Legitimacy

Legitimacy Back to Index

	Legitimacy refers to the perceived fairness of a dispute resolution process. For example, fair elections or litigation based on socially accepted laws are generally considered legitimate, as are the decisions that result from such processes. On the other hand, elections where voters are harassed or forced to vote a particular way are usually considered illegitimate, as are court decisions handed down by biased courts. Legitimacy of decision-making procedures is important, because illegitimate procedures almost always escalate conflicts, making their ultimate resolution more difficult.