What effect did South Africa's first democratic election have on the legitimacy of the old regime?

Correct answer: It ended the legitimacy of old racial rule and established democratic legitimacy

Correct answer: A. A government is legitimate when people accept its authority as rightful, especially when they can participate in choosing it. The first democratic election in South Africa allowed citizens of all races to vote and helped replace the authority of apartheid with a government based on the public mandate. The election therefore marked a fundamental change: racial minority rule no longer had democratic legitimacy, while the new order gained legitimacy from inclusive voting. Option A is correct. B is wrong because the election challenged, rather than strengthened, apartheid rule. C is wrong because the election was a major step toward democracy. D is wrong because voting rights were extended to the previously excluded majority. Memory cue: legitimacy comes from consent and equal participation, not merely from control of power.