Government Keypoints; Power / Authority And Legitimacy; This government category falls under the topic, of basic concepts of government and we will use this opportunity to define them and provide little details about these basic concepts of government.
Recommended;
Government Keypoints; The State / The Modern State
Government Keypoints; Definitions Of Government
Power
Power is the ability to compel obedience from an individual or group of individuals with the use of force, sanction or reward.
Forms Of Power
Political Power – This form of power is given to political appointees due to the number of supporters and votes they have.
Economic Power – Individuals who possess economic resources over others use them to influence the decision on issues and policies in the state.
Military Power – This form of power is derived from the abilities of the armed forces to compel obedience through the use of violent instruments.
Physical Power – This is the application of force in order to compel obedience from an opposition. Most times this form of power doesn’t end well.
Sources Of Power
1. Constitution
2. Force
3. Inheritance
4. Political authority
5. Money
Authority
Authority is also known as legal power, Authority refers to the formal or legal right to make and enforce laws and policies for the public to obey. With authority, there has to be an element of obedience before the authority can be complete.
Sources Of Authority
1. Traditional Authority – Derived from customs and cultures and exerted through traditional rulers
2. Legal Authority – This form is authority is gotten from the constitution and gives power to the office.
3. Charisma – This type of authority is gotten from people who are born with natural leadership traits with others willing to follow them.
4. Consent – As earlier stated, the key element in authority is for the second party to willingly or legally obey.
Types Of Authority
Traditional Authority
Legal Authority
Delegated Authority
Technical Authority
Political Authority
De-jure Authority
De-jure authority simply means a type of authority where you have to issue instructions and have them obeyed willingly and legally.
De-factor Authority
De-factor authority is a type of authority where someone in a powerful position exerts their authority irrespective of your willingness to obey or not.
Legitimacy
Legitimacy as the name implies is the political concept that involves the acceptance and recognition of a government by the citizens of the country. A government is considered legitimate when it comes through constitutional means. (Government Keypoints; Power / Authority And Legitimacy )
What Are The Factors That Determine Legitimacy
1. Reliable leadership
2. Upholding the ideology of the state
3. Popular support from the citizens
4. Periodic elections
5. Traditional influence
6. Political education
7. Foreign policy
8. Transparency.
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