Governance and Legitimacy Concepts

These flashcards cover key concepts related to governance, legitimacy, and political structures, providing definitions and examples.

Input Legitimacy

The process, design, and procedures of governance

Ex: Citizens voting in India’s 2024 general election.

Output Legitimacy

The performance, results, and effectiveness of governance,

Ex: Finland’s government achieving top global education rankings.

Top-down Legitimacy

Authority and right to rule originate from a central, higher power. People accept it because of laws, tradition, or institutions. Ex: Saudi Arabia’s monarchy ruling by royal decree.

Bottom-up Legitimacy

Legitimacy granted by the people allowing the government to rule

Ex: Germany’s citizens electing representatives in free elections

Coup d’etat

A sudden and illegal takeover of a government by a small group

Ex: The 2021 military coup in Myanmar.

Postcolonialism

The study of colonial legacies and their impact on former colonies

Ex: India’s legal and political systems inherited from British colonial rule.

Pooled Sovereignty

When multiple states voluntarily share authority while maintaining national control

Ex: European Union countries following shared EU trade and environmental rules.

Self Determination

The desire for national sovereignty often due to cultural or ethnic differences

Ex: South Sudan gaining independence from Sudan in 2011.

Traditional Sovereignty

A state’s independence and control over its internal and foreign affairs

Ex: Japan controlling its own laws and foreign policy.