When institutions fail the normal justification threshold—as CDC messaging failures during COVID-19 illustrate—their claim to authority collapses into bare power, not legitimate command.

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Bare power(as used in political philosophy): The ability to force someone to do something just because you're stronger or have more resources, with no real justification or moral right behind it.
Justification threshold(as used in political philosophy and epistemology): A minimum standard that something needs to meet to be considered reasonable or acceptable. In this case, it's the bar that institutions need to clear to prove they deserve people's trust and obedience.
Legitimate(in epistemology): Accepted as valid or justified according to the standards and rules of a particular field or time period.
authority(as another method a physician might use to ensure patients comply with treatment): The power or right to make decisions and have others follow them, based on expertise or position. A doctor has authority because of their medical knowledge.

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