Premium
Political legitimacy: new criteria and anachronistic theories
Author(s) -
Dogan Mattei
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international social science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.237
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1468-2451
pISSN - 0020-8701
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2451.2010.01722.x
Subject(s) - legitimacy , legitimation , obsolescence , anachronism , politics , diversity (politics) , positive economics , typology , epistemology , sociology , charisma , reification (marxism) , elitism , political science , political economy , law and economics , law , economics , philosophy , paleontology , anthropology , biology
Two of the three types of legitimacy identified by Max Weber over a century ago, traditional and charismatic, are virtually inapplicable today. The third and only type that remains valid, rational legitimacy, has become an amalgamation of many different varieties, an incoherent collection of cases. Due to this diversity the type is no longer meaningful. Weber's typology is therefore out of touch with the contemporary world. The reasons behind this obsolescence are analysed empirically and the need for new distinctions demonstrated. The role of elites in the legitimation and delegitimation processes is given particular attention, as well as the links between illegitimacy and mistrust.