Legitimacy

=RUSSIAN LEGITIMACY = = =


** Legitimacy ** is the recognition of the right to govern. There are three types of Political Legitimacy: 1) **Traditional:** Legitimacy based on tradition.  2) **Charismatic:** Legitimacy based on the charisma of the leader or group of leaders. 3) **Rational-Legal:** Legitimacy based on a system of well established laws and procedures.  ** Tsarism:  **  -   Form of autocracy in which the Tsar holds absolute power   -   Official system of government in Russia from 1574 to 1721  ** Marxism-Leninism:  **  -   Expanded form of communism developed by Vladmir Lenin from the doctrines of Karl Marx   -   Provided Russian legitimacy under communist rule during the 20th Century  ** Democratic Centralism:  **  -   Central ideology of Leninism, the democratic aspect referring to what Lenin called “freedom of discussion” and the centralism being a “unity of action” that coincides with the majority decision    -   “Rule by a few for the benefit of many”  ** Stalinism:  **  -   The principles of communism associated with Joseph Stalin   -   Characterized by the suppression of dissident political or ideological views, the concentration of power in one person, and by aggressive international policy. ** Totalitarianism: ** -  Form of government in which the state controls all political and economic matters, as well the attitudes and beliefs of individuals within its population ** IS RUSSIA A LEGITIMATE COUNTRY? ** ** The current source of Russian Legitimacy is the Constitution of 1993. ** On December 12, 1993, the Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by national referendum. Of all registered voters, 54.8% participated, and of these, 54.5% voted to adopt the constitution. Although this Constitution is still relatively new, the fact that it was voted on in the form of direct democracy makes it a legitimate ruling document of Russia.
 * WHAT IS POLITICAL LEGITIMACY? **
 * IMPORTANT TERMS **

-LK