{"product_id":"viable-polity","title":"Viable Polity","description":"\u003cp\u003eViewing the rapid changes in our political landscape, Edward W. Lehman observes that understanding political processes has become increasingly critical, and he suggests new criteria for evaluating the interaction of state and society. \u003ci\u003eThe Viable Polity\u003c\/i\u003e challenges the customary ways that political successes and failures have been treated. Lehman concentrates on the fundamental assumptions needed to assess a democratic system's viability and explores the legitimation-crisis paradigm, insisting that we must move beyond its hollow rhetoric. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLehman then begins the conscious building of the viability paradigm. He contends that political viability must be judged along three interdependent dimensions: a state's capacity to pursue its goals effectively; the polity's ability to elicit citizen participation efficiently; and the possible legitimacy of prevailing political game rules. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArmed with this framework, the author delves into three pivotal anomalies of modern democratic life. First, he considers how enhancing capacities in one sector can actually undermine the overall effectiveness of the state as well as foster inefficient involvement and erode legitimacy. Second, he examines the apparent contradiction implicit in the coexistence of extensive public apathy and widespread moralistic participation in democratic polities. Third, he investigates the circumstances that presently permit high political legitimacy to co-exist with growing distrust of government leaders. Finally, Lehman contrasts the impediments to viability that are unique to the American political system with those that are more widely shared by liberal democracies. Author note: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEdward W. Lehman\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of Sociology at New York University and author of \u003ci\u003ePolitical Society: A Macrosociology of Politics\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Temple University Press,U.S.","offers":[{"title":"Default Product","offer_id":54229085159768,"sku":"9780877229940","price":67.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/viable-polity","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}