2 Authority, Legitimacy, and Compliance Online Quiz Questions

A government can enforce a law, but citizens dispute whether it has a justified right to impose that law. Which statement best distinguishes power from authority in this situation?

True or false: If most people believe a government has the right to rule, that establishes descriptive legitimacy but does not, by itself, establish normative legitimacy.

A successor takes over an official role and exercises the same powers by following the same established rules. What type of authority best describes the basis for those powers?

A monarch succeeds to the throne according to a long-standing custom, and the public accepts the succession because it follows that custom. Which Weberian ideal type best describes the basis of acceptance?

A taxpayer pays because they fear penalties and expect public services to continue, but says they are unsure whether the government has a right to impose the tax. Select all motives for compliance that the situation supports.

Researchers ask whether residents believe their city council has the right to make binding decisions. Which kind of legitimacy are they measuring?

True or false: Observing that people follow a government directive is enough to establish that they believe the government has a right to issue it.

Select all statements that correctly describe legal-rational authority.

A government reliably gets people to follow its decisions, and most residents regard its rule as rightful. The available evidence says nothing about whether its decisions protect rights or follow fair procedures. Which assessment best fits these facts?

Residents continue to follow most government rules but believe that one new order unfairly restricts their rights. Explain why their compliance does not prove that they regard the government as rightful, how their view of this order can differ from their view of the whole political system, and how they could challenge the order.

A movement’s followers accept its leader’s directives because they believe the leader has exceptional qualities and a special mission. The movement has no established customary succession or impersonal office-based rules. Which Weberian ideal type best describes its authority?

A government can enforce a directive, but this fact alone does not establish that it has a justified right to issue it. What does the government's ability to enforce the directive demonstrate?

True or false: Disagreeing with one government policy necessarily means rejecting the authority of the whole political system.

Most people in a country believe their government has the right to rule, but the government violates basic rights. Which conclusion best follows from the distinction between descriptive and normative legitimacy?

A community accepts a monarch's right to rule because the position follows a long-established customary succession. What type of authority is this?

A resident pays a tax because they want public services to continue and also want to avoid a fine. Which interpretation best fits these reasons for compliance?

Which concept asks whether an institution or leader is actually justified in exercising political power?

An elected official leaves office, and a successor exercises the same powers by following the same constitutional rules. Which explanation best identifies the basis of this authority?