In The Prince, what are the disadvantages of different routes to power?
Machiavelli discusses the prince's acquisition of power in relation to the acquisition of territories. He draws a distinction between hereditary and composite principalities. The acquisition of hereditary principalities presents specific advantages to the prince. The power structure has already been established, so the arrival of the prince is essentially the same as a change in watch. This provides the greatest advantage in that it requires very little political or military assertion on the part of the prince.
Composite principalities, however, demand much more from the prince. Authority is not clearly established in composite principalities. For this reason, the success of the prince's regime is not guaranteed. If matters in the principality do not improve under the prince, the future of the prince as well as those who helped him into power does not look very bright. This is perhaps the greatest disadvantage when a prince acquires a composite principality -...
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authority has not been established.
With this, in composite principalities, the prince must go to greater lengths to establish his hold on it. He must not shy away from the use of cruelty as a means of establishing and retaining control. The prince also favors the use of a single ruler to that of a ruling class. In the case of the former, the prince must only eliminate the ruler's family, while a ruling class (Machiavelli uses the example of France) is much more difficult to bring under control.
The predominant theme of The Prince is the centralization of power in the hands of a single person, the prince. Disadvantages that arise from different circumstances, whether they be the nature of the prince's troops (mercenaries, reserves, et al.) or the nature of the principalities themselves (hereditary, composite, ecclesiastical, constitutional, et al.), stem from the degree of control the prince can exercise immediately. The more control the prince must establish, the greater the prince's disadvantages.
In *The Prince*, what advantages do different routes to power offer, according to Machiavelli?
Rule over an area is either inherited or from a different source that is new. When a person gains his power through inheritance, Machiavelli say it's easier to hold onto one's power in this case because the people are familiar with the prince's family who has ruled over generations. A new principality is either totally new, or it's territory that's been annexed. Machiavelli sees great problems when maintaining control because a ruler must have the support of the native peoples, and he must have powerful people who support him and keep order if the ruler should die.
For the person who rises to power from "a private station", he must have either ability or money, but Machiavelli feels ability is much more important because the ruler shows he is wise and courageous, possessing all the attributes needed to rule successfully. When a prince has these heroic qualities, he's more likely to keep his power, even though it's difficult for him to attain the power. Machiavelli also believes a person who rises to power based on his wealth will have an easy time getting there, but he'll have a more difficult time remaining at the top. When a person rises to power due to the people or the nobles, he should watch out for the nobles who consider themselves equal to the ruler. The prince should get the support of a few of the nobles, and then seek the approval of the people.