Impact of Crime on the Legitimacy of the South African Political System

• NCJ Number: 217323
• Journal: Acta Criminologica Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: 2004 Pages: 78-90
• Author(s): A. Gouws
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa
• Note: To access the full text PDF: 1) select the provided PDF link; 2) from the Acta Criminologica Web site, select "Table of Contents"; 3) select the corresponding Volume and Issue (see the NCJRS abstract record for the exact Volume and Issue); 4) scroll the Table of Contents to the exact article; and 5) click on the "full text" icon. Downloaded February 12, 2007

Annotation

Using attitudinal data collected from a national sample of the South African population, this article analyzes the relationship between crime and the legitimacy of the political system in South Africa.

Abstract

The analysis revealed that while only a very small percentage of participants had been directly affected by crime, the majority of all race groups believed that crime was worse than the year before. Most participants identified the causes of crime as poverty followed by corruption, freed prisoners, and the activities of ex-members of the liberation armies. Approximately half (50 percent) of the participants agreed that the police treated people fairly while the other half (43.5 percent) disagreed. White participants (62 percent) were more likely than Black participants (48 percent) to believe that police treated people fairly. Most participants were supportive of an increase in police powers to combat crime. Perceptions of policing were found to be significantly related to specific support for the police. The findings suggest that crime has a greater influence on specific support for the political system than it does on diffuse support. Data were drawn from the second wave (1997) of a large national survey conducted in South Africa in 1996 and 1997. The survey focused on citizens attitudes regarding the fairness and effectiveness of the police. Future research should examine the relationship between media portrayals of crime and specific support for the police. Tables, bibliography