Claims to Authority POLS 110

Claims to Authority Nov.20
Tuesday, November 20, 2018 3:28 PM



Claims to Authority
Deity and Inherited
• The oldest claim to authority is from a deity
• This continues today even though we no longer believe in this source of her authority
• The true claim to authority behind queens Elizabeth's is inherited
• Former births colonies = realms
• Inherited political authority
○ Prevents conflict from competing claims to authority
• Corporation sole
• Inherited is one of the oldest claims to authority
Familial
• Authority can be claimed through family links
Personal
• Personality and skill sets lead an individual to be able to claim authority
• Leadership
○ The ability to generate followership
○ The ability to convince others to follow you
• Other attributes: age, gender, class, wealth race
○ Ex. NDP "Justin Trudeau is too young to run Canada?"
• "Charisma"
○ Attractive personality
○ A person that attracts obedience
○ Revisit slide on leadership and followership (from beginning of the year)
○ Wide and deep support




○ Jonestown, Guyana 1978
▪ massacre
▪ Reverent Jim jones
▪ Church attracted IRS attention
▪ Commune set up in Guyana
▪ Complaints of abuse (physical, sexual)
▪ Congressman Leo Ryan
▪ Shootout between Jim Jones security detail and Ryan's possy
▪ Ordered murder of kids with kool aid and then suicide
▪ 911 deaths
▪ Many followers tried to escape
Legal Claims to Authority
• Being appointed to a position
• Legal authority without achievement leads to lack of legitimacy