Question

A common source of knowledge is _____, a socially accepted source of information that includes "experts," parents, government officials, police, judges, and religious leaders.

Answer 1

Authority

Step-by-step explanation:

In this case, an authority is an official source of information which is recognized or confirmed by experts, government and the rest of the public(family,police etc). In other words these groups possess somewhat solid impact on information as they hold validation concerning information sources. Authority in this respect could also mean that one is recognized by important groups for a particular kind of information.