Sociology / Unit 9 Soc 1489 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Rational-Legal Authority
Captions available
The idea
Rational-legal authority is legitimized by written rules and laws, vested in an office rather than in whoever currently holds it.
In practice
A constitution's authority transfers cleanly from one elected officeholder to the next, because the rules — not the person — carry the legitimacy.
Where people slip
Few leaders embody one type purely; a leader can hold rational-legal office while also drawing on personal charisma.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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