The Reasoning State

Administrative bodies are the primary lawmakers in our society, according to Edward H. Stiglitz, who develops a theory based on the concept of trust. He argues that due to information problems in complex societies, the public questions whether the legislature is acting on their behalf or on the behalf of narrow, well-resourced concerns. Administrative bodies, as constrained by administrative law, promise procedural regularity and relief from these problems. This book addresses why our political system takes the form it does and why administrative bodies proliferated in the Progressive Era, using novel experiments to empirically support this theory.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 317 pages
Publication date: 09 March 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Administrative bodies, rather than legislatures, hold the primary role in shaping our society. This book presents a theory to elucidate this phenomenon, rooted in the concept of trust. Drawing upon diverse fields such as Law, History, and Social Science, Edward H. Stiglitz argues that a fundamental issue of trust plagues representative institutions in complex societies. The public often doubts whether legislatures act in their best interests or are instead influenced by narrow, well-resourced concerns due to information complexities inherent in such societies. Administrative bodies, bound by administrative law, offer procedural regularity and relief from these information challenges. This book delves into the underlying reasons behind the structure of our political system and the proliferation of administrative bodies during the Progressive Era. Through novel experiments, it empirically supports this theory and sheds light on how this vision of the state illuminates prevailing legal and policy debates.

ISBN-13: 9781108725392