This volume investigates the perceived decline of representative democracy by empirically testing ten core components of the crisis of governance. The authors, Dieter Fuchs and Hans-Dieter Klingemann, utilize the extensive data collected through the Beliefs in Government research project to evaluate public attitudes toward state institutions. By grounding their analysis in systematic empirical evidence, they provide a rigorous framework for understanding the relationship between citizens and the state in modern political systems.

Experts frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the empirical dimensions of democratic legitimacy in late 20th-century Europe. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a primary resource for students and researchers of political sociology.