociological debate about power revolves around the issue of its means to enable – in other words, power as a means to make social actions possible as much as it may constrain or prevent them. In corporate environments, the ethical instrumentality of power is achievement, and as such it is a zero-sum game. An example of using power without oppression is the concept " soft power," as compared to hard power. The use of power need not involve force or the threat of force ( coercion). Abraham Maslow notes that "in the hands of the immature, vicious, or emotionally sick, power is a horrible danger." In general, power is derived by the factors of interdependence between two entities and the environment. Power can be seen as evil or unjust however, power can also be seen as good and as something inherited or given for exercising humanistic objectives that will help, move, and empower others as well. The term authority is often used for power that is perceived as legitimate or socially approved by the social structure, not to be confused with authoritarianism. In social science and politics, power is the capacity of an individual to influence the actions, beliefs, or conduct (behaviour) of others.