LAW AND ORDER. RESPECT FOR CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY

SS 1 CIVIC EDUCATION

3rd Term

LAW AND ORDER. RESPECT FOR CONSTITUTED AUTHORITY

Definition: Authority is a person’s power to influence others because they recognize his or her official position.

Types of authority

1. Constituted (Rational-legal) authority.
2. Traditional authority, which derives from long-established customs, habits and social structures.
3. Charismatic authority

Meaning of constituted authority: constituted authority may be defined as a lawful and constitutional power given to individual or groups to manage a particular place, town, local or state and federal government. The authority is vested in a person recognized by law to exercise such authority. In other words, the person has legal and constitutional powers.

Differences between charismatic authority and constituted authority

Whereas charismatic authority is derived from the charisma or personality of the leader, constituted authority is derived from the constitution (the law). This implies that in charismatic authority, people obey the leader just because they like him or her, not because they are legally obliged to do so. But in constituted authority, even if they don’t like the leader, they are obliged to obey him or her only because the law commands that obedience.

Types of constituted authority

1.       Parents in the family

2.       Teachers in the school

3.       Chairman of the local government

4.       Governor of the state

5.       President of the country

Importance of constituted authority to the public

1.       They maintain orderliness in the society

2.       They promote the growth and development of the country

3.       They give directive to the followers in the society

4.       They help to foster good relationship internally among members and externally with other nations of the world

5.       They provide jobs and social amenities to the citizenry

6.       They provide security of lives and properties in the country