Argumentum ad verecundiam

Argumentum ad verecundiam is appeal to authority. In a democracy, it can sometimes be related to argumentum ad populum, since democratically-elected political leaders are chosen by electoral majorities and repeat the views they believe the public already agrees with. To cite Barack Obama as a source of legitimate opinions due to his position, for example, is not much different than to say that the millions of Americans who voted for him are probably correct in their views due to their sheer numbers.