ABSTRACT
Several Central American nations emerged from authoritarian rule during the late 20th century, joining Costa Rica in electoral rule under civilian-dominated governments (Booth et al. 2010). However, the establishment of democratic institutions is not synonymous with establishing the legitimacy of a government. In our book, The Legitimacy Puzzle in Latin America (Booth and Seligson 2009), we carried out an extensive analysis of how citizens come to accept their government’s right to rule, i.e. their legitimacy. We found that citizens evaluate governments and their constituent parts based in part on performance and that democracies vary widely in how well they govern. Legitimacy is a far deeper feeling than a mere evaluation of the incumbent president and his/her party. It is a feeling that tends to persist even in times of crisis (Easton 1975; Gilley 2009). We also found that over time governments can both win and lose legitimacy from the point of view of their citizens. When governments perform well over extended periods of time, they gain legitimacy, but when they fail to do so, they lose it. Most importantly, we found that legitimacy is linked to long-term democratic stability. When citizens view their political systems as illegitimate and many are dissatisfied, elites may engage in antidemocratic behaviour. Thus, we must inquire whether democratic governance is earning the trust and support of its citizens in Central America. How have views of government evolved in recent years?
