Authority Must Be Legitimate to Be Effective

The effectiveness of authority is fundamentally tied to its perceived legitimacy, which hinges on fairness, respect, and inclusion. When people believe that rules are applied justly and they have a voice, they are more likely to comply. Conversely, the overuse or misuse of power breeds resistance. Gladwell illustrates this with the British army's failure in Northern Ireland and the success of Captain Jaffe's J-RIP program. "When the law is applied in the absence of legitimacy, it does not produce obedience. It produces the opposite." Authority figures must behave in ways that earn respect to maintain order and cooperation.