Religion and Legitimacy

Abstract

Legitimacy is an important aspect of international relations and few would deny that religion is an excellent source of legitimacy. Legitimacy can be described as “the normative belief by an actor that a rule or institution ought to be obeyed” (Hurd, 1999: 381). In other words, to convince another that your cause is legitimate, is to convince him that you are morally correct and he should support your cause or at least not oppose it. Thus, legitimacy can be a powerful asset to foreign-policy makers that can be directed at several audiences. It can be used to convince policy makers from other states. It can be used to undermine policy makers from other states who oppose you by convincing the populations of their states that you are correct. It can also help to mobilize support for policies within your own state, both among the population and other policy makers. It is also an important element of the stability of the international system. Other important elements of international stability include a balance of power and acceptance of the norms and structure of the international system (Kissinger, 1957).