Participatory Institutions and Perceptions of State Legitimacy

• In Event: Violence and Intimidation in Post-Soviet Space

Abstract

Authoritarian regimes have implemented various forms of participatory institutions that involve citizen participation in policy-making. The introduction of participatory institutions in non-democratic nations is likely to result in new policy practices and lines of authority, which will have an impact on the relationship between citizens and the state (Mayka, 2019). The presence of participatory institutions can have diverse impacts on citizens, depending on their level of involvement and engagement. Citizens may obtain satisfaction with the state by participating in the decision-making process or by seeing their fellows participate. Their perceptions of state legitimacy could potentially improve under such circumstances. Using a survey experiment, I study how information about participatory institutions may affect perceptions of state legitimacy in Uzbekistan. This study contributes to the literature on participatory institutions, providing evidence from an understudied context.

Author

• Ikromjon Tuhtasunov, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign