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Difficulty: HardLegitimacy: Meaning, Determinants, and Maintenance

A government that originally came to power through democratic elections begins bypassing statutory legislative procedures and routinely utilizes state security forces to suppress dissent and compel public compliance. According to fundamental principles of political science, how does this shift fundamentally alter the regime's political standing?

  1. It erodes political legitimacy by substituting voluntary popular acceptance and legal authority with coercive power.Answer
  2. B
    It consolidates legal-rational legitimacy by establishing supreme state enforcement capacity over political institutions.
  3. C
    It transforms legal-rational legitimacy into charismatic legitimacy through decisive executive governance.
  4. D
    It maintains political legitimacy under the constitutional doctrine of executive immunity and state preservation.

Answer

The regime loses political legitimacy as its rule shifts from legitimate authority based on consent and constitutionalism to the exercise of coercive power.
Political legitimacy is the belief by citizens that a government has the rightful authority to govern and issue binding commands. When a state abandons constitutional checks and balances to rely heavily on security agencies and force, it sacrifices popular consent. Consequently, its governance transitions from legitimate authority to mere coercive power.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core political concepts in the scenario
Legitimacy refers to the rightful right to rule based on public acceptance and constitutional compliance, whereas power is the capacity to compel compliance through force.
Differentiating between power (coercion) and authority/legitimacy (lawful right to rule) is key to evaluating political governance.
2
Evaluate the effect of bypassing constitutional mechanisms and relying on security forces
The government abandons consent-based legal authority and relies on state force.
When democratic processes are undermined in favor of military or security compulsion, public voluntary compliance is lost.
3
Determine the impact on the state's political standing
The government's legitimacy erodes, leaving it operating on bare coercive power rather than legitimate authority.
Legitimacy cannot be sustained long-term purely through physical suppression.

Key Concept

Legitimacy vs Coercive Power
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Topics

Legitimacy: Meaning, Determinants, and Maintenance

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