Legitimacy is a specific property of political power. It is a form of support and recognition of its legitimacy, the exercise of government by the state or its individual structures.
The possibility of legitimization was discussed a lotthe whole history of political thought. Some scholars believe that power can be one at the expense of common values and ideals that allow citizens to express its support.
At the same time, other scientists argue that there is no such shared values in a segmented society, so legitimate power is impossible.
Supporters of treaty theories believe that legitimacy is a concept that is based on the citizens' agreement on goals and values.
E.Burke distinguished in this concept theoretical and practical aspects, and analyzed it only in relation to any regime. He believed that the habit and positive experience of citizens can contribute to building a model of power that could satisfy all the interests of citizens and get their full support.
Often, legitimacy is initiated and formedgovernment, political structures that prompt the mass consciousness to give positive assessments to the existing regime. The more effective the elitist structures support the conviction of people in the optimality of the current state of affairs, the higher this indicator in relation to the authorities.
The same role can be played by externalpolitical centers: international organizations, friendly countries. This type of conquest of legitimacy is often used in pre-election races. This is an unstable phenomenon, it can vary its intensity. Due to a decrease in intensity, a crisis of legitimacy may occur. This phenomenon is often associated with the destabilization of power, that is, its inability to realize its functions, the use of violence, military conflicts, the lack of flexibility of the political regime, and violation of constitutional rights.