Legitimacy

Once a social group succeeds in turning a condition or behavior into a social problem, it usually tries to persuade

the government (local, state, and/or federal) to take some action—spending and policymaking—to address

the problem. As part of this effort, it tries to convince the government that its claims about the problem are

legitimate—that they make sense and are supported by empirical (research-based) evidence. To the extent that

the group succeeds in convincing the government of the legitimacy of its claims, government action is that much

more likely to occur.