P1 — Power Without Access: Structural Loss of Causal Operability in Irreversible Decision Systems

Power is commonly defined as the capacity to decide and to act. This article proposes a structural reformulation: power exists effectively only as long as a decision system retains causal access to operative effects. In irreversible regimes, decisions may continue to be taken, authority may remain intact, and technical or informational capacity may increase, while effective action becomes structurally inoperative. Building on the Irreversible Causal Inaccessibility Principle (G0) and its extensions (G0-E, G0-E-T), the paper formalizes this phenomenon as a loss of causal access rather than a failure of governance, legitimacy, or foresight. It demonstrates that no internal procedure allows a system to decide whether its actions remain causally operative, establishing a fundamental limit to power in irreversible systems. The article advances no normative prescription and no empirical case. Its contribution lies in identifying a structural boundary beyond which decision ceases to exist as effective action.