Alien Rule

Reviews / Votes

'Alien Rule is a conceptually innovative and interesting book that blazes a theoretical trail on this important topic. The core of the book is the observation that one can find examples of alien rulers in a wide range of spheres who have managed to gain legitimacy and rule successfully. This frames the central puzzle of the book: under what conditions can alien rule produce legitimacy? Michael Hechter offers a stimulating discussion of a great variety of cases, one that perhaps he alone is able to provide due to his unusually broad intellectual engagement with multiple disciplines. This, combined with the fact that it is written by one of the world's leading sociologists, virtually guarantees the book will get substantial attention.' Henry E. Hale, The George Washington University 'In Alien Rule, Michael Hechter builds on his path-breaking work on nationalism to develop a provocative new argument - that alien governance might actually be better than native governance. In an era of foreign bailouts and military occupations, the argument is sure to stir up debate, particularly the conclusion of the book that an 'international governance market' might provide better solutions to problems of state failure than other alternatives that people, states, and international organizations have considered to date.' Nicholas Sambanis, Yale University 'Over the course of his career, Michael Hechter has examined the subtle interplay between dynamics of collective action and national identify formation and mobilization. Alien Rule is perhaps the most ambitious in this line of works in its scope ... The simply posed puzzle, Hechter's disarmingly straight forward explanation, and a rabble-rousing selection of cases make the book a vital contribution to the analytical literature on empires, international hierarchy, and the sociology of organizations more broadly.' Alexander Cooley, Perspectives on Politics