ABSTRACT
Legitimacy is a crucial if elusive aspect of both political analysis and political life. Obedience, as Weber pointed out long ago, may have many sources, ranging "all the way from simple habituation to the most purely rational calculation of advantage", but a reliable system of obedience normally requires the additional element of belief in legitimacy. The tripartite typology of legitimate authority was not meant to mirror the real world. While communist movements have involved an unusual amount of personal authority, in no case has unfettered pure charisma existed. Mao's authority was enhanced not only by the overall performance of the new regime but also by his specific policy initiatives. The post-Mao situation created authority problems within the top elite in a different sense. For this elite there were few real questions about the legitimacy of the regime of which they were the main beneficiaries.
