Legitimacy

"John LOLcke," a wig-wearing 17th-century neckbeard who thought that peasants actually had opinions worth listening to. He came up with the crackpot idea of "consent of the governed," which basically means "the government shouldn't treat you like trash without asking first." This totally wild concept laid the groundwork for modern democracy, which is now ignored by most politicians anyway.

Legitimacy (n.): The mystical fairy dust that governments sprinkle over themselves to convince the peasants that their taxation, oppression, and general nonsense is somehow justified. Legitimacy is basically when the biggest gang in a region convinces everyone that they’re the good guys simply because they have fancier titles, shinier suits, and occasionally hold rigged popularity contests (also known as elections) to make the whole thing look official.

Political Legitimacy

In politics, legitimacy is when a bunch of people with bad haircuts and ties decide they have the divine right to tell you what to do because they read a fancy piece of paper out loud in a big room. In ancient China, this was called the Mandate of Heaven, which meant that as long as the emperor wasn’t struck by lightning or overthrown by a peasant revolt, he was obviously appointed by the gods. Modern legitimacy is more complicated, mostly involving corrupt lobbyists, media mouthpieces, and the occasional coup d’état disguised as a democratic transition.

Moral Legitimacy

When people voluntarily accept the societal LARP that those in charge actually have a moral right to boss them around. Basically, if enough people agree that a rich guy in a suit is allowed to ruin their lives through "legal channels", it somehow makes it okay. Philosophers like John Locke argued that government only has legitimacy if the people consent—an idea that’s about as realistic as a unicorn running for office. Meanwhile, thinkers like Robert A. Dahl described legitimacy as a metaphorical reservoir, which makes sense considering how most modern governments are drowning in BS.

TL;DR

Legitimacy is the pretend hall pass governments wave around to avoid getting wedgied by the mob. As long as people buy into the cosplay of authority, the whole charade continues. If they stop believing, it’s only a matter of time before the pitchforks and torches come out.