The State of the State breaks new ground in its exploration of the nature of the South African state in the 1990s and early twenty-first century. Louis A Picard argues that the structural legacies of the apartheid state embedded in systems of government have a continuing influence on the success of the new democratic government in South Africa. By focusing in particular on issues such as affirmative action, patronage and corruption, the author examines the nature of political and bureaucratic institutions in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. He concludes that there is much to be learnt about the current state of the state from past practices.

The State of the State is the first publication in the Wits P&DM Governance Series, which explores the challenges and politics of governance and service delivery in unequal and limited resource contexts such as South and southern Africa. By focusing on public administration, institutional economics, development and good governance issues, it aims to contribute to the development of a knowledge base that informs governance policies and practices in southern Africa.

Louis A Picard is Professor in the Division of International Development, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, United States.

With the School of Public and Development Management, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.