1st Edition
The Authoritarian Social Contract and the Erosion of Democratic Legitimacy
By Jean-François Caron
Copyright 2026
112 Pages
6 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
112 Pages
6 B/W Illustrations
by
Routledge
Also available as eBook on:
This provocative and timely book challenges conventional wisdom about political legitimacy. While democratic social contracts are traditionally viewed as the only legitimate form of governance, it reveals how authoritarian states maintain stability and popular support without relying solely on repression.
The author dissects the “authoritarian social contract”—a tacit agreement between rulers... Read more
Introduction
Chapter 1: Making Sense of the Authoritarian Social Contract
Chapter 2: Putin’s Social Contract: Foundations and Challenges
Chapter 3: The Highs and Lows of the Democratic Social Contract
Conclusion
Index
Biography
Jean-François Caron is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Nazarbayev University, where he teaches Political Theory. He is also Research Fellow at the Institute of Political Science and Administration at the University of Opole and the 2025–2026 C. Judson King Endowed Professor at the American University of Armenia.
