Legitimacy- Meaning, Definition and Basis

# Meaning of Legitimacy

The term legitimacy is derived from the Latin word ‘Legitimus’ which means lawful. However in modern times, the term has a different meaning.

Legitimacy is commonly defined in sociology as the belief that a rule, institution or leader has the right to govern. 

Legitimacy itself is a fundamentally subjective and nominative concept. It exists only in the beliefs of an individual about the rightfulness of rule. It is closely linked to authority i.e., in order to have authority then they must be viewed as legitimate.

# Definition of Legitimacy

1. According to Jean Blondel:- “Legitimacy can be defined as the extent to which the population accept naturally, without questioning the organization to which it belong.”

2. According to S.M. Lipset:- “Legitimacy involves the capacity of the system to engender and maintain the belief that the existing political institutions are the most appropriate ones for the society.”

3. According to J.C. Piano:- “Legitimacy means the quality of being justified or willingly accepted by subordinates that converts the exercise of political power into rightful authority.”

4. According to Kuhn Alfred:- “Legitimacy has been constructed as the acceptance of major bargain between the rulers and the ruled. At its most elemented level this is an agreement by the people to pay taxes and obey the government in turn for being allowed to stay alive and out of prison.”

# Basis of Legitimacy

1. Traditional Basis:- The traditional basis of legitimacy rests on an established belief in the sanctity of immemorial traditions and on the need to obey leaders who exercise the authority according to the traditions.

2. Charismatic Basis:- The charismatic basis of legitimacy rests on devotion to the specific and exceptional sanctity, heroism or exemplary character of an individual person.

3. Rational Basis:- The rational basis of legitimacy may be based on the rational ground resting in a belief in the legality of patterns of normative rules and the right of those elevated to authority under those rules to issue commands.

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