Research in Political Sociology (RPS) is an annual series of original essays devoted to the study of society and politics. The study of society and politics is, of course, a broad endeavor, and while any one collection of essays will touch on a number of specific issues related to political sociological topics, dominant themes also tend to emerge within each collection. The essays in the first volume of RPS, published in 1985, revolved around the development of nation-states and the mobilization of actors into the political process, while the essays in this second volume reflect the themes of effectiveness and legitimacy.