State Legitimacy
by Constanca Sousa
1. Challenges to Legitimacy
1.1. Citizens rejection of the government leads to rebellion and the questioning of legitimacy.
1.2. Foreign Aid
1.2.1. Foreign aid may unintentionally contradict the states values and so can destroy their legitimacy
1.2.2. Foreign aid may build new systems of governance that can reduce state legitimacy while increasing their own
2. Core Elements
2.1. Legitimacy derived from citizens
2.1.1. Population (often majority) must be content with governments actions/effectiveness.
2.2. Legitimacy comes from Social Norms
2.2.1. Legitimacy comes when Laws appeal to some social values and ideas, thus making the citizens happy.
2.3. Legitimacy determines people's acceptance (or not) of the state
2.3.1. If a state is safe and provides for their citizens, there is a less likely chance of rebellion.
2.4. Legitimization is an on-going process
2.4.1. States have to constantly upgrade and uphold their legitimacy; this can be done through resources such as media, speeches and events.