Political legitimacy
is the general belief that the government has the
right to rule/exercise authority. The public view
the government as proper and right for its role.
source : Charismatic
legitimacy
President Xi Jinping projects an image of a
strongman abroad, a statesman at home, a
philosopher of communism (Little Red Book Mao)
and a Revolutionary against foreign influence.
* Focuses on Han Chinese over other ethnic groups
People’s Republic of China:
from 1982 to 2018
president only served for two five-year terms.
Silk road initiative
chinese exports to the world
important dates for china
1949 : revolution
1976 : Mao chairman of ccp
91% of china is :
Han ethnic group
The russian federation :
- putin projects an image of a defender of the orthodox russian church a strong man with military power
ex : syria direct intervention, libya wagner group, uses legacy of the soviet union to remind Russians of the glorious days of Russia
Source : Traditional legitimacy
UK, northern ireland and Islamic Republic of iran
Traditional legitimacy (Islamic Republic of Iran)
Supreme Leader
succeeded by a religious figure who becomes
Supreme Leader. Prior to the Islamic Revolution of
1979, Iran’s legitimacy was also traditional
because the Shah of Iran was the monarch and
succession was based on being from the Pahlavi
dynasty.
Traditional legitimacy (UK and Northern
Ireland ) :
Monarchy- succession to the monarcy- Queen Elizabeth II ( House of Windsor)
Rational-Legal: Nigeria
Office of the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria
* President holds office for four years, renewable
once
* President Muhammadu Buhari, does not seek a
cult of personality.
Source: Rational-Legal
legitimacy
- Built on rules and procedures and the offices that
create and enforce those rules - System of laws that are presumed to be neutral or
rational - It is not the individual leaders who are important,
or their values or ideas, but the office they hold.
Rational-Legal: Mexico
- Office of the President of the United Mexican
States. - President Andres Obrador holds office for six
years, no re-election. - Strong public trust in the system and its
institutions, not necessarily the political officials.
Other sources
- Constitution
- Religion
- Revolution
- Ideology
- Competitive Elections
- Referendums
Policy Effectiveness:
Government action works
How to sustain legitimacy
Policy Effectiveness, Political Efficacy, Charismatic leadership and Institutionalized laws
Political Efficacy
People feel they can understand
and influence politics
Tradition
sustained from the past to the present.
How things are done in the past are used to
determine what to do in the present.
Charismatic leadership
Exceptional loyalty to a
leader
Institutionalized laws
established processes of
procedure to make determination
Devolution in the U.K. has strengthened the
legitimacy of the UK government :
because IRA
terrorist activities were reduced. A New IRA was
created in 2012 by splitting from the Provisional
IRA because it felt Northern Ireland should still be
independent, but only number less than 600
members.
Devolution in the U.K. has weakened legitimacy of
the UK government :
because separatist parties
have a role in Scotland, and Wales.
China 1949 Communists led by
Mao Zedong
Iran 1979 Led by
Ayatollah Khomenei
