Do we have a duty to obey the law?' and What gives us the right to punish?' are two pressing yet seemingly separate questions. Richard Dagger connects them more clearly than anyone else has. Both are, he explains, a matter of fairness. Agree or not, after reading Dagger you will see these perennial questions in a fresh light.

William A. Edmundson, Georgia State University, and author of Three Anarchical Fallacies

Richard Dagger, for the first time, presents both a theory of political obligation and a theory of punishment under the principle of fair play. Forceful arguments on the two subjects combine for a powerful overall theory.

George Klosko, Henry L. and Grace Doherty Professor of Politics, University of Virginia

Playing Fair expertly canvasses a number of debates on the justification of political obligation and the justification of punishment in order to develop a unified account of these two problems. Dagger's arguments are compelling and elegantly presented. This is a timely and important book.

Massimo Renzo, King's College London