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The procedural qualities of decisions made by public agencies are known to shape citizens' perceptions of decision legitimacy. Existing empirical studies focus on procedures such as whether citizens are consulted, and whether their preferences are taken into account. Less is known about whether decisions made by public agencies are deemed legitimate if they reflect citizens' broad interests rather than their immediate preferences. Yet, many contemporary issues confront policy-makers with dilemmas of whether to respond to citizens' demands or instead to act on their interests. Using an experimental approach among a sample of British citizens, we analyse the effects on perceived legitimacy of various aspects of decision responsiveness. We focus in particular on whether public agencies are rewarded if they ignore citizens' preferences while showing they are acting in their broader interests. Our results show that perceived legitimacy is indeed higher when decisions are seen to reflect citizens' collective interests. But this boost disappears if individuals disapprove of the agency's decision. We conclude that acting in citizens' broad interests is unlikely to stimulate legitimacy among individuals who do not favour a decision's outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disappointment is often identified as a pathology of modern politics; citizens expect Much of politicians, yet governments are ill-equipped to deliveroutcomes commensurate with those expectations. The net result is said to be a widespread disappointment; a negative balance between what citizens expect of government and what they perceive governments to deliver. Yet little attention has hitherto been paid to which kinds of citizens are particularly disappointed with politics, and why. This article offers one of the first empirical analyses of political disappointment. Drawing on a survey conducted in Britain, it provides a quantitative measure of political disappointment and explores its prevalence among citizens. It then considers which social groups might be more prone to disappointment than others. In particular, it explores whether certain groups are more disappointed by virtue of holding very high expectations of government or very low perceptions of government performance. The article concludes by considering what strategies might be open to policy makers to alleviate political disappointment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the constitutional affairs and administrative policies of the Labour Party government in Great Britain. Establishment of the Electoral Commission, Joint Committee on Human Rights, House of Lords Constitution Committee; Legality of the Act of the Scottish Parliament; Devolution process of the government on distinctive policies.

Discusses the constitutional reforms in Great Britain in 2000. Reflections on the devolution settlement; Organizational landscape at the regional level in England; Plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on Devolution; House of Commons and devolution; Enactment of the Freedom of Information Bill.