ABSTRACT
Given this, legitimacy is essentially located in the mind and in collective beliefs. It is based on what people think. If citizens think a government is legitimate, then it is. That is why it is such a powerful tool for rulers. If people consider a government, leader, policy, or institution legitimate, they will choose to follow it. This reduces the resources governments must invest in enforcement and perhaps repression. Put differently, legitimacy is perhaps the most powerful, efficient, and inexpensive method for a government to maintain order and compliance.
