000			01652pab a2200169 454500
008			180718b2008 xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d
100			_aAndrews, Christina W.
245			_aLegitimacy and context: implications for public sector reform in developing countries
260			_c2008
300			_ap.171-80.
362			_aAug
520			_aThis article examines the interplay between legitimacy and context as key determinants of public sector reform outcomes. Despite the importance of variables such as legitimacy of public institutions, levels of civic morality and socio-economic realities, reform strategies often fail to take such contextual factors into account. The article examines, first, relevant literature - both conceptual and empirical, including data from the World Values Survey project. It is argued that developing countries have distinctive characteristics which require particular reform strategies. The data analysed shows that in Latin American countries, there is no clear correlation between confidence in public institutions and civic morality. Other empirical studies shows that unemployment has a negative impact on the level of civic morality, while inequality engenders corruption. This suggests that poorer and socio-economically stratified countries face greater reform challenges owing to the lack of legitimacy of public institutions. The article concluded that reform should focus on areas of governance that impact on poverty. This will in turn help produce more stable outcomes. - Reproduced.
650			_aAdministrative reform
773			_aPublic Administration and Development
908			_aN
909			_a79290
999			_c79290 _d79290