What is 'authority'?

What is 'authority'?

• A. Legal authority
• B. Economic power
• C. Coercive control
• D. Influence without force

Answer: (D)

Authority is the legitimate right to command and expect obedience, based on acceptance and legitimacy rather than force. When people comply because they view the source as rightful or proper, that’s influence without force. In criminal justice history, authority comes from established institutions and norms—the police, courts, and corrections—whose power is recognized as rightful by the public. This distinguishes authority from coercion, which relies on threats or violence, and from economic power, which depends on control of resources rather than recognized legitimacy. Legal authority is one formal way authority is exercised, but the core idea is about guiding behavior through legitimacy and voluntary compliance.

Authority is the legitimate right to command and expect obedience, based on acceptance and legitimacy rather than force. When people comply because they view the source as rightful or proper, that’s influence without force. In criminal justice history, authority comes from established institutions and norms—the police, courts, and corrections—whose power is recognized as rightful by the public. This distinguishes authority from coercion, which relies on threats or violence, and from economic power, which depends on control of resources rather than recognized legitimacy. Legal authority is one formal way authority is exercised, but the core idea is about guiding behavior through legitimacy and voluntary compliance.