Legitimacy and political system

Abstract

Legitimacy is one of the basic and pivotal concepts in political science. It is the foundation on which the political system is based to gain recognition and voluntary acceptance of the system by individuals. Legitimacy gives the political system the ability to exercise power without resorting to methods of force and violence, which contributes to achieving political stability and the continuity of rule, as the basis and foundation of political stability is the legitimacy of the political system. Political legitimacy is one of the most important determinants for achieving political stability, and that all political growth aims at political stability. The more those in power enjoy political legitimacy, the easier it is for them to use the tools of subjugation and the laws that control the movement of society and interactions between members of society. Legitimacy guarantees the system of government to achieve control over society and thus achieve political stability. In contrast, the political opposition plays a fundamental and important role in the legitimacy of the political system, as it can be a supporting factor for the stability of the system if it exercises its role within the constitutional and legal framework, and it may turn into a source of threat if it results from a legitimacy crisis within the system. Accordingly, the relationship between the opposition and the political system is affected by the degree of legitimacy enjoyed by the system, whether democratic or otherwise. Democratic, and the extent of the regime’s commitment to democratic practices. To achieve the research, the researcher defined the concept of political legitimacy in the first section. As for the second section, it dealt with the birth of political legitimacy in different political systems. The research concluded with a conclusion that included the results and recommendations of the research.