Political Legitimization without Morality?

"Within their territories, states claim to be the only authority to determine the law and to use coercive power to punish those who act illegally. Both claims are considered to be acceptable, provided a state acts in accordance with the framework of a legitimate constitution. However, the task of specifying the properties of a legitimate constitution becomes especially problematic within contemporary pluralistic societies. The authors in the present volume agree that, in this context, unconstrained reference to morality is hardly suitable. They propose new arguments within the spectrum marked by typical political and rational accounts of legitimacy."--Jacket.