\nPolitical legitimacy refers to the right and acceptance of an authority, usually a governing law or a regime. Common sources of political legitimacy include consent of the governed, tradition, charisma, and rational-legal authority (based on established laws and procedures).
\n– Consent (A): In democratic theory, the legitimacy of the government is derived from the consent of the people it governs. This is a primary source of legitimacy.
\n– Rational prudence (B): While prudent decision-making by a ruler or government might contribute to its effectiveness and public acceptance over time, “rational prudence” itself is not typically considered a fundamental *source* of political legitimacy in the way consent, tradition, or legal-rational rules are. It describes a quality of governance rather than the basis of the right to govern.
\n– Political will of the ruler (C): Legitimacy is distinct from mere power. A ruler exercising power solely based on their ‘political will’ without justification derived from consent, law, or tradition is often seen as arbitrary rule, lacking legitimacy. In fact, rule based purely on the ruler’s will is often contrasted with legitimate rule.
\n– Public reason (D): Associated with liberal political philosophy, public reason (where political decisions are justifiable to all citizens based on reasons they can reasonably accept) is considered a source of legitimacy for laws and policies in a democratic society.
\nComparing the options, the “political will of the ruler,” when considered as the *sole* basis for authority, is the least likely to be regarded as a source of legitimacy in political science, as it implies arbitrary power rather than justified authority.
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