PSIR Optional · Previous year questions
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Concept of Power: Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy (PSIR PYQs)
| Year | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Write on the following in about 150 words: Legitimacy is always a 'social construct'. (10 marks) | View answer |
| 2025 | Explain the Macpherson's view on power. | View answer |
| 2025 | Do you think that legitimacy acquired by consent or manufactured by indoctrination is an essential element in maintenance of political rule? Justify your answer with relevant examples. | View answer |
| 2024 | Linkage between Power and Hegemony. | View answer |
| 2024 | Legitimacy adds positive value to political authority and obligation. Discuss. | View answer |
| 2023 | Comment on Foucault’s concept of power. | View answer |
| 2022 | Write on the Bases of Power. | View answer |
| 2021 | Comment in about 150 words: Tools of legitimation of the State. | View answer |
| 2020 | Examine the nature and meaning of power. | View answer |
| 2018 | Explain the relationship between power, authority and legitimacy. | View answer |
| 2015 | Distinguish between Power and Authority. | View answer |
| 2015 | Discuss the 'crisis of legitimacy' in capitalist societies. (Habermas) | View answer |
| 2014 | Examine the conditions that are required for the maintenance of legitimacy in modern societies. | View answer |
| 2012 | Distinguish between the concepts of legitimacy and hegemony. | View answer |
| 2010 | Comment: "Power flows throughout the system like blood in the capillaries of our body." (Foucault) | View answer |
| 2008 | Comment: Politics as a power concept. | View answer |
| 1996 | Distinguish power from authority. How does reliance on authority affect the nature of power? | View answer |
Theories of Power and Hegemony: Pareto, Mosca, Mitchels
| Year | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Comment: Views of Lenin, Mitchels and Duverger on political parties. | View answer |
Theories of Power and Hegemony: C. Wright Mills, Weber
| Year | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Attempt a comparative examination of the view of Marx and Weber on the 'Power'. | View answer |
| 2002 | Comment: "In so far as national events are decided, the 'power elite' are those who decide them." | View answer |
Theories of Power and Hegemony: Marxist, Gramsci, Hannah Arendt
| Year | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | According to Gramsci, 'hegemony is primarily based on the organisation of consent'. Comment. | View answer |
| 2016 | Comment: Gramsci's concept of Hegemony. | View answer |
| 2016 | Discuss Hannah Arendt's analysis of the role of ideology in modern totalitarian regimes. | View answer |
| 2015 | Discuss Gramsci' s notion of 'organic intellectuals' | View answer |
| 2014 | Comment in 150 words: "Power is never the property of an individual; it belongs to a group and remains in existence only so long as the group keeps together." (Hannah Arendt) | View answer |
| 2012 | Comment on Hannah Arendt's conception of the 'political'. (150 words) | View answer |
| 2012 | Explain, as per Gramsci, the distinction between hegemony and domination. | View answer |
| 2008 | Critically examine Gramsci's concept of Hegemony. | View answer |
| 2004 | Is Gramsci a theoretician of super-structures? Give reasons in support of your answer. | View answer |
| 2003 | Discuss the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt. | View answer |
Syllabus unit: Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy
Solved PYQs for every PSIR topic
Notes tell you what a thinker said. PSIR Optional PYQ Solutions shows you how UPSC asks it and how a strong answer is written, on every question since 1991.
- 1,394 solved PYQs (1991–2026), Paper-1 and Paper-2
- Topic-wise across all 40 syllabus units, newest exam year first
- A full model answer for each question, with thinkers and current examples
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PSIR Optional study material from LotusArise IAS
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| What you get | PSIR Mains Master Kit 2027 | PSIR Complete Notes (Store) |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 notes — Political Theory + Indian Government and Politics | Included | Included — Section A and Section B |
| Paper 2 notes — Comparative Politics and India and the World | Included | Included — Section A and Section B |
| Topic-wise PYQ bank | 1986–2026, with trend analysis and probables by Dec 2026 | 1991–2025 question papers, free with every notes pack |
| Practice question set for timed answer writing | ✅ Available now | ❌ |
| Answer toolkit — intros, conclusions, frameworks, thinker and example banks | By Dec 2026 | ❌ |
| Revision booklets for the last 60 days | ✅ Available now | ❌ |
| Format | Online articles + PDF | PDF download |
| Access | Valid until UPSC CSE Mains 2027 | Instant download after payment |
| Price | ₹1,770 (regular ₹5,000) | ₹1,180 for all four sections · ₹599 a paper · ₹354 a section |
| Best for | Aspirants who want the whole system in one place | Aspirants who want the notes now, in the parts they need |
