ASSIGNMENT
POLITICAL SCIENCE
POWER, AUTHORITY & LEGITIMACY,
PRESENTED BY PULKIT MOHNOT
BA LLB I YEAR SESSION 2019-2020
L19BALB043
Page No.1
ABSTRACT:-
Relationship between power, legitimacy, authority can be described as interrelated,
overlapping or conflicting.
If we see through the eyes of common men, these three aspects of society may look very much
same. But if we give a closer look at them, it may contain great amount of dissimilarities than
similarities. These concepts are such that it cannot be talked independently without linking one
from another.
At the level of government, the term power may sometimes be confused with authority. Power
in general terms may be defined as ability to influence somebody or refrain somebody from
doing the task or not doing the task. While authority may be defined as right to exercise that
power. Authority can also refer to as claim of legitimacy. Legitimacy involves whether the use
of authority is perceived as correct and proper or not.
The role of power becomes important when it doesn’t remain a source of coercion. After getting
legitimized it becomes a source of authority. It means integrity of authority depends upon
legitimacy. If the power conferred by a group or a society is not legitimised then there is no
question of authority.
Power, authority, legitimacy is now seen as governing part of human life. These have now
become defining features for smooth functioning of various social and political institutions. If
there is no power with government that is ruling at the centre, then that government doesn’t
have any authority or any right to rule the people and that government is a mere puppet or
titular government. The government in order to have authority needs to have legitimacy.
The sociologist and philosopher Max Weber distinguish three types of authority---Charismatic,
Traditional & Legal-Rational, each of which correspondence to a brand of leadership that is
operative in contemporary society.
Power is ability to get thing done whether it is personally or socially, either to enforce one’s
own will or collective will of some group over other. Legitimacy is socially constructed right
to exercise power. A person can have legitimacy but no actual power for e.g. a government in
exile is a recognised government but it doesn’t have any power to operate or enforce its
decisions. A king or government may have power but no legitimacy for e.g. a leader overthrows
the government and claims to be head of government, he might be having power but no
legitimate authority to rule.
Page No.2
ASSIGNMENT:-
Power- In general sense if we talk about power, it is the ability to do something. If you have
army then you have the power to attack a nation or annexe the territory of a nation. Statement
given by Hobbes about power is basic human urge is to seek power after power. Power is the
ability to influence behaviour, to overcome resistance and to get people to do things that they
would otherwise not do. 1All politics is based on how to achieve power and how to maintain it.
In political science power is based on ability to influence behaviour of people. In corporate
environment power can be classified into two types upwards and downwards. Downward refers
to when senior influence their decisions on the subordinates. While upwards power refers to
when juniors influence the decisions of senior officers. Many sociologists adopted the
definition given by German sociologist Max weber that power is the ability to exercise 2ones
will over others. Power affects more than personal relationship. It shapes institutions like social
groups, professional organization and government. Possessing power is the most important part
of the functioning of organisation. If it doesn’t have power then there is no use of the working
of that organisation. Suppose in present context we take example of government of Pakistan
which it seems is a mere puppet of the religious leaders and army in the country. Government
of Pakistan doesn’t have any power in country’s external or internal matters. Even for the trivial
matter it has to take permission from its Army. Its army decides rules and regulation of the
country. According to Luke’s, he sees power in three different forms: Decision-making,
agenda setting and thought control.
1. 1
Zainab Khawaja (2011) The Concept of ‘Power’ in Political Science, USA: Politics University.
2
Weber, M., (1947), The Theory of Social and Economic Organization
Page No.3
Authority-
Authority is a specific kind of power. Authority means that you authorised to wield certain
kinds of power within foundation of an organized group3. Members of that group are bound to
comply with your use of that power. An organisation having power but no authority to comply
with that power doesn’t have any importance. For e.g. A general has the authority to apply the
power of an army, and all soldiers must comply. The word authority is derived from Latin word
auctorial, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command4. In English, the word
authority can be used to mean power given by the state (in the form of Members of Parliament,
judges, police officers, etc.) or by academic knowledge of an area (someone can be an authority
on a subject). According to BLACK”S LAW DICTIONARY definition of authority is a right to
command or to act; the right and power of public officers to require obedience to their orders
lawfully issued in the scope of their public duties. Authority is a right to exercise power. In
political terms it can be said to be framed or formed by state. It could be exercised by judges,
government appointed executives. The concept of authority can be traced backed to Roman
empire and draws inspiration from the catholic thought. Historical application of authority
includes formation of city-state Geneva. According to Max Weber authority is a form of
legitimate power. He was curious about how people were prepared to accept the exercise of
power over themselves as legitimate even if the people don’t agree with those decisions.
Achieving authority is main objective of the government, if there no authority people will go
wild, do anything reckless they want. Authority is a means of getting people to obey without
forcing them or putting pressure on anybody. Authority without power is like a gun without a
bullet. Queen of England, Dalai Lama could be considered as best examples of authority
without power. According to Weber authority is legitimate domination. He divided authority
into three categories- Traditional authorities, Charismatic authority, Legal-Rational authority.
Authority can be very brutal in terms of unconditional, unquestioning obedience and could
therefore lead to revolutions, movements and protests against the authority. We can see in the
modern-day world how revolutions took place in Gulf country as the ruler was oppressing them
with unconditional obedience.
3
Cline, A., (2012) What is Authority?
4
Definition of authority according to blacks law dictionary
Page No.4
LEGITIMACY:-
Legitimacy is acceptance of an authority that possess power by people of that region or
organisation. In political sense it refers to acceptance of governing law or a regime. An
authority that is viewed as legitimate has rights to exercise powers. Political legitimacy refers
to basic condition for governance devoid of which government will not stand or collapse. For
e.g. if a carpenter works with wood poorly his legitimacy comes into question and he would
lose his job. According to Max Weber (WEBER,302, 1964) a political regime is legitimate, if
its participants have certain faith or believe in it. The basis of every kind of authority is belief,
a belief by which person exercising authority are lent prestige. John Locke 5said that men are
in nature free and equal as part of justification for understanding legitimate political
government as the result of social contract where people in state of nature transfer some of their
rights to government to ensure comfortable enjoyment of their lives, property and liberty.
Weber distinguished between three sources of legitimacy as acceptance of both authority and
need to obey its command. According to John Rawls, Legitimacy refers to justification of
coercive political power. For e.g. if we take examples in the present context the legitimacy of
a communist government is derived when they have one a civil war, or having won the
elections. President Salvador Allende was Marxist to be elected as president of Cuba. Action
of his parties were legitimate and was authorised by people. In monarchy the legitimacy is
established through divine rights of king. It also derives from popular tradition and customs
and acceptance of ruler as rightful ruler of nation and country. Such legitimacy is clearly visible
or manifested in absolute monarch of rulers in gulf nations.
5 Locke’s Political Philosophy
Page No.5
Relationship between power, authority and legitimacy: -
Through this flow chart we can see that none of them is independent. All three power, authority,
legitimacy is very much interdependent on each other. Someone may have authority to fulfil a
particular but doesn’t have power. So, there is no use of possessing such authority. A political
or a social institution should have only right to function when it is having authority to rule
provided that it has some power and the authority is legitimized by the people. This makes a
complete institution. In the present context if we take example of democratic governments in
places like India, Switzerland and other European countries we see that the powers of
governments are legitimized by people. They have authority to govern as they have certain
power. If we take example of North Korea; It is a type of charismatic legitimacy Weber used
the term charisma as a certain quality of an individual personality, by virtue of which he or she
is set apart from ordinary people and treated as endowed with supernatural, superhuman, or at
least specifically exceptional powers or qualities6.
6
An Analysis of Weber's Work on Charisma
Page No.6
The leader is seen as a dominantly powerful hero or heroine. The nature of administrative staff
is as followers or disciples. The relationship between the two is like a super star musician and
his or her fanatics. This type of legitimacy is very harmful as it gives unnecessary authority to
rulers with indefinite power. This forces unnecessary obligation on people and at some time
the government may face revolt from people. Resulting in overthrowing of the government.
Marx argued that dictatorship of the elites would be legitimate if it acted in best interest of the
masses with limited power keeping in mind the interest of the people. When one recognizes
authority and power, one legitimizes. The role of power becomes most effective when power
doesn’t remain a source of obligation upon us. Power after getting legitimized becomes
authority. Stability of legitimacy depends upon authority. Legal rational authority is more
logical type of authority as its basis of legitimacy which is acting on behalf of common good
for all the people.
Conclusion:-
We took a look at three concepts power, authority, legitimacy to see how they are interwoven
with each other. If we look them from different context, we see that they not only are
interrelated but owe their systematic existence to each other. The correct use of power for the
benefit and common good for people always get support from legitimacy. Most of the society
follows rules on basis of legitimacy, they follow rules up to that extent where they see that their
interest and right are protected by the institution. If they see that power is unnecessarily
burdened on them, the correct rule of law is not followed they may revolt. No one will follow
rules and regulation if legitimacy of that rule is ruined irrespective of power of authority.
Bibliography
WEBER,302. (1964).
POLITICAL THEORY BY EDDIE ASHIRWATHAM( 13TH EDITION)
BLACK"S LAW DICTIONARY (26TH EDITION)
Page No.7
