This document discusses the concepts of legitimacy, sovereignty, and authority. It defines legitimacy as both the legal right to govern but also the psychological right in people's minds. Legitimacy refers to whether a government's rule is viewed as rightful. Sovereignty originally referred to a monarch's power but now means national control over a country's territory. Authority is the ability of leaders to get others to obey based on their legitimate power. Where legitimacy is weak, sovereignty and authority are also likely to erode as people feel less obligation to obey the government.