Which form of authority rests on rationally established rules and aims to adjust means to ends?

Which form of authority rests on rationally established rules and aims to adjust means to ends?

• A. Power
• B. Democracy
• C. Legal-Rational
• D. Totalitarianism

Answer: (C)

Authority that relies on formal, legally established rules and official positions is rational-legal authority. Its legitimacy comes from the office and the system of laws that define how that office operates, not from personal charm, tradition, or force. Officials must follow impersonal rules and standardized procedures, using rational calculations to achieve stated ends. This setup makes decisions predictable and based on objective criteria, since actions flow from the legal framework that governs the office. In contrast, power is a broader idea of influence that can operate outside any rule-based system; democracy is about governance with participation and consent, while totalitarianism centers on coercive control and ideology rather than rule-bound administration.

Authority that relies on formal, legally established rules and official positions is rational-legal authority. Its legitimacy comes from the office and the system of laws that define how that office operates, not from personal charm, tradition, or force. Officials must follow impersonal rules and standardized procedures, using rational calculations to achieve stated ends. This setup makes decisions predictable and based on objective criteria, since actions flow from the legal framework that governs the office. In contrast, power is a broader idea of influence that can operate outside any rule-based system; democracy is about governance with participation and consent, while totalitarianism centers on coercive control and ideology rather than rule-bound administration.