introduction In the arena of government and governance, the challenges of overcoming the legacies of apartheid are strongly pronounced. On the one hand the post-apartheid era has seen the design of new government institutions geared towards development and facilitating democratic participation. On the other, there is evidence that some of these institutions are weak as agents of development, and that they struggle to create an environment in which democratic relations between citizens and the state can flourish. The GCRO’s 2009 ‘Quality of Life' survey asked Gauteng’s residents about their views of government and governance. The results give a mixed perspective of progress. The ‘Quality of Life' survey shows citizens to be politically conscious and largely confident that the country is going in the right direction. People continue to believe in the power of democratic politics to make a substantive difference to their lives. Continued high levels of electoral participation affirm this. However, the ‘Quality of Life' survey findings also suggest a troubling distance between citizens and the public officials who are meant to represent their interests. Of particular concern, levels of satisfaction with some parts of government are low. This is not in itself a case for pessimism, and dissatisfaction rates are far lower than in Brazil, for example. Government in the GCR has an opportunity to reinvigorate engagements with citizens, by opening and strengthening spaces for public participation, and by ensuring that citizen inputs are integrated into the development process.
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