PSIR Optional · Paper I · Section A: Political Theory and Indian Political Thought
Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy Notes · PYQs · Solved Answers
Free notes, every previous year question and the solved answers for Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy (Paper I, Section A: Political Theory and Indian Political Thought), arranged so you can read a topic and immediately see how UPSC has asked it. Syllabus: Power, hegemony, ideology and legitimacy.
30
Solved answers
1996–2026
Years covered
30
Questions listed
5
Free notes
On this page
Free notes Previous year questions Solved answers All PSIR Optional units
Paper I · Unit 07
Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy notes
Topic-wise notes for this unit in syllabus order. Read a topic, then open its previous year questions below.
Free notes
Free practice
Previous year questions: Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy
Every question UPSC has asked from this unit, year-wise, with a link to its solved answer.
Topic-wise question list
Year-wise question papers
-
UPSC PSIR Optional Question Paper 2026
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2025
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2024
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2023
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2022
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2021
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2020
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2019
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2018
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2017
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2016
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2015
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2014
-
PSIR Optional Question Paper 2013
Solved answers
Solved PYQ answers: Concept of Power, Hegemony, Ideology and Legitimacy
Model answers to the previous year questions of this unit, newest exam year first.
PYQ Solutions
-
Write on the following in about 150 words: Legitimacy is always a ‘social construct’.
-
Explain the Macpherson’s view on power.
-
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.
-
Linkage between Power and Hegemony.
-
Legitimacy adds positive value to political authority and obligation. Discuss.
-
Comment on Foucault’s concept of power.
-
Write on the Bases of Power.
-
Comment in about 150 words: Tools of legitimation of the State.
-
Examine the nature and meaning of power.
-
According to Gramsci, ‘hegemony is primarily based on the organisation of consent’. Comment.
-
Explain the relationship between power, authority and legitimacy.
-
Comment: Gramsci’s concept of Hegemony.
-
Discuss Hannah Arendt’s analysis of the role of ideology in modern totalitarian regimes.
-
Distinguish between Power and Authority.
-
Discuss the ‘crisis of legitimacy’ in capitalist societies. (Habermas)
-
Discuss Gramsci’ s notion of ‘organic intellectuals’
-
Examine the conditions that are required for the maintenance of legitimacy in modern societies.
-
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)
-
Explain, as per Gramsci, the distinction between hegemony and domination.
-
Distinguish between the concepts of legitimacy and hegemony.
-
Comment on Hannah Arendt’s conception of the ‘political’. (150 words)
-
Attempt a comparative examination of the view of Marx and Weber on the ‘Power’.
-
Comment: “Power flows throughout the system like blood in the capillaries of our body.” (Foucault)
-
Comment: Politics as a power concept.
-
Critically examine Gramsci’s concept of Hegemony.
-
Is Gramsci a theoretician of super-structures? Give reasons in support of your answer.
-
Discuss the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt.
-
Comment: “In so far as national events are decided, the ‘power elite’ are those who decide them.”
-
Comment: Views of Lenin, Mitchels and Duverger on political parties.
-
Distinguish power from authority. How does reliance on authority affect the nature of power?
Premium content · how to get access
These solutions are part of the PSIR Optional PYQ Solutions pack.
All 1,394 solved answers across the 40 units open with one enrolment. The first unit of each section is free to read. One-time payment, no subscription.
- Topic-wise solved PYQs (1991–2026), newest exam year first
- Thinkers and contemporary examples applied inside every answer
- PDF download + online access for 500 days
Full pack
₹1,770 ₹5,000 65% off
One-time payment · instant access · UPI, cards, RuPay
PSIR Optional study material from LotusArise IAS
Two ways to prepare with us — the full self-study system, or just the notes you need right now.
| 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 |
Other units in Paper I · Section A: Political Theory and Indian Political Thought
- Political Theory: Meaning and Approaches
- Theories of the State
- Justice
- Equality and Liberty
- Rights
- Democracy
- Political Ideologies
- Indian Political Thought
- Western Political Thought
Paper I · Section A: Political Theory and Indian Political Thought — section overview · All PSIR Optional units