{"id":1018,"date":"2026-08-09T18:45:57","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/pyq\/explain-the-relationship-between-power-authority-and-legitimacy-i-upsc-psir-2018-0701\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T21:23:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T15:53:26","slug":"explain-the-relationship-between-power-authority-and-legitimacy-upsc-psir-2018-0701","status":"publish","type":"psir_pyq","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/explain-the-relationship-between-power-authority-and-legitimacy-upsc-psir-2018-0701\/","title":{"rendered":"Explain the relationship between power, authority and legitimacy."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pq-flow\">\n<div class=\"pq-flow-h\">Flow snapshot <em>\u2014 how the answer moves<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p1\"><span>Intro routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> Three not separate but one continuum <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> Authority = Power + Legitimacy<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> Power = the fact of acting <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> authority = that fact accepted <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> legitimacy = the reason for acceptance<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p2\"><span>Body flow<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p>Power is broadest (<b class=\"pq-sc\">MacIver<\/b>: command of compliance \/ <b class=\"pq-sc\">Weber<\/b>: will despite resistance) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> may rest on force, coercion, reward, manipulation <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> force alone produces fear, not authority <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> legitimacy = rightfulness, belief of the governed <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> converts naked power into rightful authority (<b class=\"pq-sc\">Rousseau<\/b>: strength into right, obedience into duty) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> authority = power + willing obedience from duty <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Weber<\/b>\u2019s three types (traditional \/ charismatic \/ legal-rational) ground rightful rule <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> analytically distinct but practically intertwined <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> legitimacy lowers the cost of rule<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p3\"><span>Counter-view<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p><b class=\"pq-sc\">Habermas<\/b>: the process of legitimation matters <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> consent can be manufactured in capitalist democracies through party systems and welfare reforms<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p4\"><span>Conclusion routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> All three indispensable <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> where legitimacy fails, authority decays back into naked force<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> Power becomes stable authority only when clothed in legitimacy <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> a continuum, not separate compartments<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"pyq_year":[43],"pyq_marks":[35],"pyq_topic":[52],"pyq_paper":[33],"class_list":["post-1018","psir_pyq","type-psir_pyq","status-publish","hentry","pyq_year-43","pyq_marks-15-marks","pyq_topic-power-authority-legitimacy","pyq_paper-paper-1"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/psir_pyq"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4612,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1018\/revisions\/4612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"pyq_year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_year?post=1018"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_marks","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_marks?post=1018"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_topic?post=1018"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_paper","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_paper?post=1018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}