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basic structure  

Definition

  • In political theory, basic structure consists of those social, economic, and political institutions that fundamentally affect a person's opportunities over a lifetime. The concept plays an important role in John Rawls's theory of justice, and consequently in the work of his critics and defenders, but it can also be used more broadly to define and demarcate the political and to distinguish the public from the private. [Source: Encyclopedia of Political Theory; Basic Structure]

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https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/basic_structure

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