Improving Government Legitimacy in the Eyes of Its People.

摘要

After the 11 September attack, the United States and the international community helped to create an Afghan government that can serve its people. Ten years later there are significant shortfalls in the performance of the Afghan government. As the year 2014 gets closer, at which time the support of the international community will be greatly reduced, it is absolutely vital for Afghanistan to have its three branches of government functioning effectively. The thesis will provide insight into the deficiencies in the process of checks and balances in the Afghan government, and how these deficiencies have given this government an illegitimate face. In seeking feasible and practical ways to increase the accountability of the Afghan government to its people, the thesis examines the successful presidencies of Ramon Magsaysay in the Philippines during the years 1953-1957, and of Juan Manuel Santos in Colombia from August 2010 to the present. Operational and strategic-level leaders can learn several lessons from the largely successful efforts of Presidents Magsaysay and Santos in institutionalizing systemic reforms and instilling legitimacy into their government systems. In conclusion, the thesis makes recommendations on how the government of Afghanistan can address its growing and complex problems.