1. Higher Politics Political Theory
Power, Authority and Legitimacy
Definitions and Examples

2. Group task
Make a list of people that have the power to get you to do something you would not otherwise do.
What gives them the ability to do this?

3. Describe the type of power each person has:

5. We are learning to… Define the terms power, authority and legitimacy Give examples of each I can… Create a spider diagram of definitions and examples

6. Power, Authority, Legitimacy
What is Power?
What is Authority?
What is Legitimacy?
POWER Power can be defined as the ability to ‘get someone to do something they might not choose to do’ AUTHORITY Authority is seen as ‘rightful power’ which implies an ‘obligation’ to obey LEGITIMACY The sense of ‘rightfulness’ – which makes authority different from power

7. Power, Authority, Legitimacy
Power, Authority and Legitimacy are often used INTERCHANGEABLY However, these are SEPARATE concepts, which are closely linked

8. Power
What is Power? the ability to get someone to do, something they might not otherwise choose to do
Power
Is the ability to influence others sometimes through use of threats, sanctions, manipulation or persuasion.
Example – a mob has the power to lynch someone
During the 1950s in the USA, angry white mobs prevented black students entering schools and universities due to racism

9. Authority
Authority is the ability to influence others through their respect of your position Example – the decision made by a High Court Judge to place someone in jail.
What is Authority? the ability to get someone to do something because you have the right to Your power comes from Respect of rule or right to rule

10. Example of Power but No Authority
Adolf Hitler in November 1923 – the Munich Putsch He marched into a political meeting of the Right Wing with a gun and 600 Stormtroopers He kept the leaders prisoner, including the PM of Bavaria, Gustav Von Kahr
The next day, the police were called and Hitler was arrested after a shoot-out
Hitler had the power, but lacked authority = people did not think he had the right to rule

11. Example of Authority but no Power
Aung Sang Suu Kyi In 1990 her party the National League for Democracy won the election in Burma They gained 59% of votes, 80% of parliament seats The military refused to hand over power to her She was placed under house arrest The military continued to rule until 2011
Aung Sang Suu Kyi had authority (the right to rule) but had no power The military had the power to overrule her authority

12. What is legitimacy?
Legitimate = Rightful Legitimacy is what many describe as the ‘right to rule’ It is closely linked to authority i.e. in order to have authority you must be viewed as legitimate
Usually legitimacy comes from a ‘fair process’ i.e. an election, a ballot, a contract, a fair interview process
It is often a belief that a leader has a right to govern
Without legitimacy, a government can collapse

13. ‘Legitimacy Is power cloaked in authority’
SQA Definition
‘Legitimacy Is power cloaked in authority’

14. Can you think of any leaders who lack legitimacy? Why?

15. Power + Authority = Legitimacy
I.e. Most people obey rules even if they don’t agree with them. This is because they accept the system of government as legitimate. This LEGITIMATE power is called AUTHORITY Legitimacy Example In May 2011, Alex Salmond’s SNP gained a majority in the Scottish Parliament – 69 of 129 seats. Even though the AMS system was designed to prevent majority governments, they won more than 50% of seats. This gave the SNP government legitimacy, and Alex Salmond legitimacy as First Minister.
Power that is seen to be LEGITIMATE is seen as fair & right Therefore coercion (force) is not needed

16. Example of No Legitimacy
However, he had all the powers that Tony Blair (a strong PM) had as PM, So if he has the power why not the Authority? Brown’s unelected inheritance of Blair’s power was seen by many as illegitimate (he ran almost unopposed for labour leader), in that since there was no general election, Brown was not the ‘rightful’ PM.
Gordon Brown PM
Chancellor of the Exchequer from
1992 – 2007 under Blair
Popular chancellor, seen as stable and reliable
10 May 2007, Tony Blair resigned
Brown won Labour nomination and became PM
Did not call a new election
Unpopular Prime Minister – blamed for economic problems
Resigned after 3 years

17. Power, Authority & Legitimacy
Q1. Define the terms;
Power
Legitimacy
Authority
Q2. Categorise the following people, groups and organisations into Power, Authority and Legitimacy.
A gang member The Conservative Government
The head teacher Your parents
The First Minister The High Court

18. Lack of Legitimacy in the 2Oth Century
The overwhelming majority of Irish Catholics living in the North did not accept British Rule of Northern Ireland as legitimate since the union in This worsened divisions between religious groups and led to political instability and civil war Sinn Féin is an Irish republican political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its central aim is for a united Ireland. It opposes Westminster’s jurisdiction in Northern Ireland, and its oath to the Queen, so its MPs abstain from sitting in parliament. Sinn Fein MPs still do not take their seats in the UK Parliament, as they do not see it as legitimate.

19. Lack of Legitimacy in the 21st Century
The overwhelming majority of Palestinian people living within Israel’s borders DO NOT ACCEPT ISRAELI AUTHORITY AS LEGITIMATE. They instead give legitimacy to the Palestinian Authority which has little real POWER

20. Example of No Legitimacy – Research Theresa May
Who is she?
What job did she do before PM? Details!
When & How she became PM
Why people say she has no legitimacy?
In the current political climate with the resignation of Theresa May will the new PM be legitimate?

21. Power, Authority and Legitimacy
Task – Use blank paper to create a detailed spider diagram
Include definitions, descriptions and examples of P, A, L.
Power
Legitimacy
Authority
Power, Authority and Legitimacy are inherently linked – however, they are separate concepts, when any of the 3 concepts are lacking issues/problems/conflict can arise.

22. Media Clips