This book investigates the legitimacy of the European Union by examining the intersection of legal rationality and the rights of third-country nationals regarding free movement. Drawing on his doctoral research from the University of Birmingham, Richard Ball constructs a framework that evaluates how EU legal structures justify their authority. The text analyzes whether the Union's legal mechanisms provide a coherent and defensible basis for governance in the context of non-member state citizens.

Experts recognize this work as a specialized contribution to the study of EU constitutional law and administrative legitimacy. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for scholars and legal practitioners interested in the intersection of migration policy and European integration.