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The structural ability of an institution to exercise judgment under pressure without displacement of decision authority by external or anticipatory constraints. A finite, exhaustible institutional resource that is preserved by insulation, stabilised by capitalisation, and depleted by repeated unbuffered exposure to pressure. Distinct from legitimacy (public belief), governance (procedural design), competence, and intent.
A court can rule against powerful interests because judicial appointments, protected budgets, and procedural autonomy provide sufficient authority capacity. A university often cannot because discretionary funding, reputational volatility, and open stakeholder claims deplete capacity faster than it regenerates.
ACIJ Section 2.3