GLOPO LEGITIMACY REVIEW

Define CORE Legitimacy + Key Idea

An actor or action that is commonly considered acceptable to a population.

Key Idea: Legitimacy is constantly earned, reinforced or lost. It involves repeated acts that reinforce a government’s right to rule, especially during crisis.

Define State Legitimacy

When a population accepts the state’s right to rule. Believe in the system’s justification to govern.

Sources of Legitimacy (6) + Mnemonic

HIDGFS - How Important Democracy Grows Fairs Society

1) History and Traditions (Monarchies)
2) Ideology (Beliefs of the population, e.g Islamism in Iran)
3) Democracy (Free, fair elections)
4) Growth and Development (Strong Economics + Social progress build trust)
5) Functioning Institutions (Provision of public services enhance credibility)
6) Social Values (Ruling in line with collective norms, enhance legitimacy)

How is Legitimacy Maintained

Good Media Narratives
Provision of Public Services
Strong Political Accountability
Good Crisis Responses

How is Legitimacy Lost

Corruption, Poor Governance
Economic Decline
Human Rights Abuses
Disconnection from societal values

Define Non-State Legitimacy

Legitimacy that belongs to an entity that is not a state.

Effective Governance — Legit if provide education, health or infrastructure when state fails.
NGOs — Legit if transparent, accountable and partner with IGOs
MNCs — Legit if they provide jobs, or partner host states responsibly.

Define Input Legitimacy + Indicators

Legitimacy derived from participation and consent

• Built on democratic principles (elections, assemblies, etc..)

• Indicators: Voter Turnout, Freedom of expression, freedom to assembl.

Define Output Legitimacy

Legitimacy derived from results of governance.

How well a government provides public goods, security, education, health care, etc…

Common in authoritarian systems where participation is low but services are efficient.

Define Top-Down Legitimacy

Power and Legitimacy are granted from above (ruling elites, monarchies, centralized institutions).

Claimed by the state, then reinforced through media, propaganda, etc…
- Associated with traditional authority or authoritarian rule.

Bottom-Up Legitimacy

Power and Legitimacy is granted by the people, based on social contract, public trust and democratic principles.

Emerges from mass participation.

Max Weber - Legitimacy

3 Types of Legitimacy

1) Traditional — based on long-standing customs (monarchies)
2) Charismatic — Driven by personal appeal of leaders (Nelson Mandela)
3) Legal-Rational — Derived from established laws and procedures (democratically elected leaders)

Thomas Hobbs - Legitimacy

Top-Down Legitimacy

Legitimacy derives from capacity to enforce order. People accept authority to avoid chaos (state of nature).

Despite protests in Belarus, regime claims legitimacy through coercive order.

Robert Dahl - Legitimacy

Bottom-Up Legitimacy

A government is legitimate to the extent that it facilitates public contestation and inclusive participation.

An imperfect democracy (polyarchy) becomes legitimate through open elections, civil liberties, etc…

Brazil — Strong democratic legitimacy via inclusive structure

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Bottom-Up Legitimacy + Input Legitimacy

Legitimacy comes from the laws reflecting the will of the people.

Belarus vs. Brazil
Belarus = Illegitimate due to suppression of general will
Brazil = Reflects Rousseau’s vision of active citizenship

LIBERAL PERSPECTIVE ON LEGITIMACY

Legitimacy is central to peace and cooperation. IGOs election and the rule of law foster legitimate global governance.

REALIST PERSPECTIVE ON LEGITIMACY

Legitimacy is IRRELVANT, power and survival dominate. States don’t need public consent if they can maintain order and security.

CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE ON LEGITIMACY

Legitimacy is socially constructed and context-dependent. It depends on shared norms, identity and perception NOT JUST power on procedures.

Challenges to Legitimacy - External

1) Lack of International Recognition (Myanmar rejected by ASEAN)
2) Economic Sanctions - undermine public confidence in leadership (Iran)
3) Global Media exposure - transparency can erode legitimacy via reports on corruption
4) Comparative Governance - Citizens loose trust if nation performs worse than peers.

Challenges to Legitimacy - Internal

Corruption, poor services, repression
Public Protest, civil Disobedience
Election Fraud

RWE 1 - Legitimacy via ___

Via Representative Democracy (Brazil)

Porto Alegre - Participatory budgeting allowing direct influence on local spending decisions. Done via neighborhood assemblies.

Key: Input Legitimacy + Bottom-Up legitimacy

RWE 2 - Legitimacy via ____

Growth and Development

Ethopia underwent dramatical political and economic transformation under Prime Minister Ahmed in 2018.

Released political prisoners, unbanned opposition parties and liberalized the economy.

Earned him 2019 Nobel Peace Price + Ethopia saw increased FDI and improved infrastructure.

Key: Output Legitimacy, Top-Down legitimacy

COUNTER: Civil war Tensions in 2020 returned, complicating the legitimacy picture.