Legitimacy (from lat. Legitimus “consonant with laws , legal, lawful”) - the consent of the people to the government , their voluntary recognition of their right to make binding decisions.
The lower the level of legitimacy , the more often the power will rely on coercive force. A legitimate action is an act that is not disputed by any of the “ players ” who have the right and ability to challenge this action. An action ceases to be legitimate when the subject of the action has to make special efforts to protect his right to do what he did [1] .
Legitimate, th, th (special). Recognized by law, consistent with law. || noun legitimacy; L. power. (Ozhegov Dictionary, Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language)
In political science, legitimacy is a political and legal concept meaning a positive attitude of residents of a country or state , large groups, public opinion (including foreign) to the institutions of power operating in a particular state or country, and recognition of their legitimacy .
The process of legitimation is the process of public recognition of the actions of the authorities or political leaders.
With the loss of confidence of the people, the delimitation of power takes place, the extreme form of which is the crisis of legitimacy. This situation may be caused by a conflict of interests of the people and the political elite , conflicts between branches of government, the growing threat of nationalism , etc.
Content
Political Legitimacy
In relation to political legitimacy, the famous English political scientist David Beetham developed the “normative structure of political legitimacy”:
- power corresponds to the rules adopted or established in society ;
- these rules are justified by reference to faith shared by the governed and the governors;
- there is evidence of consent to existing relations of power.
Legitimacy is originally the same as legitimacy. In political science, legitimacy is the recognition of power by the population, and legality is legitimacy, compliance with legal norms (law or by-laws).
Relationship of Legitimacy and Legality
The term “legitimacy” arose at the beginning of the 19th century and expressed the desire to restore the king’s power in France as the only legal one, in contrast to the usurper’s power. Then this word acquired another meaning - the recognition of this state power and the territory of the state at the international level. The demand for the legitimacy of power arose as a reaction against a violent change of power and redrawing state borders, against arbitrariness and ochlocracy .
Legitimacy means the recognition by the population of a given power, its right to govern. Legitimate power is accepted by the masses, and not just imposed on them. The masses agree to submit to such power, considering it fair, authoritative, and the existing order is the best for the country. Of course, in society there are always citizens who violate laws, disagree with this political course, and do not support the government. The legitimacy of power means that it is supported by the majority, that laws are executed by the main part of society.
The legitimacy of power should not be confused with the concept of the legality of power, also existing in political science .
Legality of power - its legal justification, legality , its compliance with the existing legal standards in the state . Legitimacy, in contrast to legality, is not a legal fact, but a socio-psychological phenomenon. Any power that makes laws, even unpopular, but ensures their implementation, is legal, but it can be illegitimate, that is, not recognized by the people.
Illegal power may exist in society, for example, the mafia, which can be perceived by the people (or its part) as legitimate or illegitimate.
Legitimacy is trust and acceptance of power by the public consciousness , justification of its actions, it is associated with a moral assessment. Citizens approve of power on the basis of their moral criteria, ideas about good, justice, decency, and conscience. Legitimacy is designed to ensure obedience, consent without coercion, and if it is not achieved, then justify coercion, the use of force. Legitimate authority and politics are authoritative and effective.
In order to gain and maintain the legitimacy and trust of the people, the authorities resort to the argumentation of their actions ( legitimation ), referring to the highest values (justice, truth), to history, feelings and emotions, moods, real or imagined will of the people, the dictates of the time, scientific and technical progress, production requirements, historical tasks of the country, etc. To justify violence and repression, people are often divided into “friends” and “strangers”.
The principles of legitimacy (belief) may have origins in ancient traditions, revolutionary charisma, or in current legislation. A well-recognized typology of legitimacy introduced by Max Weber . According to her, three types of legitimacy correspond to three sources of legitimacy of political power : tradition , charisma and the rational-legal basis. Weber emphasized that we are not talking about assigning any real regime to one of the types, but about abstractions (the so-called "ideal types") that are combined in one or another proportion in specific political systems .
Depending on which of the above motives for popular support of the political normative order prevails in society, it is customary to distinguish the following types of legitimacy: traditional, charismatic and rational.
- traditional legitimacy , formed on the basis of people's faith in the necessity and inevitability of submission to power, which receives the status of a tradition, custom, habit of obedience to certain individuals or political institutions in a society (group). This kind of legitimacy is especially common with the hereditary type of government, in particular in monarchical states. A long habit of justifying a particular form of government creates the effect of its justice and legality, which gives the government high stability and stability;
- rational (democratic) legitimacy arising from the recognition by people of justice of those rational and democratic procedures on the basis of which a power system is formed. This type of support is formed due to a person’s understanding of the existence of outside interests, which implies the need to develop rules of general behavior, the following of which creates the opportunity for the realization of his own goals. In other words, the rational type of legitimacy essentially has a normative basis, characteristic of the organization of power in complexly organized societies.
- charismatic legitimacy resulting from people's faith in the outstanding qualities of a political leader recognized by them. This image of the infallible, endowed with exceptional qualities of a person (charisma) is transferred by public opinion to the entire system of power. Unconditionally believing all the actions and intentions of the charismatic leader, people uncritically perceive the style and methods of his rule. The emotional delight of the population, which forms this highest authority, most often arises during a period of revolutionary changes, when social orders and ideals customary for a person are destroyed and people cannot rely on the former norms and values, or on the rules of the political game that are still being formed. Therefore, the charisma of a leader embodies the faith and hope of people for a better future in troubled times. But such unconditional support of the ruler by the population often turns into Caesarism, leaderism and the cult of personality.
See also
- Legitimation
Notes
- ↑ Ella Paneyah. Separation of powers
Literature
- D. Beetham. The Legitimation of Power. London: Macmillan, 1991.
- Achkasov V. A., Eliseev S. M., Lantsov S. A. Legitimation of power in post-socialist Russian society. - M .: Aspect Press, 1996 .-- 125
Links
- Legitimacy // Big Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 vols.] / Ch. ed. Yu.S. Osipov . - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2004—2017.
- Legitimacy in Sociology and Political Science / D. G. Podvoisky // Big Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 vols.] / Ch. ed. Yu.S. Osipov . - M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 2004—2017.