JBS Vol 07. Num 2. 2005 - POLITICAL LEADERSHIP AND LEGITIMACY AMONG THE URBAN ELITE IN BANGLADESH

This paper examines the concept of legitimacy expressed through public opinion about politicians in Bangladesh. Historically legitimacy in Bangladesh has depended on the role of individual personalities since the country’s independence. Alternative sources of legitimate rule, such as institutions, nationalism, or foundational myths have been less important or absent. We surveyed upper- and middle-class Dhaka City respondents' characterization of “politicians” as a group through a ten-point scale measuring 17 attributes such as ‘fair’, ‘trustworthy’ or ‘competent’. The statistical technique of factor analysis was applied to derive three factors (responsiveness, public style, and character) from the seventeen attributes. Seven attributes of 'responsiveness' overwhelmingly explained the respondents’ low overall satisfaction with politicians and best explained the lack of political legitimacy. The findings also express the quality of 'responsiveness' in classic work in comparative politics and confirm the 'secular/rational-survival' orientation of Bangladesh in the World Values Survey.