ABSTRACT
Most developing countries have a relatively low level of state capacity and, indeed, low levels of state capacity may be understood as a marker of development status. The failure or inability of newly independent developing countries to deliver on expectations can lead to high levels of disappointment, alienation and protest. In conventional terms, the state can be said to be an internationally recognised sovereign territory able to enter into relations with other states, internally defined by having a population and institutional functions, including a government. The structure and organisation of the state raise the question of its legitimacy. Legitimacy can mean the extent to which a state includes its citizens in decision-making, or to which there is a reciprocal relationship between the citizens and the state, the relative equality of its representation and whether dissenting groups regard it as legitimate, together with the potential consequences of such a disposition.
