A problem with "legitimacy" that this work, according to Steffek, clearly emphasises is that the term is used both prescriptively and descriptively. From the prescriptive point of view social scientists should be able to suggest when governance deserves to be described as legitimate. From the descriptive point of view social scientists should be able to suggest why those subjected to governance agree to accept and support, or reject, it. As for the first project, there is a well-established strand of normative research that discusses a prescriptive version of legitimacy.Jens Steffek, "The Legitimation of International Governance: A Discourse Approach", European Journal of International Relations, 2003; 9; p 249
