Dahl meticulously categorizes the ways actors influence one another. He argues that "power" is just one form of influence. He classifies influence based on the likelihood of compliance and the resources used:
While Modern Political Analysis is largely a methodological text, Dahl’s normative concerns peek through, particularly in his discussion of regimes. He is famous for distinguishing between (a perfect, unattainable standard) and "polyarchy" (the real-world approximation). modern political analysis by robert dahl full