Final answer:
Jurisdiction is the right of a legal body to exercise authority within a certain territory, subject matter, or over individuals and institutions. It defines the limits within which courts and governments can exert their recognized powers, often legitimized by laws and regulations. Jurisdiction is central to understanding the reach and limitations of legal and governmental authority.
Step-by-step explanation:
The right of a legal body to exert authority over a given geographical territory, subject matter, or persons or institutions is defined as jurisdiction. This concept is central to understanding how legal and government authorities operate within their designated areas and pertain to certain subjects or individuals. For example, a court within its jurisdiction has the power to make legal judgments, and a government typically exercises its powers over individuals who live within its borders or are subject to its laws.
Conversely, authority is the recognized power that an entity holds in a specific realm, which in the context of governance, is legitimized by laws, rules, and regulations, also known as rational-legal authority. A government, as an institution, holds the authority to enact and enforce laws, and this is typically limited to the government's jurisdiction. Therefore, jurisdiction is very closely tied with the concept of authority, as it delineates the scope in which authority can be exercised.
Answer: b) Jurisdiction