State Legitimacy and Obedience

Flashcards covering key concepts of state legitimacy, obedience, and Max Weber's sources of legitimacy, along with related terms and definitions.

Legitimacy

The acceptance of validity by a political community; vital for states to rule effectively.

Power as Authority

Power that is accepted as valid and justified, leading to obedience.

Power through force

The ability to compel compliance through coercion, often without legitimacy.

Obedience

Willingness to submit to an order, implying a belief in legitimate authority (unless derived from fear or expediency).

Legitimate rule

A political community's acceptance of the validity of a ruling organization, requiring more than just a monopoly of force.

Illegitimate rule

Rule lacking acceptance of validity, often relying solely on a monopoly of force.

State authority

The right to rule, which requires legitimacy (acceptance of validity) from the governed population.

Sources of validity for ruling organization

Input (who says?), process (transparency, participation), or outcome (results).

Max Weber's three sources of state legitimacy

Traditional, Charismatic, and Rational-legal, often blended in state systems.

Traditional Legitimacy

A belief that power is legitimate because it has always been this way; based on custom, religion, or historical practice; devotion to a role, not the individual.

Charismatic Legitimacy

Devotion to a leader and their persuasive conviction to ideas; based on emotional appeal and veneration of the person rather than the office.

Rational-Legal Legitimacy

Legitimacy based on a system of laws and procedures, an impersonal bureaucracy, and respect for authority based on the perceived fair nature of rules.

Bureaucracy

An impersonal system of administration defined by laws and procedures, central to rational-legal legitimacy.

Civil disobedience

A form of non-violent resistance or refusal to obey certain laws as a protest against perceived injustice or loss of legitimacy.

Protest

An expression of strong objection or disapproval, often publicly, indicating a loss of belief in the legitimacy of laws or government.

Uprisings

An act of resistance or rebellion from below, often against an established authority, indicating a significant loss of legitimacy.

Revolution

A fundamental and often sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the public no longer believes in the legitimacy of the regime or state.

Example of Traditional Legitimacy

A hereditary monarchy where power is passed down through generations, based on historical custom and acceptance of the royal family's enduring right to rule.

Example of Charismatic Legitimacy

A revolutionary leader who gains popular support through compelling speeches and a powerful vision, inspiring devotion based on their personality and ideas, rather than established laws or customs.

Example of Rational-Legal Legitimacy

A democratically elected President or Prime Minister whose authority is derived from a constitution, established laws, and the electoral process, and who governs through bureaucratic institutions.