The word legitimacy is often interpreted in a normative or a positive way. In a normative sense, legitimacy gets greater attention as a part of moral philosophy. Legitimacy is the foundation of such governmental power as is exercised both with a consciousness on the government's part that it has a right to govern and with some recognition by the governed of that right. In philosophy, normative is usually contrasted with positive, descriptive or explanatory when describing types of theories, beliefs, or statements. ... In common usage positive is sometimes used in affirmation, as a synonym for yes or to express certainty. Look up Positive on Wiktionary, the free dictionary In mathematics, a number is called positive if it is bigger than zero. ... Ethics is a general term for what is often described as the science (study) of morality. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right. ...

Something becomes "legitimate" when one approves of it. In a positive sense, legitimacy gets greater attention in political science. For example, an institution is perceived as legitimate, if approval for that institution is general among those people subject to its authority. According to John Locke, the British social contractualist, issues of legitimacy are linked to those of consent, both explicit and tacit. For other persons named John Locke, see John Locke (disambiguation). ... Consent (as a term of jurisprudence) is a possible justification against civil or criminal liability. ...

Legitimacy in political science, is the popular acceptance of a governing regime or law as an authority. Where as authority refers to a specific position in an established government, the term legitimacy is used when describing a system of government itself—where "government may be generalized to mean the wider "sphere of influence." According to Robert Dahl, legitimacy is considered a basic condition for rule: without at least a minimal amount of legitimacy, a government will lead to frequent deadlocks or collapse in the long run. The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Political Science is the field concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behaviour. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... This article is about authority as a concept. ... This article is about authority as a concept. ... For the astrodynamics term, see sphere of influence (astrodynamics). ...

Robert A. Dahl has explained the concept of legitimacy by using the metaphor of a reservoir. For example, as long as the reservoir stays at a certain level stability can be maintained, if it falls below the required level it is endangered. Regimes in all the states require the assent of a large proportion of the population in order to retain power. In several countries this is not the case: many unpopular regimes have survived because they are supported and considered as legitimate by a small but influential elite. Robert Alan Dahl (b. ...

In the case of laws, legitimacy should be distinguished from legality. Action can be legal without being legitimate (as in the case of an immoral law). Action can also be legitimate without being legal. When sources of legitimacy clash with one another, constitutional crisis erupts. This article is about law in society. ... A constitutional crisis is a severe breakdown in the smooth operation of government. ...

Legitimacy as a concept is often applied to other, non-political, kinds of authority, and also to issues concerning the legitimacy of entire political-economic systems (such as capitalism) as discussed in the Marxist tradition. For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ... Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

Types of legitimacy

Numinous legitimacy

The dominion of a godking of which ancient Egypt offers the best example, is the theological doctrine according to which every Pharaoh is himself (among other things) the god Horus, son of Osiris. The doctrine seems to go back to the very origin of the empire. The Christian priesthood derived its legitimacy and still does from a source very similar to that of the kingship; according to official doctrine the Papal office is based on Christ's designation of St. Peter, which continues to sanctify and legitimize the rule of every successive pope.

Civil legitimacy

Civil legitimacy exists when a system of government is based on agreement between equally autonomous constituents who have combined to cooperate towards some common good. Every modern constitutional system or every system of representational government is founded either on a basic agreement to follow certain rules or at least on a justifiable assumption that a basic agreement to follow certain rules exists. Modern constitutional government makes one characteristic of civil legitimacy particularly clear: Governmental offices are ordered by trust rather than exercised by dominion. This is expressed in the institution of public elections.

Sources of legitimacy

Weber's three sources

The German economist and sociologist Max Weber argued that there are three forms of legitimacy, and that all human societies, across history, have been based on them. Alan Greenspan, former chairman, United States Federal Reserve. ... Sociology is the study of the social lives of humans, groups and societies. ... For the politician, see Max Weber (politician). ...

• Charismatic authority. Legitimacy based on the charisma of the leader, often partly based on the perception that this leader has certain extra or supernatural attributes. Example: a tribal chieftain or a religious leader.
• Traditional authority. Legitimacy based on tradition; e.g., people accept the government for the simple fact that it has been around for so long and is based on popular customs and usages. Example: a monarchy.
• Rational/legal authority. Legitimacy based on the perception that a government's powers are derived from set procedures, principles, and laws which are often complex and are written down as part of the constitution. Example: representative democracy or bureaucrats.

Weber like the British Philosopher Thomas Hobbes, had an extremely negative and pessimistic view of human nature, and believed that societies often went through cycles. Weber did not see democracy as being necessary for legitimacy, as a government could be legitimized through laws and principles not established by a vote. Weber also claimed that it is perfectly possible for a modern society to revert back and become a follower of a brutal form of charismatic leadership, a phenomenon which later occurred in his home country of Germany under Adolf Hitler and which was also witnessed in other parts of the world, such as Mussolini's Italy. For other uses, see Charisma (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Supernatural (disambiguation). ... http://www. ... For other uses, see Tradition (disambiguation). ... For the documentary series, see Monarchy (TV series). ... This article is about law in society. ... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... For other uses, see Human nature (disambiguation). ... Voting is a method of decision making wherein a group such as a meeting or an electorate attempts to gauge its opinion—usually as a final step following discussions or debates. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ...

French political scientist and social thinker Mattei Dogan offers a more contemporary conception of this typology of legitimacy. While Weber’s typology (traditional/charismatic/legal-rational) was seminal throughout the previous centuries, Dogan argues that it is insufficient to cover the complex relationships between legitimacy and political systems.^[1] In fact, in Dogan's view, the first two types (traditional and charismatic) are today obsolete. The most recent example of charismatic legitimacy dates back to Khomeini. Dogan believes that traditional authority has disappeared completely, with the exception of two or three regimes in the Middle East (like Saudi Arabia). The third type called rational-legal is, in Dogan's view, an amalgamation of many varieties, to such a degree that they no longer constitute a “type.” Ayatollah Khomeini founded the first modern Islamic republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini (آیت‌الله روح‌الله خمینی in Persian) (May 17, 1900 – June 3, 1989) was an Iranian Shia cleric and the political... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

Different forms of government and legitimacy

In communist states legitimacy is acquired through their principle of establishing economic equality and economic growth within the society. However, many communist states eventually fell back on totalitarian methods as they failed to achieve the goals of social and economic equality. This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Social equality is a social state of affairs in which certain different people have the same status in a certain respect, minimally at least in voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, and property rights. ... World GDP/capita changed very little for most of human history before the industrial revolution. ...

Constitutionalism is a modern concept that desires a political order governed by laws and regulations. It stands for the supremacy of law and not of the individuals;it imbibes the principles of nationalism, democracy and limited government. Political legitimacy involves constitutionalism or the belief that an action is legitimate because it follows regular procedure which are part of the law of the land. This form of legitimacy is related to democracy as the justification of these constitutional procedures are agreed to by popular consent. According to Friedrich, constitutionalism by dividing power provides a system of effective restraints upon governmental action. It is a body of rules ensuring fair play and rendering the government responsible.

In monarchies, the Ruler gained legitimacy through the popular perception that he was the rightful ruler of the province. This perception was often enhanced by propagating the belief that he was divinely ordained to hold his post and this was advocated through the Divine origin theory. This form of legitimacy remains today in the form of absolute monarchy where the monarch still have effective power,for example in Saudia Arabia.Constitutional monarchy where traditional sources of legitimacy have been combined with democratic and constitutional sources of legitimacy is prevalent in many European countries. For the documentary series, see Monarchy (TV series). ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government where the monarch has the power to rule his or her land or country and its citizens freely, with no laws or legally-organized direct opposition in force. ... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A constitutional monarchy is a form of government established under a constitutional system which acknowledges an elected or hereditary monarch as head of state, as opposed to an absolute monarchy, where the monarch is not bound by a...

Democracy is often perceived as the most popular form of government. The most common source of legitimacy today is the perception that a government is operating under democratic principles and is subject to the will of the people. This is because democracy is based on the will of the people. Governments often claim a popular mandate to exercise power, however, how this mandate is derived can vary sharply from regime to regime. Liberal democratic states claim democratic legitimacy on the grounds that they have regular free and fair contested elections in which political parties participate without any fear or pressure. It has been claimed that liberal democratic states can be remarkably stable because the legitimacy of the state is not tied to an individual ruler or ruling party. According to this argument, in a dictatorial state, deposing the ruler can lead to total collapse in the system of government. However, in most well-functioning liberal democracies the ruling party is regularly replaced peacefully without any constitutional change or major upheavels. A liberal democratic state gains legitimacy also on the following grounds that a rigid written constitution, or well-respected constitutional conventions which are upheld by the judiciary within the state is in existence. Popular participation of people in large numbers takes place in democracy. A strong and independent media which is unbiased and free from the control of the government exists in democracy. A system of checks and balances and control of one organ of the state by another is also prevalent in democracy.There is economic stability with continuity in policies for a specific period as governments are elected for a fixed tenure. For other uses, see Democracy (disambiguation). ... Mandate can mean: An obligation handed down by an inter-governmental body; see mandate (international law) The power granted by an electorate; see mandate (politics) A League of Nations mandate To some Christians, an order from God; see mandate (theology) The decision of an appeals court; see mandate (law) The... Liberal democracy is a form of government. ... A dictator is an authoritarian, often totalitarian ruler (e. ... The doctrine and practice of dispersing political power and creating mutual accountability between political entities such as the courts, the president or prime minister, the legislature, and the citizens. ...

Communist states often claim democratic legitimacy on the grounds that they won a popular revolution and are acting on behalf of the people in accordance with the scientific rules of Marxism. In the 1930s Germany and Italy, Nazism and Fascism, respectively, claimed to represent the will of the people more directly and authentically than liberal democracy. Carl Schmitt discussed the problem of democratic legitimacy in the late years of the Weimar republic. Schmitt's contribution was his polemical treatise, Legalitat und legitimitat (1932). 51% of parliamentary votes make for law and legality, Schmitt stated somewhat sarcastically without ever asking why the remaining 49% accept the majority 51% decision. This article is about a form of government in which the state operates under the control of a Communist Party. ... Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... Nazism in history Nazi ideology Nazism and race Outside Germany Related subjects Lists Politics Portal         Nazism or National Socialism (German: Nationalsozialismus), refers primarily to the ideology and practices of the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party, German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. ... Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the interests of the state. ...

See also

• Constitutional legitimacy

Constitutional legitimacy asks what makes a constitution legitimate. ...

References