Final answer:
The president and a police officer hold positions of rational-legal authority, which is based on legitimate power derived from laws, rules, and regulations. This differs from charismatic authority, which relies on the personal appeal and qualities of an individual leader.
Step-by-step explanation:
The president and a police officer are examples of people who have positions of rational-legal authority. This form of authority is characterized by power that is made legitimate by laws, written rules, and regulations. In a system of rational-legal authority, the power is not vested in the individual per se, but rather in the rationale, system, or ideology that is established through a legal framework such as a constitution or official regulations.
For instance, a nation that follows a constitution, applying laws and regulated policies, functions under rational-legal authority. Similarly, police officers operate within the framework of the law, enforcing rules and regulations that derive their legitimacy from an accepted legal system.
Charismatic authority, in contrast, is based on an individual's appealing personal qualities and is therefore seen as less stable than rational-legal authority which relies on a structured and institutionalized system of governance.