Abstract
This chapter presents the research questions and outline of the book, providing a brief review of the state of the art of legitimacy research in established democracies, and discusses the recurring theme of crisis throughout this literature since the 1960s. It includes a discussion of the conceptualization and measurement of legitimacy, seeking to relate legitimacy to political support, and reflecting on how to evaluate empirical indicators: what symptoms indicate crisis? This chapter further explains the structure of the three main parts of the book. Part I evaluates in a systematic fashion the empirical evidence for legitimacy decline in established democracies; Part II reappraises the validity of theories of legitimacy decline; and Part II investigates what (new) explanations can account for differences in legitimacy between established democracies. The chapter concludes with a short description of the chapters included in the volume.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Myth and Reality of the Legitimacy Crisis |
| Subtitle of host publication | Explaining Trends and Cross-National Differences in Established Democracies |
| Editors | Carolien van Ham, Jacques Thomassen, Kees Aarts, Rudy Andeweg |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Chapter | 1 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780198793717 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 27 Jul 2017 |
