The justification of political authority is one of the long-standing issues of political philosophy, and one which persistently defies satisfactory solution.

This book sets out to provide an original justification by establishing a background framework for dealing with this problem. The model political system that emerges is one in which certain kinds of political rights are emphasized. Rex Martin then discusses what the implications of such a system might be for democratic institutions, political allegiance, punishment, and ultimately for the nature of political authority itself.