Exploring the Function of Legitimacy. Mediating Effects of Personal and Institutional Legitimacy on Leadership Endorsement and System Support

Kenneth Rasinski, Tom R. Tyler, Kim Fridkin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

We conducted two surveys to test different predictions made by French and Raven (1959) and Hollander and Julian (1978) about the effect of political legitimacy on political evaluations. Results of both surveys supported the distinction between two sources of legitimacy, personal and institutional, suggested by these theories of legitimacy. In addition, the results suggested that each source had a different effect on policy satisfaction, evaluations of political officials, and support for the system of government. The surveys suggested strongly that personal legitimacy resulted in greater performance-based evaluations of specific government policies and (to a lesser extent) government officials, whereas institutional legitimacy led to a lessened tendency to translate performance-based grievances into political distrust.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)386-394
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology
Volume49
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1985
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science

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