Jean Hampton's Political Philosophy is an introduction the philosophical study of politics, with all the sorts of topics one would find in an introductory political philosophy class. To make the subject manageable, the first half of the book gives some definition to what a political authority ('the State,' 'the government,' whatever you want to call it) is, and the second half of the book is about issues related to a just political society. Regarding Hampton's own positions, she argues that a political authority is an institution that adjudicates coordination problems among individuals both in individuals' tendencies to compete and to cooperate with one another. According to Hampton, a political authority is deemed just when people agree that the authority's judgments or proceedings are more or less sound. The latter half of the book is a lot thornier, especially given that people cannot seem to agree what constitutes a just society. Hampton believes that minimally the members of the society need to be looked upon as free and equal persons, but the Devil is in the details in how to provide for them. Interesting concrete questions come up at the end of the book about what citizenship amounts to, and what a nation and nation-state is. Good read.