Resumen

MAZZUCA, SEBASTIÁN L. Legitimacy, Autonomy and Capacity: Conceptualizing the Powers of the State (Once again). Rev. cienc. polít. (Santiago) [online]. 2012, vol.32, n.3, pp.545-560. ISSN 0718-090X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-090X2012000300002.

What is the political locus ofthe "holy trinity" ofinstitutional attributes: legitimacy, autonomy, and capacity? Is it the state, the regime, or the government⁷. This paper proposes a return to the Weberian definition of the state and the incorporation of micro-foundations in order to re-analyze the meaning of "state legitimacy", "state capacity" and "state autonomy". An important result of the analysis is a novel, albeit classical, definition of "state policy" (as opposed to government policy) and of "state autonomy", in which the state can be captured not only by powerful economic groups but also by the government itself. An illustration ofthe usefulness of the assessment is provided by a brief application of the concepts to the analysis of the varieties of the "Left turn" in South America.

Palabras clave : State; legitimacy; capacity; autonomy; state policy.

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