The vicious circle of poverty, poor public service provision, and state legitimacy: a view from the ground in Sudan

Abstract

Using data on the quality of service delivery in Sudan, we show that poverty is a significant correlate of public services access and that those without access are significantly less likely to trust government institutions tasked with service delivery and participate politically. Inequality in access further erodes trust and participation – leading to a vicious circle from bad services to lack of provider accountability. Our results are consistent with recent macroeconomic models of a vicious circle between poverty and state legitimacy. We add to this by documenting that people’s views about the state depend on how the state treats them.

Citation

Hamilton, A.; Svensson, J. The vicious circle of poverty, poor public service provision, and state legitimacy: a view from the ground in Sudan. Institute for International Economic Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden (2014) 30 pp. [Institute for International Economic Studies seminar paper No. 772]

The vicious circle of poverty, poor public service provision, and state legitimacy: a view from the ground in Sudan

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2014