Popular perceptions of a state's legitimacy are inextricably
bound to its ability to rule. Vast military and material reserves
cannot counter the power of a citizen's belief, and the more
widespread the crisis of a state's legitimacy, the greater the
threat to its stability. Even such established democracies as
France and India are losing their moral claims over society, while
such highly illiberal states as China and Iran enjoy strong
showings of public support.
Through a remarkable fusion of empirical research and theory,
Bruce Gilley makes clear the link between political consent and
political rule. Fixing a definition of legitimacy that is both
general and particular, he is able to study the role of legitimacy
as it has been maintained and lost in a diverse selection of
societies. He begins by detailing the origins of state legitimacy
and the methods governments have used to wield it best. He then
considers the habits of less successful states, exploring how the
process works across different styles of government.
Gilley's unique approach merges a broad study of legitimacy and
performance in seventy-two states with a detailed empirical
analysis of the mechanisms of legitimation. The results are tested
on a case study of Uganda, a country that, after 1986, began to
recover from decades of civil war. Considering a range of
explanations of other domestic and international phenomena as well,
Gilley ultimately argues that, because of its evident real-world
importance, legitimacy should occupy a central place in political
analysis.
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