Benjamin M. Studebaker, "Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies" (Edinburgh UP, 2024)

Apr 9, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Benjamin M. Studebaker, a political theorist and author, dives into the legitimacy crisis afflicting liberal democracies like the UK and US. He highlights how traditional governance is plagued by dissatisfaction and a lack of viable alternatives. Studebaker explores the story-telling dynamics citizens use to cope with political discontent, and reveals how factions trying to 'save' democracy often appear authoritarian to each other. The chat also touches on the struggles of leftist politics and the influence of personal realms in shaping political identity.

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INSIGHT

Democracy's Definition Crisis

We don't agree on what democracy means anymore.
This makes the term democracy more confusing than helpful in discussions.

INSIGHT

Democracy's Dilemma

Modern democracies face a crisis of legitimacy.
We struggle to define what's wrong and what we want to keep.

INSIGHT

Conflicting Democratic Values

Desired aspects of democracy, like dynamism and credibility, often conflict.
Pursuing one can diminish the other, leading to competing views on ideal governance.

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Liberal democracies don’t age gracefully. Established systems of governance like those of the UK and the US which once served as blueprints are today experiencing a profound crisis of legitimacy. In Britain, a landslide general election result was quickly followed by a catastrophic tumble in approval ratings. In the US presidential campaign, meanwhile, voters were told that democracy itself was on the ballot, with both candidates suggesting the election might well be the last one ever.

The consensus underpinning the world’s most powerful democracies is, indeed, waning. The populaces have developed a deep dissatisfaction with their governments’ political procedures, yet no credible alternatives have emerged. In his latest book Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies (Edinburgh UP, 2024), Benjamin Studebaker argues that the kinds of disagreements which historically led to political violence today instead just linger throughout the state and society. Without alternatives, liberal democracy’s legitimation crisis leads to neither reform nor revolution.

Studebaker depicts a legitimacy crisis rife with state capacity problems, in which citizens tell each other many conflicting legitimation stories as they search for ways to live with a dissatisfying political system they cannot replace. As different factions try to ‘save’ democracy in their own ways, they appear authoritarian to one another. Efforts to build legitimacy thus only spark greater inequality, pluralism, and ever-tighter gridlock.

Benjamin Studebaker is a political theorist. He holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Cambridge. He has written for Aeon, Sublation, Compact, Current Affairs, The Bellows, and Huffington Post, among others. He hosts Political Theory 101 and co-hosts the film podcast The Lack.

Benjamin is also the author of The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy which we spoke about in 2023.

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