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Political Legitimacy in Historical Political Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Avner Greif

    (Stanford University)

  • Jared Rubin

    (Chapman University)

Abstract

Political legitimacy has long been recognized in the social sciences as an integral component of governance. It encourages obedience without the threat of force, thus lowering governing costs and improving the efficacy of policies. This chapter begins by overviewing the extensive literature on political legitimacy, classifying studies by whether they are based on the beliefs (regarding the legitimacy of the authority) or effectiveness (good governance is legitimate governance). Among the studies focusing on beliefs, most take legitimacy as an exogenous element of political authority. We develop a conceptual framework to study how beliefs regarding political legitimacy form endogenously and impact political power, institutions, and policies. We conclude with numerous examples from historical political economy that reveal the usefulness of this framework.

Suggested Citation

  • Avner Greif & Jared Rubin, 2022. "Political Legitimacy in Historical Political Economy," Working Papers 22-08, Chapman University, Economic Science Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:chu:wpaper:22-08
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    File URL: https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/esi_working_papers/369/
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    political legitimacy; beliefs; endogenous legitimacy; legitimacy principle;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B15 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought through 1925 - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • N30 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N40 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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