
5
Chapter 1
The Legitimacy Question
e question at hand addresses the problem of legitimacy within the political order,
meaning legitimate political authority or the rightful empowerment of various gov-
ernance actors to decide and to act. As a starting point, the U.S. Constitution calls
for a separation of powers in which the executive branch and its administrative
organizations are limited in regard to legislative and judicial functions. Similarly,
citizens are limited to the franchise of surage, the right to petition the govern-
ment, and vague references to powers not reserved by the branches of government.
Because the Constitution does not ...