What is the Meaning & Definition of legitimacy

Condition that implies that something is subject to the law

The word legitimacy is a word that can be used in numerous and different situations that can be related with political, judicial, economic, social or the daily life of people. Legitimacy comes from the Latin word legitimare, which means to enforce the law. In this sense, then, the legitimacy is something legitimate, transforming into something which is imposed by law and is therefore considered an asset for the whole of society according to the specific parameters of the same. In definitive, legitimacy is a condition that something holds and that involves being adjusted to the applicable law. On the opposite sidewalk we found to the illegitimate is that which does not arise as to what dictates law the term legitimacy is mainly taken legal and legal world in which means something, a situation, a circumstance, or a phenomenon, are appropriate and correct according to the parameters that the different systems of laws and standards established for each case. Thus, the legitimacy of an act or a process is present when, for such an act or process, pre-established rules are followed. Examples of this type of legitimacy may be the signature of contracts of employment, business, international agreements properly established according to the laws of international law, etc. Legitimacy can also be applied to political issues, especially when an officer is talking about if or governing access his position legitimately. This is the case, the individual or group of individuals in question must follow a number of procedures and rules having as ultimate goal the proper organization of the political system of each region. In this way, a President who enter the Government through the media agreed, such as the popular vote in the case of democracies, but it is not who does so authoritarian and illegal is legitimate.

Legitimacy in politics

Currently, the legitimacy, is a condition that implies the acceptance by the community exist such acceptance or consensus but there would be no legitimacy. Then, this criterion is that dictatorships can exercise power and rule in effect, however, the legitimacy of this Government is zero completely because they just do not have the permission of the community. The political history of most of the countries that make up our planet shows us examples of this mentioned. When a Government has legitimacy, because for example agreed to power power through you institutional mechanisms in force and comply law you will achieve consensus by citizenship and all acts of Government and decisions you take will be considered legitimate and they will of course be respected and will reign peace and social stability. Meanwhile, when this does not occur, when the Government loses legitimacy by some situation governance will be in danger, because citizens will start to ignore the authority of the Government and then the same should opt for the rectification for return path or take a step to the side to recover the legitimacy through a new management. Or failing that there is a third alternative, the road that is often taking in these cases is coercion, but sooner or more citizens rebelling and the power in this way may not be sustained. The dictatorships that come to power through a coup d ' état, in some moments of the past managed to initially some legitimacy among the people, however, with the passage of time they showed his more authoritarian and cruel side and then, society rebelled until you finally achieve its output.

At the level of civil legitimacy

Finally, the term's legitimacy is also used to refer to social links such as fatherhood, marriage, etc. These links can be found in different circumstances prescribed by the law and must have certain types of elements that ensure their legality to be considered legitimate (for example, in the case of recognizing a legitimate son, the father must check their blood tie direct; or in the case of a marriage, it should check their recognition before the law to be considered legitimate).