Legitimacy Beyond Performance: Trust, Accountability, and Executive Authority in Transitional Regimes

The article analyzes the issues of institutional legitimacy in transitional regimes, the effective solutions of which depend not only on the stability of the political system, but also on the level of technical performance. This article examines how the legitimacy of the executive branch is formed through the complex interaction between institutional effectiveness and perceived effectiveness. Based on legitimacy theory and comparative analysis methodology, the article concludes that the performance-legitimacy relationship is mediated by three important factors: trust, accountability, and communication. Despite the governance reforms implemented in the political system of the Republic of Armenia after 2018, including the Open Government Partnership initiatives and anti-corruption measures, legitimacy remains fragile when the above-mentioned mediating factors are weak. The article uses comparative cases from Georgia, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to reveal how institutional cultures and political events mediate the effectiveness-legitimacy nexus, pointing to comprehensive governance strategies focused on legitimacy for transitional states.