Keith Dowding is Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics. His books include Rational Choice and Political Power (1991), The Civil Service (1995) and Power (1996).

Robert E. Goodin is Joint Professor of Social and Political Theory and of Philosophy at the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University. He is the author of many books on political theory, public policy and applied ethics and include, most recently, The Real Worlds of Welfare Capitalism, with B. Headey, R. Muffels and H. J. Dirven (1999) and Reflective Democracy (2003).

Carole Pateman is Professor of Political Science at UCLA and Honorary Professor in the School of European Studies at Cardiff University. Her publications include Participation and Democratic Theory (1970), The Problem of Political Obligation, 2nd edition (1985), and The Sexual Contract (1988).