Similarities Between France And North Korea
Legitimacy: France vs. North Korea
Political legitimacy describes how deserving a state is of its power in the eyes of the citizens. There are three types of legitimacy, two of which will be discussed in this paper: charismatic legitimacy and rational-legal legitimacy. Charismatic legitimacy can be defined as the “magnetic appeal of a [state’s] leader or movement” (O’Neil, Fields, and Share, 2015); in other words, how well the leader connects with and inspires the people. On the other hand, rational-legal legitimacy is based on “a system of laws and procedures that becomes highly institutionalized” (O’Neil et al., 2015). Countries that derive their power from a written constitution or code are an example of this. The two cases that will be …show more content…
While France’s rational-legal legitimacy comes from a codified document ensuring liberties and power for all citizens, North Korea’s legitimacy draws from its charismatic leaders, whose spoken word and political culture give them the right to rule, and no rights for the citizens. Clearly, this can result in a very flexible but fair regime in France, where those in power may not always be liked, but the constitution remains valid and proper. In contrast, North Korea ends up with a strict regime controlled by one person where in theory, the individual in power is always liked, but with a lack of consideration for the citizens, resentment can build underneath.
References
France. Assemblée nationale constituante (1789-1791). (1791). The French constitution, revised, amended, and finally decreed by the National Assembly. Presented to the King on the 3d, and accepted by him on the 13th of September, 1791. Philadelphia: Peter Stewart. Early American Imprints, Series 1, no. 23384. Lee, H. Y. (2013). North Korea in 2012. Asian Survey, 53(1), 176-183. doi:10.1525/as.2013.53.1.176
Oh, K., & Hassig, R. C. (2001). North Korea through the looking glass. Washington, DC: Brookings
Political legitimacy describes how deserving a state is of its power in the eyes of the citizens. There are three types of legitimacy, two of which will be discussed in this paper: charismatic legitimacy and rational-legal legitimacy. Charismatic legitimacy can be defined as the “magnetic appeal of a [state’s] leader or movement” (O’Neil, Fields, and Share, 2015); in other words, how well the leader connects with and inspires the people. On the other hand, rational-legal legitimacy is based on “a system of laws and procedures that becomes highly institutionalized” (O’Neil et al., 2015). Countries that derive their power from a written constitution or code are an example of this. The two cases that will be …show more content…
While France’s rational-legal legitimacy comes from a codified document ensuring liberties and power for all citizens, North Korea’s legitimacy draws from its charismatic leaders, whose spoken word and political culture give them the right to rule, and no rights for the citizens. Clearly, this can result in a very flexible but fair regime in France, where those in power may not always be liked, but the constitution remains valid and proper. In contrast, North Korea ends up with a strict regime controlled by one person where in theory, the individual in power is always liked, but with a lack of consideration for the citizens, resentment can build underneath.
References
France. Assemblée nationale constituante (1789-1791). (1791). The French constitution, revised, amended, and finally decreed by the National Assembly. Presented to the King on the 3d, and accepted by him on the 13th of September, 1791. Philadelphia: Peter Stewart. Early American Imprints, Series 1, no. 23384. Lee, H. Y. (2013). North Korea in 2012. Asian Survey, 53(1), 176-183. doi:10.1525/as.2013.53.1.176
Oh, K., & Hassig, R. C. (2001). North Korea through the looking glass. Washington, DC: Brookings