Political Legitimacy and Counter-Majoritarian Institutions in Divided Societies (renewal)
Arthur Applbaum
This research explores the general claim that certain counter-majoritarian institutions and practices in a democracy not only are compatible with political legitimacy, but may even be necessary preconditions for political legitimacy. The research analyzes the concept of political legitimacy, arguing that the necessary conditions for political actors to act with legitimacy are in part substantive, and not merely ones of pedigree or procedure. The aim is to test the reach of claims to political legitimacy when these claims are under challenge from either inside or out. The substantive demands of political freedom and human rights limit the claims to normativity of both legal and democratic processes at home and abroad.