 German sociologist and philosopher Jürgen Habermas was the first to use the term "legitimation crisis," which he defined in "Legitimation Crisis", his 1973 book of the same name.A "legitimation crisis" is an identity crisis that results from a loss of confidence in administrative institutions, which occurs despite the fact that they still retain legal authority by which to govern.In a legitimation crisis, governing structures are unable to demonstrate that their practical functions fulfill the role for which they were instituted.