The Right to Rule: How States Win and Lose Legitimacy

by Bruce Gilley

Popular perceptions of a state's legitimacy are inextricably bound to its ability to rule. Vast military and material reserves cannot counter the power of a citizen's belief, and the more widespread the crisis of a state's legitimacy, the greater the threat to its stability. Even such established democracies as France and India are losing their moral claims over society, while such highly illiberal states as China and Iran enjoy strong showings...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0231138725
• ISBN13: 9780231138727
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher