ABSTRACT
The question of the legitimacy or rightfulness of political authority is of central concern to both normative political philosophy and explanatory political science, yet a satisfactory definition of the concept remains elusive, and the connection between the respective concerns of political philosophy and political science is obscure. To avoid lengthy preliminaries, we propose to follow Beetham’s (199 1) analysis of political legitimacy as a multi-dimensional concept, comprising the different elements of legal& normativejustijiabili~ and legitimation. Political power is legitimate, we can say, to the extent that:
. the rules are justifiable according to socially accepted beliefs about (1) the rightful source of authority and (2) the proper ends and standards of government (normative justifiability); and
. positions of authority are confirmed by the express consent or affirmation on the part of appropriate subordinates, and by recognition from other legitimate authorities (legitimation).
