Legitimacy about political power can be defined as the real validity of power and the actions it determines. Although legitimacy can come from various sources, the citizens usually grant it.
That is, legitimacy is the validity or real support that a can
to exert force.
Legitimacy is a complex and even confusing concept. It is a
quality of something, a characteristic normally applied to political power.
However, it can be said of other things, such as a judicial judgment or
someone’s action or decision about something.
It is usually heard in politics in discussions and gatherings,
but what is legitimacy? Well, we will go into detail in this article.
Differences between legitimacy and legality
Although they are sometimes used as synonyms, they are not.
Something can be legal but illegitimate, and vice versa. Legality is said of
something legal that the law protects, so it’s a very easy concept to observe.
For that something to be legitimate, it has to meet some other requirement. For
example, that it be ethically and morally acceptable.
This is where the concept of national sovereignty is. This
occurs when the power of a territory is handed over to the citizens, and they
elect their representatives, who are in charge of governing based on the will
of the people. Therefore, the political power that emanates from the democracies is
legitimate since the citizens strictly elect it. In addition, this power will
be legal since the laws will dictate it.
Regarding the legitimacy of the actions of political power
within a democracy, there is also debate. On the one hand, there will be
citizens who, based on this principle, see all the actions of political power
as legitimate. But on the other hand, some people do not accept this statement.
Many of the actions perpetrated by democratic systems are
considered illegitimate even though they are legal. Examples include the
disproportionate use of police forces, a very pronounced rise in taxes in
some cases of forced expropriation, or the approval of a law whose popular
support is nil.
In the case of non-democratic regimes, legitimacy is hard to
find. If it is an oppressive regime in which the citizens do not agree with
that ruler, the power is illegitimate. Although there may be some cases in
which dictatorial regimes are legitimized, they have popular support.
Legitimacy Types
Max Weber, considered one of the fathers of modern sociology,
established in his work Economy
and Society types of legitimacy according to their origin. For
the author, legitimacy was about dominance, defining it as the probability that
a given group would obey certain types of mandates. These three types are:
· Legal or rational legitimacy: Whoever
exercises power has been elected by the citizens and is backed by the law.
Therefore, the authority exercised by this person is completely legitimate, and
citizens are obliged to abide by it. It is characteristic of democratic
systems.
· traditional legitimacy: The authority
that exercises power is legitimized in the tradition that it has always been.
Power is inherited, and as the form of government has been year after year, it
is understood that it must continue to be so. It is typical of ancient tribes
and monarchies.
· Charismatic legitimacy: Under this type, the ruler has granted power for personal characteristics beyond rationality. The leader possesses attributes that call and attract people. Character, appearance, leadership, and personality are characteristics that attract other people. It is typical of dictatorships, especially totalitarianism.
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