Sources of state legitimacy in contemporary South Africa: a theory of political goods

The question of the sources of state legitimacy is particularly pertinent in emerging democracies where trust in institutions is often shallow and the authority of the state remains contested. The current paper suggests that those who rate the state positively in providing personal security, political rights and a rule of law, are to be more likely to see the state as legitimate.

The author tests his theory in the context of South Africa, using 2008 Afrobarometer data. Consequently, he finds strong support for his argument, thus indicating that the provision of political goods is a key determinant of legitimacy attitudes.

Based on the results, the document concludes that:

• in order for the state to secure the willing obedience of its citizenry, it must demonstrates its commitment to “listening to” and “furthering the” public interest
• leaders’ failure to submit themselves to the law shall likely have negative implications for the state in South Africa
• it is possible that citizens may evaluate the state through different lenses, but more research is needed to determine whether popular support for the state have different origins
• similarly, it will be interesting to see if the private institutions can help to fill the gaps in the delivery of political goods, and the potential impact of this on state legitimacy perceptions