Political Legitimacy Flashcards
What is Heywood’s (2013) definition of legitimacy?
Legitimacy “broadly means rightfulness. Legitimacy therefore confers on an order or command an authoritative or binding character, thus transforming into authority”
When is a system of rule legitimate?
When there is willingness amongst the ruled to comply
What forms the basis on which governments demand obedience?
rational or moral principle
What did Max Weber argue about legitimacy?
That it provides the basis for classifying different types of domination
What are the three types of authority on which obedience can be established?
- Traditional authority (rooted in history)
- Charismatic authority (stems from personality)
- Legal rational authority (grounded in a set of impersonal rules) - deemed to be most legitimate.
What are critiques of Weber?
How can authority be challenged? His model also ignores how legitimacy is brought about
What did Beetham (1991) say about power being legitimate?
Said power can only be legitimate if;
- Power is exercised according to established rules
- These rules must be justified in terms of shared beliefs or both the governing and the governed
- Legitimacy must be demonstrated by an expression of consent by the governed.
What is express or explicit consent?
consent by means of involvement in the political process.
what is tacit consent, according to John Locke?
“…enjoyment of any part of the dominions of any government… thereby give his tacit consent, and is far forth obliged to obedience to the laws of that government…”
What are the three things that one must be able to do to consent?
- Know what they consent to
- Intend to consent
- Be able to communicate their non-consent
What does Locke argue about consent and obligation?
By living in society we enjoy certain benefits which only persist if we contribute to them.
-therefore have a moral obligation to accept one’s fair share of the burdens of social and political co-operation
What is Hume’s argument abut consent?
Argues that we simply cannot exit or leave a state if we don’t consent - many barriers e.g. finance, visas
How democracy promote political legitimacy?
- Provides the basis on which consent can be given
- Democracy underpins legitimacy as it expands the opportunities for political participation
- feedback system between the governed and governing.
What do states argue about the legitimate use of hard power?
- often claim a monopoly on the legitimate use of force
- in liberal states this force is legally regulated and formally limited
