Autocratic opening to democracy: why legitimacy matters

Political Legitimacy and Democracy

The stability and functioning of any kind of political regime—including democratic or representative ones—relies on the combination of the capacity of rulers and government officials to use coercion and the development of political legitimacy. Political legitimacy can be described as people's recognition and acceptance of the validity of the rules of their entire political system and the decisi...

Legitimacy and American Democracy

Legality and legitimacy of exporting democracy

The George W. Bush jr administration explicitly declared its aim to spread democracy militarily. Is such an intention legal under current international law, norms and institutions? If one proves it to be at odds with the criterion of legality – since it clearly contradicts one of the main pillars of the UN Charter, i.e. the principle of non-interference –, can it be justified with recourse to t...

Why Learning How to Chase Butterflies Matters: A Response to Recent Commentaries

Divided Democracy Political Inequality in the Uk and Why It Matters