Legal Domination By: Jermaine Dimayacyac Legal Domination, the third system of domination, according to Weber, is the more

developed traditional authority. It is characterized by legal authority whereby its legitimacy rests on rational grounds and on the belief in the inherent legality of the enacted rules. The right to issue commands and form a system of legitimate authority rests on the hands of those who have been elevated to political authority under the rule of law. His authority rests in a system of rationally determined judicial rules and principles that are derived from a developed system of law and from a duly constituted legal order. The key characteristic of this type of domination is that the officials in power are themselves subject to laws and must orient their action to an impersonal order of legal rules in their disposition of commands. Moreover, the compliance is owed to the issuing commands on the basis of principles of law and not to the personal authority, or the charisma, of the ruler. The individuals owe their obedience to an impersonal legal order and not to the authority of the ruler. Thus, this type of domination becomes impersonal and legalistic. The individuals pursue their interests within limits established by legal precepts and follow norms approved by the group governing them. They comply only in their capacity as members of society and the authority which they obey resides not in the person of the leader, but in the framework of legal rules themselves To further understand the differences among the three types of domination, below is a table which provides the said differences. Characteristic Type of ruler Position determined by Ruled using Legitimized Charismatic Charismatic leader Having a dynamic personality Extraordinary qualities and Traditional Dominant personality Established tradition or routine Acquired or inherited (hereditary) qualities Legal-Rational Functional superiors or bureaucratic officials Legally established authority Virtue of rationally established norms, decrees, and other rules and regulations General belief in the formal correctness of these rules and those who enact them are considered a legitimized

exceptional powers Victories and Established tradition or success to community routine

authority Interpersonal & Loyalty personal allegiance and devotion Emotionally unstable and volatile Rulers and followers (disciples) Based on traditional allegiances Feeling of common purpose Established forms of social conduct To authority / rules

Cohesion Leadership

Abiding by rules Rules, not rulers

Source: Ken Morrison, Formations of Modern Social Thought (2006). Wikipedia, Tripartite classification of authority, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripartite_classification_of_authority.