Introduction: Power Happens Later Than We ThinkMost political theory treats power as something that exists at the moment a command is issued. A leader speaks. An order is given. Authority is exercised. From this perspective, power appears instantaneous. But this is an illusion. Between the moment a command is issued and the moment it is executed, there exists a critical interval—one that is often ignored, yet fundamentally determines whether power is real, fragile, or reversible. This interva...