This book applies rational choice theory to the power debate, demonstrating the fallacious arguments of all sides. Power is analyzed as a bargaining game where the power of actors is assessed in terms of the resources to which they have access. By distinguishing luck from power it shows that many groups widely regarded as powerful are merely lucky, albeit their luck is based upon systematic features of society. This conceptual book on power directly engages both classical and modern empirical debates on the power structure at both local and national level.