Political authority

Political authority is the claimed right to make binding decisions for a political community. It differs from mere power by asserting a right to rule and an obligation to obey.

Political legitimacy: Political legitimacy is the justified right of a government or institution to rule. Legitimacy supplies the justification that political authority claims.
State: A state is a political organization that governs a population within a defined territory through institutions and laws. States institutionalize authority over populations and territories.
Political power: Political power is the capacity to shape collective decisions, conduct, or outcomes within a political community. Power describes the ability to secure compliance; authority additionally claims a right to rule.
Thomas Hobbes: Thomas Hobbes was a seventeenth-century English philosopher whose political theory defended a powerful sovereign as a remedy for insecurity. Hobbes argues that authorization of a sovereign secures peace and makes political rule possible.
Legitimacy crisis: A legitimacy crisis occurs when a government or institution loses broad acceptance of its right to rule. When authority's justification collapses, compliance and institutional stability can weaken.
Consent of the governed: Consent of the governed is the principle that legitimate government depends on the agreement of those subject to it. Consent explains authority as arising from the governed rather than imposed upon them.
Constitution: A constitution is a system of fundamental laws and principles that establishes and limits political institutions. Constitutions assign powers and define procedures through which authority may be exercised.
Coercion: Coercion is the use or threat of force or penalties to constrain another person's choices. Coercion can produce compliance without establishing a justified right to command.
John Locke: John Locke was a seventeenth-century English philosopher whose political theory grounded government in natural rights and consent. Locke makes consent conditional on government protecting rights and permits resistance to tyranny.
Revolution: A revolution is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a political order, often involving mass mobilization or violence. Revolutionary movements contest existing authority and may establish a new source of rule.

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