Legal (rational) authority and charismatic (personal) authority.
Holding the office of President of the United States gives the office-holder specific legal authority as leader of the country, established by laws that have been put in place through rational processes of government. This is what sociologist Max Weber termed "rational-legal authority."
Charismatic authority (also described by Weber) points to the personal power of an individual to gain the support and cooperation of others, to get people to follow his leadership.
Weber also described a third type of authority, "traditional authority," where a person's style and personality aligns with traditions in society and thus is seen as someone who will maintain traditional values or policies.
