1. What is the legitimation of authority ?

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All forms of government operate as a form of authority in which an individual or group of individuals wield power over the majority. In order for any government to perform effectively, then, those in power must convince everyone else that they deserve the authority they have. In political science and sociology, this is called legitimation of authority (1). Legitimacy is defined in political science and sociology as "the belief that a rule, institution, or leader has the right to govern" (3). Legitimacy is a source of power for authorities because it "promotes voluntary deference on the part of followers" (2). Without the legitimation of authority, people would not follow a leader willingly and the society, whether it be city, country, or even empire, would not run smoothly.


Izzy Andrews


Sources:

1) http://richard-hooker.com/sites/worldcultures/GLOSSARY/LEGIT.HTM

2) http://www.jvandertoorn.com/Index/Project1.html

3) https://pesd.princeton.edu/?q=node/255


For further reading, visit https://pesd.princeton.edu/?q=node/255 .

For a very large amount of further reading, visit http://www.jvandertoorn.com/Index/Project1_files/Van%20der%20Toorn,%20J.,%20Tyler,%20T.%20R.,%20%26%20Jost,%20J.%20T.%20%282011%29.pdf .