The Problem of Political Obligation : A Critical Analysis of Liberal Theory

John Wiley and Sons Ltd

The Problem of Political ObligationA Critical Analysis of Liberal Theory\nAuthor(s): Carole Pateman\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, United Kingdom\nImprint: Polity Press\nISBN-13: 9780745601359, 978-0745601359\nSynopsis\nIt is usually taken for granted that, in liberal democracies, a bond of political obligation exists between citizens and the state. The substantive, and controversial, argument of this book is that political obligation constitutes an insoluble problem in the liberal democratic state. It is argued that the problem can be solved only within the context of a participatory democratic system. In reaching this conclusion Carole Pateman offers a general assessment of liberal theory and an interpretation of all the familiar arguments about political obligation and democratic consent. Current controversies about democracy and political obligation are fully discussed in the light of both philosophical debate and empirical evidence from research in the s.