legitimatorische

Legitimatorische is an adjective used in German to describe things that pertain to legitimization—the process or result of making something appear valid, rightful, or accepted within a social, political, or legal context. The term is commonly applied to discourses, practices, institutions, and other phenomena that aim to confer or reinforce legitimacy on authorities, norms, or rules.

In political science and sociology, legitimatorische elements include formal mechanisms such as constitutions, elections, the rule of law, and formal accountability, as well as informal factors like cultural norms, moral authority, and trusted leadership. These elements can function separately or together to stabilize power, align public perception with authority, and sustain compliance.

Scholars distinguish various modalities of legitimacy that legitimatorische features may support: input legitimacy (the participation and inclusion of citizens in decision-making), throughput legitimacy (the fairness and efficiency of processes), and output legitimacy (the effectiveness and beneficial outcomes of policies). Analyzing legitimatorische strategies involves examining how narratives, rituals, institutions, and performative acts contribute to the perception that power or rules are rightful.

Etymology and usage: the term derives from Legitimierung (legitimization) with the adjectival suffix -torisch, and is often found in phrases such as legitimatorische Narrative, legitimatorische Rituale, or legitimatorische Diskurse. It is used across political science, sociology, and organizational studies to describe factors that bolster the perceived legitimacy of actors and structures.