Читать книгу Political Science For Dummies - Marcus A. Stadelmann - Страница 21

A successful government has to have its population recognize its legitimacy. If the population recognizes its government as legitimate, it will follow its leaders’ decisions, and no force needs to be used when implementing policies. For example, if a police officer pulls you over for speeding, you recognize his powers of doing so. In other words, you see his use of power as legitimate and will abide by it. Governments can acquire legitimacy in various ways, as I discuss in the following sections.

Legitimacy is the belief that the government’s power over its population is rightful. This results in the exercise of power by a government without having to resort to force. A government that has a high level of legitimacy also has a high level of authority. Its citizens obey laws without having to be forced to.