Legitimizing Authority: American Government and the Promise of Equality

Legitimizing Authority examines the tensions between calls for equality and the tolerance of inequality in modern mass society and the role of the government in calibrating the relationship between the interior and the exterior of the nation. It draws on a range of literatures to reveal how exploitative practices have been accepted and concludes that democratic crises must be comprehended through understanding how legitimation was maintained by a state apparatus active at multiple scales and in multiple policy fields.

Format: Hardback
Length: 206 pages
Publication date: 04 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The book Legitimizing Authority delves into the complex dynamics of the American state apparatus, placing it at the forefront of reevaluating the development of the country's government in light of its unfulfilled promise of equality. The authors argue that the tensions between demands for equality and the simultaneous acceptance of inequality have been a defining feature of modern mass society and liberal democracy. Vormann and Lammert emphasize the crucial role that government has played and continues to play in calibrating the relationship between the nation's interior and exterior, navigating between different modes of governance, such as extractive, taxation, and welfare states, to expand social access and political participation within the national community.

While acknowledging the historical challenges to achieving equality, the authors highlight the ways in which exploitative practices have been normalized and accepted. Through a comprehensive analysis that spans disciplinary boundaries, they reveal the mechanisms through which legitimation has been maintained by a state apparatus operating at multiple scales and in various policy fields.

The book is designed to appeal to a broad audience, including scholars and students in political science, political economy, political history, comparative politics, international politics, international relations, American Political Development (APD), and cultural studies. It offers a valuable contribution to understanding the contemporary democratic crises and the ongoing struggle for social justice in the United States.

Weight: 566g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032470733