Lesson

The Political Leadership and

2 Configurations

Culture, society, and politics play important roles in the formation of good leaders
and political organizations. Political activities give much opportunities to political
leaders to exercise their power and authority over their constituents with compassion
and justice. The concepts of authority and legitimacy highlight the political structures
or organizations in this lesson.

This lesson will help you understand the different features of politics and the
motivation of political dynasties and personality-oriented politics in certain societies.
Significantly, learners will critically analyze the emergence of bands, tribes, and
chiefdoms, to the establishment of modern nation-states.

Political Organizations and Leadership Configurations Anthropologists define

political organizations as entities that are involved in the political processes. They
include political institution, political parties, and political groups. Political
organizations are involved in political actions intended at attaining the definite
political goals. Political organization is beneficial to the welfare of its members.

Political Theories of State Function

• Anarchy – the state is fundamentally a mechanism of supremacy and suppression, by
whoever is in control. It supported self-governed societies established on
controlled institutions. Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher, in his
manuscript, “Anthropology from a Pragmatic Point of View” treated anarchy as
“law and freedom without force.” This idea was prevalent in the United States in
the 1950s when classical liberals called themselves as libertarians which is
synonymous to anarchism.
• Classless Society – every member of the state has an equal opportunity to have an
access to everything. This is a society in which no one is born into a social
class and such differences of wealth, income, education, culture, or social system
is determined by the individual’s involvement and attainment in that society.
The proponent of this theory was Karl Marx, a German philosopher, economist,
and political thinker, who was usually portrayed as the “Father of Twentieth-
Century Communism” (Beck, 2007).
• Pluralism – is a political philosophy that views society as a group of individuals
competing for political power. Pluralists view the state as a central body that
enacts the will of any group dominating the electoral process. The United
States is a concrete example of a pluralist society where people in societies
shared common things and tolerate differences within the bounds of the law.
Authority and Legitimacy of the Leaders
According to the concept of political science, an authority is a person or body that
has the power to control a political or administrative sphere. For someone to
maintain authority, he/she has the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and
impose obedience. On the other hand, authority is a specific position in a recognized
government that has legitimate right and jurisdiction to exercise power in society.

Three Types of Authority According to Max Weber

1. Traditional Authority – comes from recognized customs, practices, and social
configurations. This is the passing of customary law from one generation to
another from which legitimacy of the authority comes from tradition.
2. Charismatic Authority – the charisma or personal qualities of an individual plays
an important role in establishing authority. The leader is perceived to have
exceptional benevolent and charismatic power that inspires obedience and
loyalty from followers. The legal orders and authority are prescribed by laws
and orders of the duly constituted institutions.
3. Rational Authority – has its legitimate power in accordance with the formal rules
and recognized laws of the government. This is an authority where the rational-
legal power of the state is written and mentioned in the constitution.

The Legitimacy of the Government

According to John Locke, legitimacy is derived from collective, definite, and fixed
contract of the government where the right and recognition of authority is attained
in a hierarchical order. This is a reasonable recognition of the rights and powers of
the government where its sphere of influence is ruled by a duly constituted authority
(Ashcraft, 1991).
Forms of Government Legitimate Power
1. Output Legitimacy – the effectiveness of policy-making directly benefits the
majority of its constituents and the result of that legislative functions originate
from the people exercising that certain power or authority.
2. Input Legitimacy – the legitimate response to citizens’ actions where they actively
participate in the governance-process initiative as the result of common effort to
uplift the welfare of the people.
3. Actors of legitimacy – this happens in between input and output legitimacy in the
process of governance where its legitimate functions are duly recognized by
the majority of the people.
 Some of the Accepted Legitimate Governments
A government by the many where its legitimate
power resides on the majority and the duly elected
authority is accepted by democratic processes in
• Democracy governing and lawfully answerable to the people.
(United States of America, Democracy comes from the words demos which
Philippines) means people and kratia or kratos which means to
rule or govern. In the words of the American
President Abraham Lincoln, it is “a government by
the people, of the people, and for the people.”
A form of government where the legitimate power
• Monarchy and authority come from a monarch chosen within
(England, Belgium, Japan, the royal family. They may be called a king, queen,
Spain, The Netherlands) emperor, empress, tzar, or tzarina. Monarchy can be
absolute or limited.
The legitimate power of a communist state is derived
from winning a civil war, a revolution, or an election.
• Communism
It is a political theory advocated by Karl Marx who
(China, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam)
is known as the “Father of Communism.” He
promoted class war as this led to a society where all
property is publicly owned and an individual works
and is paid according to his
abilities and needs.
The legitimacy of political authority comes from
• Constitutionalism (United popular belief that the activities of the government
States of America, are reasonable and accepted by the people because
India) their rights and privileges are protected by the
written laws and guided by the fundamentals of the
constitution.