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Political Legitimacy, Authoritarianism, and Climate Change

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2021

ROSS MITTIGA Open the ORCID record for ROSS MITTIGA [Opens in a new window]
ROSS MITTIGA*
Affiliation:
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
*
Ross Mittiga, Assistant Professor, Instituto de Ciencia Política, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile, ross.mittiga@uc.cl.
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Abstract

Is authoritarian power ever legitimate? The contemporary political theory literature—which largely conceptualizes legitimacy in terms of democracy or basic rights—would seem to suggest not. I argue, however, that there exists another, overlooked aspect of legitimacy concerning a government’s ability to ensure safety and security. While, under normal conditions, maintaining democracy and rights is typically compatible with guaranteeing safety, in emergency situations, conflicts between these two aspects of legitimacy can and often do arise. A salient example of this is the COVID-19 pandemic, during which severe limitations on free movement and association have become legitimate techniques of government. Climate change poses an even graver threat to public safety. Consequently, I argue, legitimacy may require a similarly authoritarian approach. While unsettling, this suggests the political importance of climate action. For if we wish to avoid legitimating authoritarian power, we must act to prevent crises from arising that can only be resolved by such means.

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Type
Research Article
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American Political Science Review , Volume 116 , Issue 3 , August 2022 , pp. 998 - 1011
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Political Science Association

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