A signal feature of legal and political institutions is that they exercise coercive power. The essays in this volume examine institutional coercion with the aim of trying to understand its nature, justification and limits. Included are essays that take a fresh look at perennial questions - what, if anything, can legitimate state exercises of coercive force? What is coercion in politics and law? - and essays that take a first or nearly first look at newer questions - may the state coercively hold certain terrorists indefinitely? Does the state coerce those seeking to join in same-sex...

A signal feature of legal and political institutions is that they exercise coercive power. The essays in this volume examine institutional coercion with the aim of trying to understand its nature, justification and limits. Included are essays that take a fresh look at perennial questions - what, if anything, can legitimate state exercises of coercive force? What is coercion in politics and law? - and essays that take a first or nearly first look at newer questions - may the state coercively hold certain terrorists indefinitely? Does the state coerce those seeking to join in same-sex...