Political trust in limit situations: from Weber to contemporary theories of legitimacy

Кондов, Костянтин Володимирович (2025) Political trust in limit situations: from Weber to contemporary theories of legitimacy Габітус. Науковий журнал з соціології та психології (78). pp. 9-14. ISSN 2663-5208, 2663-5216

Text K_Kondov_G_78_FSGN.pdf - Published Version Download (201kB)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the theoretical analysis of the transformation of political trust in limit situations such as wars, social crises, and existential threats to the social order. The work provides a critical review of classical and contemporary sociological concepts of political trust, starting from Weber's theory of legitimacy and ending with the latest approaches to analyzing trust in the context of global crises. The author demonstrates that limit situations create unique conditions for the transformation of mechanisms of political power legitimation, when traditional patterns of trust undergo radical changes. Special attention is paid to the analysis of how existential threats to society affect the relationship between rational and affective components of political trust. The article examines the theoretical mechanisms of formation and destruction of political trust in crisis conditions through the prism of Weber's typology of legitimate domination, Luhmann's and Giddens' concept of system trust, Putnam's and Fukuyama's theory of social capital, as well as Sztompka's contemporary research on political trust. The author argues that limit situations provoke a transition from rational-legal forms of legitimacy to charismatic ones, accompanied by the phenomenon of “rally around the flag”. At the same time, a prolonged stay of society in a state of crisis can lead to the erosion of trust and delegitimization of power. The theoretical analysis reveals the paradoxical nature of political trust in crisis conditions: on the one hand, limit situations can consolidate trust through the formation of collective identity and solidarity, on the other hand, they create grounds for its destruction through the discrepancy between expectations and real actions of the authorities. The study contributes to understanding the dynamics of political trust transformation under conditions of existential threats and provides a theoretical framework for further empirical research in this field.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	political trust; legitimacy; limit situations; Weber's theory; social capital; system trust; crisis; charismatic domination; rational-legal legitimacy
Subjects:	Статті у періодичних виданнях > Фахові (входять до переліку фахових, затверджений МОН)
Divisions:	Факультет суспільно-гуманітарних наук > Кафедра політології та соціології
Depositing User:	Костянтин Кондов
Date Deposited:	10 Mar 2026 16:03
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2026 16:03
URI:	https://elibrary.kubg.edu.ua/id/eprint/56602

Actions (login required)

View Item