Constitutive Dimensions of Political Legitimacy and Their Relationship with Beliefs about Democracy in Peru: An Exploratory Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62174/psocial.9576Keywords:
Democracia, Legitimindad Política, Institucionalidad, Ciudadanía, Convivencia ÉticaAbstract
Life in a democracy presents the challenge of reconciling particular interests with collective needs. Political legitimacy offers a framework to study this dilemma by assessing the effectiveness of authorities and norms in addressing such conflicts. Although definitions of legitimacy are debated, it is commonly characterized by voluntary obedience to pre-existing agreements and authorities within a social system, encompassing dimensions such as the obligation to obey, trust in authorities, and normative alignment. Empirical research suggests that a social system is legitimate when power is ethically exercised, framing legitimacy as a positive attribute in democratic systems. This qualitative study explores the constitutive dimensions of political legitimacy through inductive thematic analysis of data collected from in-depth interviews conducted with 16 Peruvian adults of both sexes. Results indicate a weakening of political legitimacy linked to democratic shortcomings and fragility in the political order. Four constitutive dimensions of legitimacy were identified: (1) system of government, (2) institutional functioning, (3) citizen empowerment, and (4) ethical coexistence. The study concludes that voluntary adherence to a system indicates support for a legitimate regime only if the system guarantees proper institutional functioning, builds a public agenda safeguarding the common good, and integrates citizen participation in political decision-making processes.
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