Bringing the State into Animal Rights Politics

Abstract

According to Smulewicz-Zucker, an animal rights movement that wishes to move beyond the present state of affairs must turn its attention to developing the kind of politics that can make animal rights a political reality. This means pressuring the state to establish legal rights for animals. Directing political action toward the state does not mean abandoning other useful strategies. Both theorists and activists have enjoyed considerable success without directing their attention to the state. The state, in turn, has failed animals in many respects. But, it is only the state that has the power to bestow, defend, and enforce compliance with legal rights. Further, the coercive power of the state is the only mechanism that can confront the most egregious sources of animal suffering.