How power is legalised?

Answer 1

Typically, legitimacy is explained in terms of the way authority arises, and, in classical state theory comes in three flavors - charismatic authority (where the leader imposes himself through his/her personal image and personal power of persuasion, as in most dictatorships), traditional authority (where the leader is established on tradition, typically through heredity, such as in a trybe) and rational/legalistic authority (where legitimacy derives from rules and norms, agreed by the people through such a mechanism called a social contract such as in a democracy). For more details, read Max Weber's definitions and explanations on power and how it is structured.