Patterns of Power: Overview

Decision-makers don't always seem to act in our best interests and they repeat earlier mistakes. This book identifies common patterns in the ways in which people, organisations and institutions exercise power – either inside or outside the structures of economic, moral, legal and political governance. It assesses policies in terms of whether they are likely to prove acceptable to all the people affected and lead to favourable outcomes. It illustrates its approach by analysing the decision made by America and Britain to invade Iraq in 2003. The book also uses its findings to suggest ways of improving governance. It hopes to provoke and inform debate on the uses and abuses of power, so that leaders will be held more accountable in future. This overview version of the book acts as an index to more detailed descriptions of the patterns of power – which outline some arguments associated with them, quote other writers, and provide recent examples of how they have worked in practice. These are available online for people to quote in their own postings or to use as a starting point for further research.