Which authority is based on competence?

Which authority is based on competence?

• A. Rational
• B. Charismatic
• C. Traditional
• D. Coercive

Answer: (A)

This question tests Weber’s typology of authority, focusing on rational-legal authority. This form rests on competence and formal rules: legitimacy comes from the office and the system, not from the personal charm of a leader. Decisions are made according to written laws, procedures, and standardized qualifications, so authority flows from the role and its established criteria rather than from an individual’s personality. That combination of impersonal rules and expert- or rule-based legitimacy is what ties this type of authority to competence. Charismatic authority hinges on a leader’s personal charm and extraordinary qualities; traditional authority rests on long-standing customs and inherited status; coercive authority relies on power or threats. Hence, the authority grounded in competence is rational-legal authority.

This question tests Weber’s typology of authority, focusing on rational-legal authority. This form rests on competence and formal rules: legitimacy comes from the office and the system, not from the personal charm of a leader. Decisions are made according to written laws, procedures, and standardized qualifications, so authority flows from the role and its established criteria rather than from an individual’s personality. That combination of impersonal rules and expert- or rule-based legitimacy is what ties this type of authority to competence.

Charismatic authority hinges on a leader’s personal charm and extraordinary qualities; traditional authority rests on long-standing customs and inherited status; coercive authority relies on power or threats. Hence, the authority grounded in competence is rational-legal authority.