Legitimacy and Authority in Global Governance
Summary
Legitimacy and authority form the twin pillars that underpin effective global governance. Legitimacy refers to the perception among states, non-state actors and wider publics that institutions and rules are appropriate, just and deserving of compliance. Authority denotes the formal and informal powers vested in global bodies to set norms, adjudicate disputes and coordinate collective action. In an increasingly interconnected world, the legitimacy of institutions such as the United Nations, international financial institutions and multistakeholder arrangements shapes their capacity to address transnational challenges—from climate change to cyber‐security. Scholars debate whether procedural fairness, performance outcomes or normative alignment drive legitimacy, and how authority is exercised in contexts of sovereign equality and power imbalances. Recent work highlights the role of civil society, elite communication and institutional design in sustaining both legitimacy and authority across diverse issue areas.
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Legitimacy and Authority in Global Governance publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in legitimacy and authority in global governance across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Legitimacy: The belief that an institution’s authority, procedures and actions are appropriate, just and entitled to obedience.
Authority: The recognised power or right of an institution to make decisions, enforce rules and coordinate collective action in global affairs.
Multistakeholderism: A governance model that brings together states, civil society, private sector and technical experts in decision-making processes.
Accountability mechanism: Procedures and tools—such as redress systems or transparency requirements—that allow stakeholders to hold institutions answerable for their actions.
Transnational civil society networks: Webs of non-governmental organisations operating across borders to influence policies and institutional behaviour.
References
- Making Global Governance Accountable: Civil Society, States, and the Politics of Reform. American Journal of Political Science (2023).
- Institutional sources of legitimacy in multistakeholder global governance at ICANN. Regulation & Governance (2023).
- Public support for withdrawal from international organizations: Experimental evidence from the US. The Review of International Organizations (2024).
- Elite Communication and the Popular Legitimacy of International Organizations. British Journal of Political Science (2020).
- Institutional sources of legitimacy for international organisations: Beyond procedure versus performance. Review of International Studies (2019).
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