Questions: Political Legitimacy and the Consent of the Governed

Question 1

A government wins an election with 55% of the vote. Its economic policies are deeply unpopular with large portions of the population, who protest regularly. Does this government have political legitimacy?

• A. No — a government cannot be legitimate if significant portions of the population oppose its policies
• B. Yes — winning an election conducted according to constitutional rules establishes legal-rational legitimacy, independent of policy popularity
• C. Legitimacy only accumulates after years of stable governance, so it is too early to say
• D. No — legitimacy requires majority approval of specific policies, not just electoral victory

Answer: (B)

This question targets the core misconception: legitimacy is not the same as popularity. An unpopular government can be legitimate if it follows established procedures (legal-rational legitimacy). Citizens who oppose its policies may still recognize its right to govern — they can protest, vote it out, or challenge it in court, all of which presuppose they accept the legitimating framework. Legitimacy and approval of specific policies are separate questions.

Question 2

A regime maintains order entirely through fear — arrests, fines, and imprisonment ensure compliance, but citizens do not recognize the government's right to rule. According to political theory, what does this government lack?

• A. Sufficient power — a government that requires constant coercion does not have enough force
• B. Legitimacy — without voluntary compliance based on recognized rightfulness, rule depends entirely on coercion
• C. Democratic accountability — legitimacy requires elections
• D. A functioning legal system — laws are only effective when citizens endorse them

Answer: (B)

Legitimacy is the condition that makes governance efficient: when citizens recognize authority as rightful, they comply voluntarily, pay taxes without auditors present, and follow rules without police watching. A government that rules only through coercion can still hold power — but it is brittle and expensive, requiring constant enforcement. The absence of legitimacy is not a power deficit; it is a recognition deficit.

Question 3

A government can be politically legitimate even if it is unpopular, as long as it follows established rules and procedures.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

This is the central claim of legal-rational legitimacy. Citizens who voted for the losing side in an election may deeply dislike the result, yet still recognize the government as legitimate because it won through proper procedure. Legitimacy operates at the level of the system and its rules, not at the level of approval for specific decisions or officeholders.

Question 4

Tacit consent theory holds that citizens have implicitly agreed to be governed by formally signing a social contract with the state.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Tacit consent is implied, not formal. Social contract theorists argue that continued residence, participation in the benefits of social order, and use of public institutions constitute an implicit endorsement — not a signed agreement. Critics find this too thin (you didn't sign anything and can't easily 'leave'), but it is definitely not formal consent. Express consent — like a naturalization ceremony — is the explicit version.

Question 5

Why is legitimacy more efficient than coercion as a basis for governance? What must a government that loses legitimacy substitute in its place?

Model answer: Legitimacy produces voluntary compliance — citizens obey laws, pay taxes, and accept outcomes without needing constant enforcement. When legitimacy is lost, the government must replace voluntary compliance with coercion: more police, surveillance, punishment, and enforcement infrastructure. Coercion is expensive, brittle, and creates resentment that further erodes the government's standing.

The key insight is the efficiency argument: a government with legitimacy can govern a large population with relatively modest enforcement capacity because most people comply willingly. A government without legitimacy faces a multiplication problem — every compliance gap must be covered by enforcement, which requires resources, which requires extraction, which generates more resistance. Legitimacy is the cheaper, more stable alternative.