Tradition Reconstruction and Legitimacy Construction from the Perspective of Narrative Politics

Narrative politics focuses on the production of meaning in processes of political power and order change,with legitimacy construction constituting one of their most representative concerns.From the perspective of narrative politics,a legitimacy narrative must accomplish meaning construction in at least four dimensions:empirical credibility,normative justifiability,identity-based belonging,and temporal continuity.These four dimensions are mutually reinforcing,yet they also contain inherent conflicts and tensions.The construction of legitimacy by power holders almost inevitably involves tradition,because tradition enables power to acquire orthodoxy within narrative,provides identity with an affective foundation,and lends legitimacy tangible symbolic support.Based on the practical experience of tradition in legitimacy narratives,tradition reconstruction can be divided into three ideal types:citational,selective,and innovative.The practices of these three types suggest that tradition reconstruction is an important narrative strategy for power actors to prevent or address legitimacy crises.The interaction between tradition and legitimacy construction reveals the most significant process of meaning production in the political world,as well as the power competition and succession behind order change.