Law and Society in a Populist Age, livre ebook

• An established and prolific author of ‘seniority and influence’ who is noted by reviewers as ‘unquestionably qualified’ and ‘an interesting and creative intellectual’ with an accessible style which attracts a ‘general educated readership’;

• Topical and timely given recent political developments and the rise of populism;

• A US author looking at this topic from a US perspective but in international context, fitting with our North American strategy and international targets;

• Liberal communitarian thinking is about balancing individual rights and the needs of the community or common good – the perfect example being that an excessive commitment to the common good in the context of national security compromises individual rights in terms of privacy. It is a good fit with us, sitting between liberalism and collectivism.

The law-based, political institutions in many democratic societies are being challenged by fast-growing populist movements, parties, and leaders. In other nations, the state is failing. These seismic changes call for greater attention to be paid to the role society plays in forming and challenging laws—and how the law copes with these challenges.

Amitai Etzioni, one of the most respected thinkers in the US, argues for a new liberal communitarian approach as an effective response to populism. This recognizes that different members of the society have differing values, interests, and needs that cannot be fully reconciled to legislation in a populist age.

The book considers the core challenge in a variety of contexts, including national security versus privacy, private sector responsibility, freedom of the press, campaign finance reform, regulatory law and the legal status of terrorists. Thus the book offers a timely discussion of key issues for contemporary society and the relationship of the law to the citizen in a fast-changing environment.

Part 1: Power and legitimacy;

A response to populism;

The privatization of force;

Captured;

Forging new legitimacy;

Part 2: Rights and the common good;

The common good;

Rights and responsibilities;

Privacy vs. Security;

How liberty is lost;

Part 3: Supranational overreach;

Undermining genocide prevention;

Nationalism as a block to community building;

Part 4: Response to new technology;

Should A.I. be regulated? (co-authored with Oren Etzioni);

A privacy doctrine for the cyber age.