Concepedia

Concept

authority

Parents

241

Publications

16.5K

Citations

336

Authors

146

Institutions

About

Authority is a central concept in social, political, and epistemic studies investigating the legitimate exercise of power, influence, or expertise. It examines the processes by which individuals, institutions, or knowledge sources gain and maintain recognized standing that elicits voluntary or habitual compliance and shapes beliefs or actions. Key characteristics include its basis in legitimacy (derived from formal rules, tradition, charisma, or specialized knowledge) and its distinction from mere coercion. Understanding authority is fundamental to analyzing governance structures, social hierarchies, organizational behavior, the production and dissemination of knowledge, and the dynamics of social order and change.

Top Authors

Rankings shown are based on concept H-Index.

HJ

London School of Economics and Political Science

SM

The Graduate Center, CUNY

EE

The University of Adelaide

KR

University of South Australia

KR

Australian Institute of Business

Top Institutions

Rankings shown are based on concept H-Index.

Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv, Israel

Arizona State University

Tempe, United States

The University of Adelaide

Adelaide, Australia

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom