This chapter considers whether and how political legitimacy is relevant for policy capacity. A growing body of literature shows that across societies, legitimacy increases compliance with court... Show moreThis chapter considers whether and how political legitimacy is relevant for policy capacity. A growing body of literature shows that across societies, legitimacy increases compliance with court rulings, laws, and policies, and raises satisfaction with distribution of outcomes. Hence, political legitimacy seems to be an important component of policy capacity. As a result, research about how to gain legitimacy and what means can be used to increase legitimacy (normative approval) of particular decisions, laws, or authorities should attract interest from both political scientists and policy scholars. Although more research is needed to provide increasingly fine-tuned answers, one factor that seems to consistently contribute to legitimacy (and as a consequence, to compliance) is the fairness of political authorities. Countering the assumption that successful policy has to entail an increased distribution of goods and services to people, evidence suggests that people are not only concerned about their personal gains; on the contrary, they care about a fair process of decision-making, including transparency, stakeholder voice, and opportunity for engagement in policy development. Procedural considerations might outweigh the importance of personally favourable outcomes or, in the realm of public policy, even effective and efficient policy. This chapter discusses evidence from social psychology, political science, and policy studies to suggest that increasing legitimacy through procedural fairness might be key to successful policymaking. Show less
