Featuring a substantial new introduction and two new chapters, this new edition makes one of the most significant works on power available in paperback and online for the first time. Dowding extensively engages with a body of new literature to elucidate and expand upon the original work, using rational choice theory to provide an examination of how, due to the collective action problem, groups can be powerless despite not facing any resistance; timely engagement with feminist accounts of power; and an explanation of the relationship of structure and agency and how to measure power comparatively across societies. This book’s unique interaction with both classical and contemporary debates makes it an essential resource for anyone teaching or studying power in the disciplines of sociology, philosophy, politics or international relations.