What does illegitimate mean in government?
In the context of the U.S. government, illegitimate is a legal term of art. It means that the government has been established without following the rules laid out in its governing document, the Constitution. In other words, the U.S. government is “illegitimate” if it was not created by the Constitution’s process.
What does illegitimate mean in a presidential election?
An illegitimate presidential election is one in which the winner did not actually win the popular vote. To determine the legitimacy of a presidential election, each state determines its own method for tallying its votes. Some states use a winner-take-all system that awards all electoral college votes to the winner of the popular vote in that state. Other states use an Electoral College system.
What does illegitimately mean in a government?
An illegitimate government is one that does not have a legitimate right to exist. In the United States, a legitimate government is one formed by an election, and one that follows the constitution. A government can also be illegitimate if it has a leader that is not legally authorized to lead. Such an illegitimate government is referred to as an illegal government.
What does illegitimately mean in a presidential system?
In a presidential system, the president is the head of state and head of government. He or she is chosen by the people through free and fair elections and is responsible for the administration of the state. Normally, in order to be eligible for the post of the president, one must be a citizen of the country.
What does illegitimately mean in science?
In the field of the natural sciences, “illegitimate” refers to ideas or studies that are based on assumptions rather than sound evidence. For example, many of the long-cherished beliefs about the origins of the universe were based on medieval cosmologies that had little to do with the data of the time. As investigative techniques became more sophisticated, however, these ideas were largely discredited.
