What does the concept of “legitimacy” mean in a general sense and “legitimacy of political power. What is the legitimacy of state power and what is its essence?

The term Legitimacy in lately It is constantly heard, you can hear it in famous talk shows on TV or read on the Internet. Many people understand what it is about, but few citizens have thought about the meaning and origin of this word.
IN colloquial speech Few people use this term. This concept is in great use in politics, implying the legality of resolving certain situations or issues.

The history of the term "Legitimacy"

The concept of "legitimacy" was borrowed from Latin language"legitimus" and is translated into Russian as "lawful", "legitimate". Politicians pronouncing given word imply that the majority of the country's citizens support the existing government and accept all its decisions in terms of legality.
Speaking in simple words“Legitimacy” is when the people trust the management of their country, either a city or an individual entity, submit to this authority, and fully agree with its decisions.

If we look deep into history, we will notice that it is full of cases when a group of people overthrows the current government and begins to rule the state; such power was rejected by the people and could not be considered legitimate because the people did not elect it and, accordingly, cannot trust it.
Subsequent laws, decisions and agreements are usually called illegitimate.

We won’t look far for an example, but let’s turn our inquisitive gaze to our neighbor Ukraine. In this country, there was a coup d’etat initiated by Western intelligence services, namely German and American. After a handful of people seized power, which everyone began to call the Junta. That’s it. its decisions are considered illegitimate, just like the government itself.

What is the difference between legitimate and legal power?

Do not confuse terms such as legitimacy and legality. These are completely two different concepts.
Legality is a legalized activity that is based on generally accepted standards and documents, and legitimacy refers to the legality of power in a country, its leaders and politicians, which reflect qualities not from formal decrees and laws, but from social consent.
In the image below you can familiarize yourself with the concepts of legality and legitimacy

What is the difference between legitimacy and legality?

Types of legitimate power: ontological, charismatic, traditional, technocratic, democratic.

Legitimacy - the concept and word came to us from ancient times, from the times of Great Rome, and in Latin meant the recognition by society or the majority of society of the exclusivity or rights of a certain physical or legal entity to carry out actions within society, which should have been supported by the execution of these instructions from a legitimate person or body and carried out by all individual individuals- citizens of this society, part of society or the whole society, as well as bodies and apparatuses established by them state system authorities.

There is a consonant word “legitimacy” - a word with the same root - legate. It has always been a person authorized by the central authority (the emperor, the Pope) to represent this power, the law, the right of a given state in the provinces or in other areas outside the state.

It was a representative of the authorities! It was a representative of the law! And it doesn’t matter - political, or religious or otherwise, but a representative of the authorities! Her image. He was always legitimate to others.

The concept and interpretation of legitimacy

The issue of legitimacy is very broad in interpretation and different concepts. And is interpreted or accepted different groups people differently.

Let's take an example from childhood. The leader in a boy group in the yard is either the strongest or the smartest! But this is recognition of him as such by society - a group of boys, which he had to prove to all of them in competition with other peers, where he defeated them, got ahead of them, that is, proved his exclusivity compared to others, by the fact that he is taller, better, stronger than them. He is capable of leading them. He is their leader.

Let's take another example. There are several ways to become a team leader and become legitimate:

You were chosen by the collective, by a majority vote, which means other people transferred their powers to you, giving you their right, the right to vote too. And the right to lead them for various reasons (higher level of education, greater outlook on the surrounding world, more developed mental abilities, great connections and acquaintances with other people, layers and communities of people), which will benefit everything - a given circle of people and each individual, an individual in particular, etc.;
You, strong personality, and through physical or psychological, or other type of influence, convinced your rivals that you are capable of leading them and again - in this case you are legitimate;
You were appointed as a leader in accordance with the laws adopted by society or its representatives, which everyone around them recognized and recognizes. In this case, you are legally legitimate.

But it happens that in these cases you are not legitimate for another community of people who are located at a distance from your group. In this case, it is again necessary to prove your legitimacy, your legality in different ways and actions - through legislation, through physical, political and economic influence.

What are the types of legitimacy?

It is possible to define three directions of legitimacy and, naturally, three types of formation of legitimacy:

Conservative – formed on character, principles passed down from generation to generation, customs, etc.;
Psychological - emotional, based on the selection of the use of the concept of the pair “like-rejection”, mental - volitional;
Legal – based on the existing legal order and legality.

The first two directions of legitimacy relate to the personal type of power, and the third - to government organization legitimacy.

Make binding decisions. The lower the level legitimacy, the more often power will rely on force.

Legitimate an action is an action that is not disputed by any of the players who have the right and opportunity to dispute this action. An action ceases to be legitimate when the subject of the action has to make special efforts to protect his right to act as he did [ ] .

Legitimate, oh, oh(specialist.). Recognized by law, in accordance with the law. || noun legitimacy, -i, g. L. authorities. (Ozhegov’s Dictionary, Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language)

Besides, legitimacy- a political and legal concept that means a positive attitude of residents of the country, large groups, public opinion (including foreign) towards the institutions of power operating in a particular state, recognition of their legitimacy.

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Subtitles

Political legitimacy

In relation to political legitimacy The famous English political scientist David Beetham developed a “normative structure of political legitimacy”:

Legitimacy means recognition by the population of a given government and its right to govern. Legitimate power is accepted by the masses, and not simply imposed on them. The masses agree to submit to such power, considering it fair, authoritative, and the existing order the best for the country. Of course, in society there are always citizens who violate laws, who do not agree with this political course who 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. Legitimacy should not be confused with the concept that also exists in political science legality authorities. The legality of power is its legal justification, its legality, compliance with the legal norms existing in the state. Legitimacy, unlike legality, is not a legal fact, but a socio-psychological phenomenon. Any government that makes laws, even unpopular ones, but ensures their implementation is legal. At the same time, it may be illegitimate and not recognized by the people. There may also be illegal power in society, for example, the mafia, which, in principle, can also be perceived by the people (or part of it) as legitimate or illegitimate.

Legitimacy is the trust and acceptance of power by the public consciousness, the justification of its actions, therefore it is associated with moral assessment. Citizens approve of the authorities based on their moral criteria, ideas about goodness, justice, decency, and conscience. Legitimacy is intended to ensure obedience, consent without coercion, and if it is not achieved, then to justify coercion and the use of force. Legitimate authorities and policies are authoritative and effective.

In order to win and maintain legitimacy and the trust of the people, the authorities resort to argumentation of their actions (legitimation), turning to the highest values (justice, truth), to history, feelings and emotions, moods, the real or fictitious 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, dividing people into “us” and “strangers” is often used.

The principles of legitimacy (beliefs) may have their origins in ancient traditions, revolutionary charisma or in current legislation. A corresponding typology of legitimacy, which is widely accepted, was introduced by Max Weber. According to it, three types of legitimacy correspond to three sources of legitimacy of political power: tradition, charisma and rational-legal basis. Weber emphasized that we are not talking about classifying any real regime as one of the types, but about abstractions (the so-called “ideal types”), which are combined in one proportion or another in specific political systems.

Depending on which of the listed motives for the population’s 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 belief in the necessity and inevitability of subordination to power, which receives in society (group) the status of tradition, custom, habit of obedience to certain persons or political institutions. This type of legitimacy is especially common in hereditary types of government, in particular in monarchical states. A long habit of justifying one or another form of government creates the effect of its fairness and legality, which gives power high stability and stability;
rational (democratic) legitimacy, arising as a result of people’s recognition of the justice of those rational and democratic procedures on the basis of which the system of power is formed. This type support develops due to a person’s understanding of the presence of third-party interests, which presupposes the need to develop rules of general behavior, following which creates the opportunity to realize 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, which develops as a result of people’s faith in the outstanding qualities of a political leader that they recognize. This image of an infallible person endowed with exceptional qualities (charisma) is transferred by public opinion to the entire system of power. Unconditionally believing all the actions and plans of a charismatic leader, people uncritically accept the style and methods of his rule. The emotional delight of the population, which forms this highest authority, most often occurs during the period revolutionary changes when social orders and ideals familiar to a person collapse and people cannot rely on any former norms and values, not on the still emerging rules of the political game. Therefore, the charisma of a leader embodies the faith and hope of people for a better future in time of troubles. But such unconditional support of the ruler by the population often turns into Caesarism, leaderism and a cult of personality.

Political legitimacy

In relation to political legitimacy The famous English political scientist David Beetham developed a “normative structure of political legitimacy”:

Legal- recognized by law, in accordance with the law.

The relationship between legitimacy and legality

The term “legitimacy” arose at the beginning of the 19th century and expressed the desire to restore the power of the king in France as the only legitimate one, in contrast to the power of the usurper. At the same time, this word acquired another meaning - recognition of this state power and the territory of the state on international level. The demand for the legitimacy of power arose as a reaction against the violent change of power and redrawing of state borders, against arbitrariness and ochlocracy.

Legitimacy means recognition by the population of a given government and its right to govern. Legitimate power is accepted by the masses, and not simply imposed on them. The masses agree to submit to such power, considering it fair, authoritative, and the existing order the best for the country. Of course, in society there are always citizens who violate laws, who do not agree with a given political course, who 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. Legitimacy should not be confused with the concept that also exists in political science legality authorities. The legality of power is its legal justification, its legality, compliance with the legal norms existing in the state. Legitimacy, unlike legality, is not a legal fact, but a socio-psychological phenomenon. Any government that makes laws, even unpopular ones, but ensures their implementation is legal. At the same time, it may be illegitimate and not recognized by the people. There may also be illegal power in society, for example, the mafia, which, in principle, can also be perceived by the people (or part of it) as legitimate or illegitimate.

Legitimacy is the trust and acceptance of power by public consciousness, the justification of its actions, therefore it is associated with moral assessment. Citizens approve of the authorities based on their moral criteria, ideas about goodness, justice, decency, and conscience. Legitimacy is intended to ensure obedience, consent without coercion, and if it is not achieved, then to justify coercion and the use of force. Legitimate authorities and policies are authoritative and effective.

traditional legitimacy, formed on the basis of people’s belief in the necessity and inevitability of subordination to power, which receives in society (group) the status of tradition, custom, habit of obedience to certain persons or political institutions. This type of legitimacy is especially common in hereditary types of government, in particular in monarchical states. A long habit of justifying one or another form of government creates the effect of its fairness and legality, which gives power high stability and stability;
rational (democratic) legitimacy, arising as a result of people’s recognition of the justice of those rational and democratic procedures on the basis of which the system of power is formed. This type of support develops due to a person’s understanding of the presence of third-party interests, which presupposes the need to develop rules of general behavior, following which creates the opportunity to realize 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, which develops as a result of people’s faith in the outstanding qualities of a political leader that they recognize. This image of an infallible person endowed with exceptional qualities (charisma) is transferred by public opinion to the entire system of power. Unconditionally believing all the actions and plans of a charismatic leader, people uncritically accept 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 change, when social orders and ideals familiar to people are collapsing and people cannot rely either on former norms and values, or on the still emerging rules of the political game. 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 a cult of personality.

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

What does the concept of “legitimacy” mean in a general sense and “legitimacy of political power. What is the legitimacy of state power and what is its essence?

The history of the term "Legitimacy"

What is the difference between legitimate and legal power?

What is the difference between legitimacy and legality?

The concept and interpretation of legitimacy

What are the types of legitimacy?

Encyclopedic YouTube

Subtitles

Political legitimacy

Political legitimacy

The relationship between legitimacy and legality

Literature

Notes

See also

See what “Legitimacy” is in other dictionaries:

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