owers’ and their recognition of his charisma. He serves to extend their beliefs and further maintains “the sacredness of tradition…and solely for the sake of glorifying genuine prophetic and heroic ethos” (Weber 1115). The charismatic leader is thus represented by individual power in that he is subject to his followers’ beliefs. Charismatic domination stems from “collective excitement produced by extraordinary events and from surrender to heroism of any kind” (Weber 1121). Thus, if events were to change, then the people’s interests and collective power would change directions and cause the downfall of the leader. For “when the tide that lifted a charismatically led group out of everyday life flows back into the channels…at least the ‘pure’ form of charismatic domination will wane” (Weber 1121). Consequently, the leader’s individual power is futile without the collective power.
Contrary to charismatic leadership, bureaucracy is characterized by rules, office-like hierarchy, and democratic elections. It is much more stable due to the presence of established laws instead of a figurehead whose power is dependent on the people. Bureaucracy also relies on “technical means…as does every economic reorganization, ‘from without’” (Weber 1116) or implementing changes thru external mediums which classifies it as a rational organization. Due to its fixed and rigid nature and “system of rational rules, bureaucracy is oriented toward the satisfaction of calculable needs with ordinary everyday means” (Weber 1111).
However, what makes collective and individual power so indistinguishable in bureaucracy is the fact that the levels of power between what would normally consist of a ‘ruled’ and ‘ruler’ classes are not as discrete in bureaucracy. Weber writes:
The political ‘master’ always finds himself, vis–vis the trained official, in the
position of a dilettante facing the expert. This holds whether the ‘master,’ whom
the bureaucracy serves, is the ‘people’ equipped with the weapons of legislative
initiative, referendum, and the right to remove officials; or a parliament elected on a
more aristocratic or more democratic basis and equipped with the right of the de facto
power to vote a lack of confidence… (991)
Thus, there is a system of balance and checks and mutual dependency involved which prevent the distinction between individual and collective power. In the passage, the bureaucracy serves a master who is identified with the people or a parliament with decisive powers, yet at the same time, the bureaucracy is the maintainer of rules and regulations in society and official hierarchy. Equality between the two is observed, and no reference to collective or individual can be made since both the bureaucracy and the people (or parliament) pose as a collective and individual power.
The discussion of collective and individual power can be further applied to scenes in the propaganda film, “The Triumph of the Will.” The movie glorifies Hitler for being a charismatic leader, the embodiment of a political movement. Hitler is portrayed as being cheered on and adored by the masses, thus emphasizing the massive public support he is receiving, which according to Weber is the very foundation of his power. In fact, in the final scene of the movie, a speaker declares (in German) in front of the entire audience that the party is Hitler and Hitler is Germany. Thus his individual power is the ultimate embodiment of the collective power. This could also explain why people didn’t seem to mind the fact that Hitler had recently killed the leader of the SA army since his actions could have been seen as part of the ‘mission’ and therefore condoned. To this concerning laws, Weber also writes that “genuine charismatic domination knows no abstract laws and regulations and no formal adjudication” (1115).
On the other hand, all this can be likewise viewed according to Mosca. For example, Hitler and his generals can be considered as the ruling minority, and their followers, the German public and the soldiers, the ruled majority. With war plans and tactics laid out, the 