@book{2026:hesch:the_functi,
title = {The Function of Political Authority},
year = {2026},
note = {Political authority is more than brute power insofar as it is rooted
within the institution of a legal order. As social constructs,
however, institutions may lack legitimacy. This book suggests a
normatively individualistic and functional conception of legitimacy.
On this account, political authority can be legitimate because its
function, administering peaceful coexistence in a state, allows for
all individuals to benefit. For a regime to be legitimate, however,
individuals must also be protected against governmental overreach by
means of liberal fundamental rights and the rule of law. Although the
functional approach does not envision any ideal state, it provides
guidelines for designing and reforming constitutions.},
edition = {1},
publisher = {Nomos},
address = {Baden-Baden},
series = {Internationale Politische Theorie},
volume = {11},
author = {Hesch, Carola}
}