ABSTRACT
Why do people voluntarily follow and obey their rulers? Why do people accept and maintain authorities and institutions? In authoritarian regimes people obey involuntarily, by fear. But, as Xenophon already knew, the power of tyrants is not based uniquely on material force and constraints. Even the most tyrannic rulers try to justify their reign. The key concept to the understanding of this effort of justification is legitimacy, because only legitimacy can transform brutal power into recognized authority.
