A Theory of Power Convergence: The Cumulative Individual

This article develops a theory of power convergence centered on the concept of the cumulative individual. Existing theories of power remain analytically fragmented, isolating coercive, structural, symbolic, psychological, and networked dimensions without explaining how they interact. The theory advanced here argues that, under contemporary conditions of mediation, visibility, and connectivity, these domains increasingly converge within individual actors who function as systems of power rather than as occupants of discrete roles. Power is shown to accumulate through recursive feedback loops in which performance, amplification, affect, and institutional response mutually reinforce one another. To formalize this dynamic, the article introduces a developmental geometry of power organization and a systems model of convergence that specifies how heterogeneous domains become interoperable. The cumulative individual is defined as the entity in which convergent power stabilizes, reproduces itself, and remains inherently volatile. By providing a synthetic and extensible framework, the article establishes conceptual groundwork for analyzing emergent forms of authority that existing approaches cannot adequately explain.