legitimate government

1. A government generally acknowledged as being in control of a nation and deserving formal recognition, which is symbolized by the exchange of diplomats between that government and the governments of other countries.

Example Sentences

Following endorsements from QAnon leaders, she built up a band of followers, declared that she had overthrown the legitimate government of Canada, and said her claim to the "Queen of Canada" title is backed by secret, powerful US military interests.

From BBC

“Members of the public often have no way to confirm whether they are interacting with legitimate government officials,” Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif, said in a statement.

From Salon

“This is not the act of a legitimate government,” White wrote on BlueSky.

From Salon

And so, Roberts ruled, the court need only ask whether the health care ban is “rationally related to a legitimate government interest.”

From Slate

Under traditional rational basis review—the lowest, most permissive tier of judicial scrutiny—laws are upheld so long as they are “conceivably” related to a legitimate government interest.

From Slate