Keith Dowding is a major figure in relation to debates on power and highly influential in the fields of political theory and political science. Power luck and freedom is a collection of his essays and articles, that provide a significant reference point for the field of power analysis.

This book presents thirteen essays from a leading contemporary political scientist, with a substantial introduction bringing together the themes. The topics covered include political and social power, freedom, choice, rights, responsibility, the author's unique account of luck and systematic luck and the nature of leadership. There are also discussions of conceptual analysis, the structure-agency debate, luck egalitarianism, Sen's liberal paradox, problems in the measurement of freedom and choice and the differences between instrumental and intrinsic accounts of the value of freedom and related concepts.The wide-ranging material will provide an excellent text for students at all levels. It is appropriate reading for a host of courses in the fields of political science, political sociology and political theory at both undergraduate and graduate level. Whilst addressing some philosophically difficult and advanced subjects, the accessible writing makes the subject-matter comprehensible for all levels of students.

Introduction: power, luck and freedomPart I: Power1. Why should we care about the definition of power?2. Agency and structure: interpreting power relationships3. Rational choice and community power structures4. Power, capability and ableness: the fallacy of the vehicle fallacyPart II: Luck5. Resources, power and systematic luck: a response to Barry6. Shaping future luck7. Luck, equality and responsibility8. Luck and leadershipPart III: Freedom9. Choice: its increase and its value10. The value of choice in public policy11. Republican freedom, rights and the coalition problem12. The construction of rights13. Social choice and the grammar of rights and freedomsIndex

This book presents thirteen essays from a leading contemporary political scientist, with a substantial introduction bringing together the themes. The topics covered include political and social power, freedom, choice, rights, responsibility, the author's unique account of luck and systematic luck and the nature of leadership. There are also discussions of conceptual analysis, the structure-agency debate, luck egalitarianism, Sen's liberal paradox, problems in the measurement of freedom and choice and the differences between instrumental and intrinsic accounts of the value of freedom and related concepts.

The wide-ranging material will provide an excellent text for students at all levels. It is appropriate reading for a host of courses in the fields of political science, political sociology and political theory at both undergraduate and graduate level. Whilst addressing some philosophically difficult and advanced subjects, the accessible writing makes the subject-matter comprehensible for all levels of students.