The question of which European and international institutions get to exercise public authority is a hugely contested one. This important new collection offers an innovative approach to the question by arguing that by viewing such authority as relative, it allows for greater understanding of both the allocation and its legitimacy. Furthermore, it argues that relations between actors should reflect the comparative analysis of the legitimacy assets that each actor can bring into the process of governance. Put succinctly, it illustrates that public authority is relative between actors and relative to specific legitimacy assets.
Drawing on the expertise of leading scholars in the field, Allocating Authority offers a thought-provoking and rigorous analysis of this long debated question.