Legitimacy Without Illusions
Arthur Isak Applbaum
Reading Time
at 250 WPM5h 4m
The average reader, reading at a speed of 250 WPM, would take 5h 4m to read Legitimacy Without Illusions.
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11
days at 30 min/day
304
total minutes
Legitimacy Without Illusions
Published
2017
Publisher
Harvard University Press
Pages
304
ISBN-13
9780674983465
Description
What makes a government legitimate? The dominant view is that our public officials have the right to rule us, even if they are unfit or unfair, as long as they gain power through procedures based on our consent. In Legitimacy, Arthur Applbaum argues that adherence to procedure is not enough, that legitimacy must also depend on the substance of laws, policies, and practices. Applbaum holds that a government cannot be legitimate unless it upholds three principles. These are: 1. liberty, necessary to protect against barbarism, 2. equality, to protect against despotism and to help the vulnerable, and 3. agency, according to which authorities treat citizens as competent, independent agents and, within limits, respect the mandate that citizens have given them. Today, Applbaum writes, the greatest risk to our democracies is the violation of the third principle, as wanton leaders threaten to act in an unconstrained, incoherent, and inconsistent manner that undermines respect for others as moral agents. Working out the extended implications of his principles, Applbaum shows that legitimacy also requires respect for counter-majoritarian institutions and practices such as judicial review, independent administrative agencies, and civil disobedience.--
Subjects
Citizenship and the legitimacy of governance
Citizenship and the legitimacy of governance
Citizenship and the legitimacy of governance
The legitimacy of governments in plural societies
Understanding politics
Good and Bad Power
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pages are in Legitimacy Without Illusions?
This edition of Legitimacy Without Illusions has approximately 304 pages. Please note, this is an estimate and the exact page count can vary between hardcover, paperback, and e-book versions.
How long does it take to read Legitimacy Without Illusions?
For most readers, Legitimacy Without Illusions typically takes between 6h 20m and 4h 13m to complete. This is based on the book's length of approximately 76,000 words and common reading speeds.
Here's a detailed breakdown: • Continuous reading at 250 WPM: approximately 5h 4m of focused reading • Casual reading (30 minutes/day): you could finish in roughly 11 days • Estimated word count: 76,000 words
Your individual reading time will vary based on your personal reading pace, the amount of daily reading time, and your familiarity with the subject matter.
What is the word count of Legitimacy Without Illusions?
The estimated word count for Legitimacy Without Illusions is approximately 76,000 words. This figure is calculated using industry-standard methods that consider genre-specific word density patterns, typical formatting and layout characteristics, and standard words-per-page ratios for published books.
This is an approximation — actual word count may vary based on font size, formatting, edition, and the presence of illustrations or charts.
Who is the author of Legitimacy Without Illusions?
Legitimacy Without Illusions was written by Arthur Isak Applbaum.
When was Legitimacy Without Illusions published?
The publication date for this specific edition is 2017. The original work may have been published on a different date.