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Every agency, school, hospital, and community has an official chain of command. Every one of them also has people who shape decisions without a title: the longtime staff member everyone checks with, the pastor whose opinion carries weight, the parent who organizes the neighborhood. Social Workers need to understand both kinds of power to get things done, advocate effectively, and make ethical decisions.
This guide explains formal and informal power structures, the classic theories behind them, how Social Workers navigate them in organizations and communities, and how these ideas show up on the new ASWB exam. You’ll also find practice questions with rationales.
Learn more about the ASWB exam and create a personalized ASWB study plan with Agents of Change. We’ve helped tens of thousands of Social Workers pass their ASWB exams and want to help you next!
Quick answer: what are formal and informal power structures?
- Formal power comes from an official position, such as an executive director, supervisor, board member, or elected official. It is written down in organizational charts, policies, and laws.
- Informal power comes from relationships, expertise, trust, and reputation, such as a respected senior colleague, a faith leader, or a community elder. It isn’t written down, but it can be just as influential.
- Why it matters: Lasting change usually requires support from both. Ignoring informal leaders can stall a program even when formal leaders approve it.
- On the exam: Look for answers that engage stakeholders, respect the client or community’s voice, and use appropriate channels before escalating.
Jump to: Formal vs. informal power · Theories to know · In organizations · In communities · On the ASWB exam · Practice questions · FAQs
1) Formal vs. Informal Power Structures
A power structure is the pattern of who influences decisions in a group, organization, or community, and how that influence is used. Social Work pays close attention to power because it shapes who gets resources, whose voices are heard, and which problems get addressed.
| Formal power structures | Informal power structures | |
|---|---|---|
| Source of power | Official position, title, or legal authority | Relationships, expertise, trust, reputation, or charisma |
| How it is documented | Organizational charts, job descriptions, bylaws, laws | Usually not written down; learned by observing and asking |
| Examples in an agency | Executive director, program manager, clinical supervisor, board of directors | A long-tenured caseworker everyone consults, the front-desk staff member who knows every family |
| Examples in a community | City council, school board, police chief, county commissioners | Faith leaders, elders, neighborhood organizers, local business owners, trusted social media voices |
| Strengths | Clear accountability, authority to allocate resources and set policy | Deep knowledge of the community, credibility, ability to mobilize people |
| Risks | Can be distant from the people affected by decisions | Can exclude people, reinforce existing inequalities, or work against official goals |
The two often overlap. A formal leader may also have strong informal influence, and an informal leader may later be elected or appointed to a formal role. The most effective Social Workers map both before planning an intervention.
2) Theories to Know
French and Raven’s Bases of Power
Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven (1959) described five bases of social power. Raven later added a sixth, informational power. This framework is one of the most useful ways to understand where formal and informal power come from.
| Base of power | Definition | Formal or informal? |
|---|---|---|
| Legitimate | Power that comes from an official role or position | Formal |
| Reward | Ability to give something valued, like a raise, funding, or approval | Often formal |
| Coercive | Ability to impose penalties or negative consequences | Often formal |
| Expert | Influence based on knowledge, skill, or experience | Often informal |
| Referent | Influence based on respect, admiration, or identification with the person | Informal |
| Informational | Influence based on access to or control of useful information | Either |
Community Power Theories
- Elitist model: Sociologist Floyd Hunter’s 1953 study of Atlanta argued that a small group of business and civic elites, many without formal government roles, shaped most major community decisions.
- Pluralist model: Political scientist Robert Dahl’s 1961 study of New Haven argued that power is spread across many competing groups, with different people influential on different issues.
For practice, the takeaway is simple: don’t assume the people with titles are the only ones who matter, and don’t assume the same people hold influence on every issue.
Empowerment and Conflict Perspectives
Empowerment theory focuses on helping individuals and communities build their own power to influence the decisions that affect them. Conflict theory looks at how power differences between groups create and maintain inequality. Both shape how Social Workers think about who is at the table and who is left out.
Agents of Change packages include video and audio lessons, hundreds of practice questions, and 2 live study groups each month so you’ll be ready for test day!
3) Power Structures in Organizations
Inside agencies, formal structure defines who supervises whom, who approves budgets, and who sets policy. Informal structure determines how work actually gets done day to day, whose opinions shape staff morale, and how quickly new practices are adopted.
Working Within Agency Structures
- Use appropriate channels. When you disagree with a policy, start with your supervisor and the agency’s formal processes before going outside the organization, unless clients are at immediate risk.
- Build informal alliances. Respected colleagues can help a new program or policy gain acceptance.
- Advocate for improvement. NASW Code of Ethics Standard 3.09 (Commitments to Employers) asks Social Workers to work to improve their employing agencies’ policies and the effectiveness of their services.
- Watch for conflicts with ethics. If an agency policy conflicts with the Code of Ethics, Social Workers should work to resolve it in a way that is consistent with their ethical obligations.
For more on these ethical duties, see Ethics and the ASWB Exam: 3.09 Commitments to Employers.
4) Power Structures in Communities
Community and macro practice depends on understanding who makes decisions and who can mobilize people. Social Workers often use a few practical tools:
- Community assessment: Gathering data on needs, strengths, resources, and existing services.
- Key informant interviews: Talking with people who know the community well, including both formal and informal leaders.
- Power mapping: Visually charting decision-makers, influencers, allies, and opponents, and how they connect.
- Coalition building: Bringing together groups with shared interests to increase collective influence.
Ethical Considerations
- Center community voice. Informal leaders can open doors, but they don’t always represent everyone. Make sure marginalized members are heard directly.
- Respect culture. Traditional leaders and practices often carry legitimate authority within a community.
- Avoid manipulation. Engage leaders transparently rather than using them to push an agenda the community didn’t choose.
- Support self-determination. The goal is to build the community’s own capacity, not to replace one set of decision-makers with another.
Learn more about the ASWB exam and create a personalized ASWB study plan with Agents of Change. We’ve helped tens of thousands of Social Workers pass their ASWB exams and want to help you next!
5) How Power Structures Show Up on the New ASWB Exam
The new ASWB exam, which launched August 3, 2026, has 122 questions (110 scored) in two sections of 61, with 4 hours of total testing time. It covers three content areas: Values and Ethics (35% of the Bachelors and Masters exams, 36% of Clinical), Assessment and Planning (33% of Bachelors and Masters, 32% of Clinical), and Intervention and Practice (32%).
Power structures most often show up in questions about community and organizational practice, administration and supervision, advocacy, and ethics. Common scenarios include:
- A new community program meets resistance from respected local leaders
- A Social Worker disagrees with an agency policy that affects clients
- A coalition is forming and must decide whom to involve
- A supervisor and an influential staff member disagree about a new practice
Test-Day Tips
- Engage before you act. Talking with stakeholders and understanding their concerns usually comes before implementing a plan.
- Follow the chain of command. Within an agency, raise concerns with your supervisor or through formal channels first, unless there is an immediate safety risk.
- Include informal leaders. Answers that ignore or bypass respected community figures are rarely best.
- Keep the client or community at the center. Choose answers that support self-determination and inclusion.
Our decision tree for FIRST, NEXT, BEST, and MOST and guide to the 3-option question strategy can help with these questions.
6) ASWB Practice Questions: Formal and Informal Power
Question 1: A Social Worker is planning a mental health outreach program in a rural community. The county health department supports the program, but a group of respected community elders is skeptical and worried it will disrupt traditional ways of handling emotional problems. What should the Social Worker do FIRST?
A) Proceed with the program using the health department’s support
B) Meet with the elders to understand their concerns and invite their input on the program’s design
C) Ask the health department to persuade the elders
Answer: B
Rationale: Engaging the elders directly respects their informal authority and the community’s culture, and their input can make the program more acceptable and effective. Proceeding without them (A) risks low participation and mistrust. Asking the formal authority to persuade them (C) bypasses the relationship-building the Social Worker should do first.
Question 2: A Social Worker at a community agency believes a new intake policy is creating long delays for clients. What is the BEST first step?
A) Raise the concern with her supervisor and share data on the delays
B) Contact a local newspaper to draw attention to the problem
C) Stop following the policy until it is changed
Answer: A
Rationale: Social Workers are expected to work to improve agency policies through appropriate channels first, starting with supervision. Going to the media (B) skips internal processes. Ignoring the policy (C) is not appropriate unless it would cause clients immediate harm or violate ethical standards.
Question 3: A long-tenured caseworker with no supervisory title is widely respected, and staff often follow her lead. Which base of power does she MOST likely hold?
A) Legitimate power
B) Referent power
C) Coercive power
Answer: B
Rationale: Referent power comes from respect and admiration, which fits an informal leader whom colleagues choose to follow. Legitimate power (A) comes from an official position. Coercive power (C) depends on the ability to impose penalties.
Want more practice? Try our free ASWB practice tests or full-length, timed practice exams built for the new exam format.
7) FAQs: Formal and Informal Power Structures
What is the difference between formal and informal power?
Formal power comes from an official position or title, such as a director or elected official. Informal power comes from relationships, expertise, trust, or reputation, and it is usually not written down anywhere.
What are French and Raven’s bases of power?
French and Raven identified five bases of power: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert, and referent. Raven later added informational power. Legitimate, reward, and coercive power are usually tied to formal roles, while expert and referent power are often informal.
Why should Social Workers engage informal leaders?
Informal leaders often have the trust and credibility needed to make programs succeed. Engaging them early can increase participation, improve cultural fit, and prevent resistance, as long as the Social Worker also makes sure that less powerful voices are included.
What should a Social Worker do if they disagree with an agency policy?
Start with appropriate internal channels, such as discussing the concern with a supervisor and sharing evidence. NASW Standard 3.09 calls on Social Workers to work to improve agency policies. Going outside the agency is generally appropriate only after internal options are exhausted or if clients face immediate harm.
Which ASWB content area covers power structures?
Power structures appear across the new exam’s content areas, especially in questions about community and organizational practice (Intervention and Practice), assessing community needs (Assessment and Planning), and advocacy and ethical duties to employers (Values and Ethics).
8) Related Reading
- Ethics and the ASWB Exam: 3.09 Commitments to Employers
- ASWB Exam Values and Ethics Study Guide
- Infographic: The Helping Process on the ASWB Exam
- ASWB Exam Study Plans: 30-, 60-, and 90-Day Strategies
9) Conclusion
Formal power tells you who has the authority to decide. Informal power tells you who can make those decisions stick. Social Workers who understand both can design programs that communities actually support, advocate for change through the right channels, and keep marginalized voices at the center. On the ASWB exam, that means engaging stakeholders before acting, respecting culture and self-determination, and working within appropriate structures before escalating.
Ready to practice? Agents of Change offers Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical prep built for the new ASWB exam, with video and audio lessons, hundreds of practice questions with rationales, 4 full-length practice exams, and 2 live study groups each month.
► Learn more about the Agents of Change course here: https://agentsofchangeprep.com
About the Instructor, Dr. Meagan Mitchell: Meagan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been providing individualized and group test prep for the ASWB for over 11 years. From all of this experience helping others pass their exams, she created the Agents of Change course to help you prepare for and pass the ASWB exam!
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Disclaimer: This content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
