Conceptualising hegemonic legitimacy

What is international legitimacy and whence does it stem? What entities seek it andwhy, and who grants or withholds it? How might the different meanings of the concept bereconciled? This article argues that Family Resemblance Concept (FRC) methods areparticularly well-suited to explicating the complex meanings associated with this multidimensionalconcept. We start with a basic level definition based on subjective perceptions andbeliefs, the normative quality of oughtness, and the idea of consent. We then expand thisdefinition by developing several secondary-level dimensions: shared values, constitutionalism(consisting of two forms of process legitimacy), and outcome legitimacy. At the indicator level,we examine 14 different survey questions asked in international public opinion polls to providea tentative empirical glimpse of how our FRC version of legitimacy could be operationalisedand tested. The paper concludes with a discussion of the usefulness of the FRC scheme inimposing some order on the legitimacy concept and in illuminating the recent legitimacyproblems afflicting the United States