Central / national / federal government Books

Book SynopsisThe lines of authority between states and the federal government are, to a significant extent, defined by the United States Constitution and relevant case law. In recent years, however, the Supreme Court has decided a number of cases that would seem to re-evaluate this historical relationship. This book discusses the basis and limits of state and federal legislative power, focusing on a number of these "federalism" cases, state sovereignty and the Constitution..

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Book SynopsisThe Constitution requires that states be represented in the House of Representatives in accordance with their population. It also requires that each state have at least one Representative, and that there be no more than one Representative for every 30,000 persons. For the 2010 apportionment, this could have meant a House of Representatives as small as 50 or as large as 10,306 Representatives. This book examines apportioning seats in the House of Representatives among the states in proportion to state population as required by the Constitution, which appears to be a simple task. In fact, however, the Constitution presented Congress with issues that have provoked extended and recurring debate, which are discussed in this compilation.

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Book SynopsisHistorically high unemployment rates remain a grave concern for American households. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for February 2011 was an unacceptably high nine percent. Recognizing the need to create jobs and get Americans back to work, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is uniquely positioned to conduct a broad-based, economy-wide examination of the barriers that stand in the way of job growth and economic recovery. This book will examine the industries that have been hardest hit by the recession, with an emphasis on understanding their challenges and identifying rules cited as costly and problematic.

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Book SynopsisThe United States Congress conducts several types of activities for which it employs staff. These activities include assisting Members in official responsibilities in personal, committee, leadership, or administrative office settings. Congressional career tracks generally mirror common stages of other professional careers, but with adaptations to the congressional workplace. This book examines the positions in House and Senate personal offices (Member staff) and provides sample position descriptions. As with all congressional entities with employing authority, individual Members of Congress have wide discretion in setting many workplace policies, including procedures for establishing the duties and functions of staff positions.

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Book SynopsisCongressional advisory commissions are formal groups established to provide independent advice, make recommendations for changes in public policy and study or investigate a particular problem, issue or event. While no legal definition exists for what constitutes a "congressional commission," in this book, congressional commission is defined as a multi-member independent entity that is established by Congress; exists temporarily; serves in an advisory capacity; is appointed in part or whole by Members of Congress and reports to Congress. This book provides an overview and analysis of congressional advisory commissions, information on the general statutory structure of a congressional commission and a catalogue of congressional commissions created since the 101st Congress.

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Book SynopsisThis is a hilarious but merciless satire of America''s crisis-ridden political scene and culture. The plot involves a president who sells the United States outright to pay off the national debt. Find out what happens when the newly elected President, who is a sight slicker than he is bright , goes along with the scheme to sell his bankrupt nation lock, stock and barrel -- the Constitution be damned! The lucky buyer is "The Company" -- a CIA-inspired combine of all big U.S. corporations. The Prez sets out to fleece both the knee-jerk government his party controls, and the well-meaning but gullible public. Absurdity mounts as the press blithely rubber-stamps this grand charade. Can the take-over scheme long survive when two intrepid journalists, plus a handful of legislators who will not drink the Kool-Aid, find the courage to look behind the curtain? This satiric novel exposes precisely what is wrong with today''s America.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a history and background of the lame duck sessions of congress from 1935 till 2010 (74th-111th congresses). A "lame duck" session of Congress is one that takes place when one Congress meets after its successor is elected, but before the current Congress has reached the end of its constitutional term. The significant characteristic of a lame duck session is that its participants are the sitting Members of the existing Congress, not those who will be entitled to sit in the new Congress.

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Book SynopsisQuestions about the characteristics of Members of Congress, including their age, education, previous occupations, and other descriptors, are of ongoing interest to Members, congressional staff, and constituents. Some of these questions may be asked in the context of representation, in efforts to evaluate the extent to which Members of Congress reflect their constituencies and the nation at large. In other instances, questions arise about how the characteristics of Members have changed over time, which may speak in part to the history of Congress. This book provides profiles of Senators and Representatives in selected Congresses since 1945, with a focus on service tenure and patterns of member service.

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Book SynopsisThe United States Constitution, as amended, is a complex legal document which sets out the structure of the federal government, the legal authorities of that government (and, to a lesser extent, state governments), and, finally, a series of legal disabilities on the exercise of those authorities (such as protections for individual rights). The document also addresses the complicated legal relationship between the federal government, state governments, and the persons subject to their respective jurisdictions. Judicial interpretation of some of the Constitution''s provisions, however, has varied over the last two centuries, leading to concerns regarding the ultimate validity of these decisions. This book examines the historical basis for theories of constitutional interpretation, and the role of judicial precedent and pragmatism. Also discussed are the theories relating to the identification and justification of heightened constitutional protections for fundamental rights.

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Book SynopsisSelect committees are generally faced by those at the very top of their game: high-flying CEOs, powerful executives and industry experts. Why, then, do the very words send shivers down the spines of even our most senior representatives? Perhaps it is the unblinking eye of the television cameras, the hawkish interrogation of the committee chair or simply the knowledge of those Goliaths who have fallen before. After twenty years of advising big-name clients on how to take on this gruelling ordeal, Scott Colvin argues that it needn't be this way. Based on interviews with those on the front line, he offers a freshperspective on how the process could be improved for committee members and witnesses alike. Steeped in exclusive inside knowledge and expert tips, and with a step-by-step manual on how to prepare for a hearing, this is the essential guide to not only surviving but thriving in the hot seat.

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Book SynopsisThis is a newly revised and updated paperback edition of the former Conservative Party Treasurer's personal account of his battle over unsubstantiated claims concerning his business affairs which culminated in a libel action against "The Times" newspaper. The book reveals the dirty tricks that were used to destabilise the Conservative Party, including the newspaper's alleged bribery of US government officials, and the abuse of parliamentary privileges by New Labour MPs. This is Lord Ashcroft's compelling account of the attacks on his reputation by New Labour spin-doctors out to slander the Conservative Party and journalists seeking to create a story. This new edition also sheds new light on Michael Ashcroft's private life; his childhood and love of Belize, his business career and his many and varied interests.Trade Review"A rattling good yarn... a saga of coke-snorting journalists (and) malicious leaks from the Foreign Office... a box-office thriller" New Statesman"

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Book SynopsisDavid Laws was one of the key Lib Dem MPs who negotiated the coalition deal, and the book includes his in-depth, behind the scenes, account of the talks with the Conservative and Labour teams after the General Election, as well as the debates within his own party about how the Lib Dems should respond to the challenges and threats of a hung parliament. The Liberal Democrats' and Conservatives' decision to form a Coalition government has changed the face of British politics. This book sets out the inside story of how this momentous event unfolded, and how - together - the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have started to address the challenge of a massive government budget deficit.

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Book SynopsisLove her or hate her Edwina Currie falls comfortably into that category of celebrity you simply cannot ignore. The first edition of her diaries explosively revealed her affair with former Prime Minister John Major. This second volume, which begins in 1992 with her refusal to serve in Major's Cabinet, is no less revelatory about her colleagues, encounters with others in the public eye, and, of course, her extraordinary love life. It covers her life in Parliament up to the election of Blair's Labour government, but more importantly sees its subject's emergence as a mainstay in the public imagination, first as a bestselling author, then as a commentator, broadcaster, presenter and performer - most recently on the BBC's flagship entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing. Shot through with her trademark effervescence and sense of fun, Edwina Currie Diaries: Volume II documents one of the biggest characters in British public life at her saucy, scathing best. 'Frank and funny, you can't put her down' Time Out 'Few women can lay claim to the word "magnificent", but Currie is now surely one of them' Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisBrian Mawhinney, now Baron Mawhinney of Peterborough, has led an extraordinary life by anyone's standards. Born into a conservative Christian family in Belfast his life and career were continuously informed by the values of the gospel. However, his path was to take him far beyond his simple Belfast background and the legal or medical career his parents envisaged for him, and to the heights of British politics as a Government minister, and then to the heart of football administration as Chairman of the Football League. Written with his ten grandchildren in mind (to help them "understand your grandpa a little better", Mawhinney's memoirs capture at once the history of recent British politics and football, and the essential decency of the author.Trade Review'[An]Engaging life story...Mawhinney is damning about a number of football powerbrokers.' Daily Mail '[W]ritten in an easy, conversational style. It is a good read' Church Times

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Book SynopsisDespite his tenure of three of the four Great Offices of State, his popularity with the electorate and the truly revolutionary 1944 Education Act that bears his name, Richard Austen 'Rab' Butler narrowly missed out on the premiership on three separate occasions during his political career, earning him the sobriquet that has attached to his name ever since - The Best Prime Minister That Britain Never Had.Banished from the inner council of the War Cabinet for his support of appeasement, Butler used his time as Education Minister wisely to emerge as the progressive face of the post-war Tory Party, going on to spend four years at the Treasury before the gradual but relentless eclipse of his career after Anthony Eden's accession.Was Butler an over-ambitious, condescending intellectual who had antagonised enough colleagues in the course of his career to ensure he would ultimately be thwarted? Or did he simply not want the leadership enough? Could this liberal Tory, in tune with the electorate, have led the Conservatives to victory in the 1964 election?In this robust and insightful biography of the great nearly-man of British politics, bestselling author Michael Jago looks to answer whether Rab Butler really was 'The Best Prime Minister We Never Had'.Trade Review"[An] excellent political biography ... well worth reading." - The Spectator; "[An] excellent, insightful biography of Rab Butler, ... a thoughtful, liberal Conservative whose time never seemed to come."- Choice

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Book SynopsisBob Woodward’s new book, Rage, is an unprecedented and intimate tour de force of new reporting on the Trump presidency facing a global pandemic, economic disaster and racial unrest.Woodward, the #1 international bestselling author of Fear: Trump in the White House, has uncovered the precise moment the president was warned that the Covid-19 epidemic would be the biggest national security threat to his presidency. In dramatic detail, Woodward takes readers into the Oval Office as Trump’s head pops up when he is told in January 2020 that the pandemic could reach the scale of the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed 675,000 Americans. In 17 on-the-record interviews with Woodward over seven volatile months—an utterly vivid window into Trump’s mind—the president provides a self-portrait that is part denial and part combative interchange mixed with surprising moments of doubt as he glimpses the perils in the presidency and what he calls the “dynamite behind every door.” At key decision points, Rage shows how Trump’s responses to the crises of 2020 were rooted in the instincts, habits and style he developed during his first three years as president. Revisiting the earliest days of the Trump presidency, Rage reveals how Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats struggled to keep the country safe as the president dismantled any semblance of collegial national security decision making. Rage draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand witnesses as well as participants’ notes, emails, diaries, calendars and confidential documents. Woodward obtained 25 never-seen personal letters exchanged between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a “fantasy film.” Trump insists to Woodward he will triumph over Covid-19 and the economic calamity. “Don’t worry about it, Bob. Okay?” Trump told the author in July. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll get to do another book. You’ll find I was right.”

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Book SynopsisThis book offers a defense acquisition perspective that provides action orientations and decision making to increase the value-for-money (VFM) of public-private partnerships (PPPs) through public-private stewardship (PPS). The differing motives of the public and the private sector are not conducive to partnership that leads to optimal outcomes. PPS is offered to practitioners and academics as a solution to failures of PPPs by following the public stewardship tenets of fiduciary responsibility and advancing the public interest while factoring in the additional elements of the private sector. The public values of transparency, accountability, responsibility, responsiveness, efficiency, effectiveness, equity, diversity, inclusion, fairness, and security, among others, can be shared in success between the public and private partners. By establishing shared values aligning with each stakeholder’s measures for success, it is possible to devise value propositions for stakeholder decision making that supports inter-organizational strategy, operations, tactics, goals, and objectives. PPS practices can further ensue as the public-private steward utilizes tools of expertise and organizational capacity. The book provides seven portraits of practitioners in the practice of PPS to assist PPP stakeholders achieve VFM. PPS is illustrated using examples in the Department of Navy (DON) and Department of Defense (DOD).Table of ContentsChapter 1. IntroductionChapter 2. Leadership as StewardshipChapter 3. Political Actor for Political SettlementChapter 4. The Catalyst of the Public InterestChapter 5. Implementation Through CommunicationChapter 6. Transparent Engagement Across OrganizationChapter 7. Progress from Learning and AdaptationChapter 8. Stewardship Theory Over Agency TheoryChapter 9. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisEach year, the Supreme Court of the United States announces new rulings with deep consequences for our lives. This fifth volume in Palgrave’s SCOTUS series describes, explains, and contextualizes the landmark cases of the US Supreme Court in the term ending 2022. With a close look at cases involving key issues and debates in American politics and society, SCOTUS 2022 tackles the Court’s rulings on abortion, guns, religion, environmental regulation, pandemic controls, immigration and more. Written by notable scholars in political science and law, the chapters in SCOTUS 2022 present the details of each ruling, its meaning for constitutional debate, and its impact on public policy or partisan politics. Finally, SCOTUS 2022 offers an analysis of the current ideological and interpretive divisions on the Court, including an analysis of the unprecedented leak of the Dobbs draft ruling.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: The 2021-2022 Term at the Supreme Court (Morgan Marietta, UMass Lowell) Chapter 2: Alabama Assoc. of Realtors, NFIB v. Dep. of Labor, and Biden v. Missouri on the Pandemic Restrictions (Herschel Nachlis, Dartmouth College) Chapter 3: American Hospital Association v. Becerra on Deference to Federal Agencies (Adamu Shauka, SUNY Buffalo) Chapter 4: Biden v. Texas on Immigration Policy at the US/Mexico Border (Carol Nackenoff, Swarthmore College) Chapter 5: Carson v. Makin on Religion and Schools (Howard Schweber, University of Wisconsin) Chapter 6: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health on Abortion and Roe v. Wade(Mary Ziegler, University of California Davis School of Law) Chapter 7: FBI v. Fazaga and US v. Zubaydah on State Secrets and the Post-9/11 Cases (Harry Pohlman, Dickinson College) Chapter 8: Kennedy v. Bremerton on Religious Expression in Schools (Steven Lichtman, Shippensburg University) Chapter 9: NY State Rifle & Pistol v. Bruen on the Second Amendment and Concealed Carry Laws (Douglas Dow, University of Texas at Dallas) Chapter 10: Ramirez v. Collier on the Death Penalty and Religious Rights (Kevin Pybas, Missouri State University) Chapter 11: Shurtleff v. Boston on Free Expression and Government Speech (Rich Pacelle, University of Tennessee) Chapter 12: US v. Vaello Madero on Puerto Rico in the Constitutional Order (Mark Graber, University of Maryland School of Law) Chapter 13: Vega v. Tekoh on Enforcement of the Miranda Rule (Rory Little, UC Hastings School of Law) Chapter 14: West Virginia v. EPA on the Clean Air Act and Federal Agency Powers (Shep Melnick, Boston College) Chapter 15: Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson on Delegated Enforcement of Abortion Restrictions (Julie Novkov, University of Albany, SUNY) Chapter 16: The Legacy of Justice Stephen Breyer (Paul Collins, UMass Amherst) & Artemus Ward, Northern Illinois University) Chapter 17: Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s First Years on the Court (Kathleen Burch, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School) Chapter 18: The Influence of the Trump Justices and the New Court Majority (Ryan Black, Michigan State University) Chapter 19: The Leak of the Dobbs Draft (Scott Gerber, Ohio Northern University College of Law)

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Book SynopsisContains the essential facts about the discovery, settlement, growth and development of the American nation and its institutions. This book illustrates how former English subjects slowly transformed themselves into Americans, and shows how a collection of sovereign, independent colonies united to create a constantly evolving republican government.Trade Review"A masterful recounting of the Amercian experience from the discovery of the New World to the present... It is a perfect history for our times." -- Robert Dallek, author of Nixon and Kissinger "In 2008, Americans face war, terrorism, recession and the rising economies of China and India. Yet the author avers there is still reason to hope for good leadership. Astute assessments of an evolving nation and ideal reading for November voters." -- Kirkus Reviews "Provides everything a casual (or bewildered) reader needs to know about the United States from the first English colonists until the beginning of 2008... An objective narrative of this nation's history that readers of all political stripes will appreciate." -- Publishers Weekly "One of our great historians has now given us yet another great work... [It] may be brief, but it is wise, eloquent and authoritative. Readers in search of a sprightly tour of the nation's lives and times need look no farther than Remini's latest achievement." -- Jon Meacham, author of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House

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Book SynopsisA revealing, behind-the-scenes examination of how Congress twice fumbled its best chance to hold accountable a president many considered one of the most dangerous in American history.The definitive?and only?insider account of both Trump impeachments, as told by the two reporters on the front lines covering them for The Washington Post and Politico.In a riveting account that flips the script on what readers think they know about the two impeachments of Donald Trump, Rachael Bade and Karoun Demirjian reveal how?and why?congressional oversight failed when it was needed most.Unchecked weaves a vivid narrative of how House Democrats under the lead of a cautious speaker, Nancy Pelosi, hesitated for months to stand up to Trump?and then pulled punches in their effort to oust him in a misguided effort to protect themselves politically. What they left on the cutting room floor would come back to haunt them, as Republicans seized on their missteps to whip an uneasy GOP rank-and-file into line behind Donald Trump, abandoning their scruples to defend a president who some privately believed had indeed abused his power.Even after Trump incited a mob to violently attack the Capitol?a day the authors recount in minute-by-minute, stunning detail ? Democrats pressured their own investigators to forego a thorough investigation in the name of safeguarding the Biden agenda. And Republicans, fearful of repelling a base they needed for re-election, missed their best moment to turn their backs on a leader they secretly agreed was destructive to democracy.Sourced from hundreds of interviews with all the key players, the authors of Unchecked pull back the curtain on how both parties pursued political expediency over fact-finding. The end result not only emboldened Trump, giving him room for a political comeback, but also undermined Congress by rendering toothless their most powerful check on a president: the power of impeachment. A dramatic and at times crushing work of investigative reporting, Unchecked is both a gripping page-turner of political intrigue and a detailed case study for historians and political scientists searching for answers about the unravelling of checks and balances that have governed American democracy for centuries.Trade Review"Revealing and engrossing history." — John Bolton, Wall Street Journal "A timely reflection . . . a searing blow-by-blow critique . . . with lots of insider scoops along the way." — Washington Post "A scorching exposé of the inner workings of the two impeachments of Donald Trump . . . A must-read for students of the Trump years and their dreary denouement." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Bade and Demirjian deliver a granular examination of both Trump impeachments and the work of the January 6 committee. Their joint effort is a stinging indictment of what they see as Republican cravenness and Democratic ineptitude.” — Guardian (UK) “Journalists Bade and Demirjian deliver a searing analysis of the ‘political calculations’ made by Democrats and Republicans that led to Donald Trump’s acquittal in two separate impeachment trials….a thorough and often riveting account.” — Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisIn light of the intertwining logics of military competition and economic interdependence at play in US-China relations, Trading with the Enemy examines how the United States has balanced its potentially conflicting national security and economic interests in its relationship with the People''s Republic of China (PRC). To do so, Hugo Meijer investigates a strategically sensitive yet under-explored facet of US-China relations: the making of American export control policy on military-related technology transfers to China since 1979. Trading with the Enemy is the first monograph on this dimension of the US-China relationship in the post-Cold War. Based on 199 interviews, declassified documents, and diplomatic cables leaked by Wikileaks, two major findings emerge from this book. First, the US is no longer able to apply a strategy of military/technology containment of China in the same way it did with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This is because of the erosion of its capacity to resTrade ReviewA fascinating sub-story of US-China relations. Despite all of the changes in the relationship, one constant over six-plus decades has been Washington's effort to restrict military-related technology transfers to China through its unilateral and multilateral export control regimes. Hugo Meijer's Trading with the Enemy offers a fine-grained historical accounting of this effort, which is of use to scholars and policymakers alike." * David Shambaugh, George Washington University, and The Brookings Institution *Based on new and unique primary source information, Hugo Meijer's Trading with the Enemy tells the important and heretofore untold story of US policy toward China on the export of arms and military-related technology from the Korean War to the present. This excellent and eminently readable work significantly contributes to our understanding of the shifting security and economic dynamics at play between the United States and China at a time when these dynamics are critical to global stability and prosperity." - Evan S. Medeiros, former U.S. National Security Council Senior Director for Asian AffairsAs geo-strategic and military competition grows between the United States and China, the greatest rivalry will take place in the strategic and dual-use high technology domain. Even as they contest for influence and dominance in the South China Sea and cyberspace, the overall race for global leadership will ultimately be decided in terms of technological innovation, industrial capacity, and economic sustainability. Hugo Meijer does a great service in shedding considerable light and providing analytical clarity in addressing this hugely complex issue. This is essential reading for anyone looking to understand the dynamics and long-term prospects for US-China strategic competition." - Tai Ming Cheung, University of California San DiegoDuring the Cold War, the United States made the sensible decision to restrict the export of advanced military technologies to its chief strategic rival, the Soviet Union. In contrast, U.S. high-tech firms now need access to large and growing markets in China in order to fund the research and development that keeps them at the cutting edge. Meijer charts an admirably clear path through the complexities of his subject to show how U.S. export control policy evolved over 30 years." * Foreign Affairs *...an 'ambitious and comprehensive study of US export control policy toward the People's Republic of China Meijer's book is an impressive piece of scholarship that is both accessible and highly engaging Meijer does an outstanding job of leveraging the information and insights gained from his many high-level interviews in building his argument. His nuanced empirical analysis draws from declassified documents, government reports and public statements by various US officials, and - most importantly - nearly 200 interviews. The book will be of great interest to experts in the academic and policy communities who focus on US-China relations." * China Quarterly *...Ultimately, Meijer's account of how growing economic interdependence in trade and finance potentially undermines the ability to utilize typical instruments of military and technological containment in the 21st century offers dynamic analysis of US foreign policy towards China. In highlighting the consequences of increasingly multifaceted security objectives amid the commercialization of military-related technology in global markets, Meijer provides a rich tapestry from which to understand the potential pitfalls for America's national security and its primacy in technology and innovation in a world accustomed to US dominance in these realms...Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students and faculty. * N. Sackeyfio, CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface by David Lampton Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction Part I: The Strategic Triangle and US Defense Technology Transfers to the PRC during the Cold War Chapter 1: From the Korean War to Normalization: US Export Controls Prior to 1979 Chapter 2: US-China Military Cooperation in the Last Decade of the Cold War Part II: The Legacy of Tiananmen: Technology Controls in the Post-Cold War Era Chapter 3: The Rise of China and the Collapse of COCOM Chapter 4: Key Actors and Coalitions in the 1990s: The Rise of the Run Faster Coalition Chapter 5: Supercomputers, Telecommunications Equipment, and China's Military Modernization Chapter 6: Chinagate, the Cox Report, and Communications Satellites Part III: China's Military Buildup and Strategic Trade Controls in the 21st Century Chapter 7: China's Military Modernization and Foreign Defense Technology Acquisition Chapter 8: The People's Liberation Army and Dual-Use Information and Communications Technologies Chapter 9: Communications Satellites and the China Quagmire Chapter 10: The China Rule and the China 'Threat' Conclusion: Beyond Containment: Security and Economics in the US-China Relationship Bibliography Index

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Trade ReviewIf you love Congress, you'll love Congressional Anecdotes. If you hate Congress, you'll love Congressional Anecdotes. Buy this book, you can't go wrong. * Congresswoman Pat Schroeder *Entertaining....Full of wit, wisdom. * Milwaukee Journal *This is [Boller's] fourth such volume of political anecdotes...and it is as engaging as the others....This book shows the human and humorous side of Congress....A must read for political junkies and raconteurs. * Library Journal *Some of [Boller's] items are serious, many humorous, and almost all are interesting. This will be a very useful book for the multitude of Congress watchers in the Capitol and throughout the nation. * Congressional Affairs Press *Boller recounts comic, tragic, and rousing incidents....This entertaining book provides a fascinating...informal history of the nation's lawmaking body. * Tampa Tribune *Truly delightful. * Tribune/News *

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Book SynopsisThe Tools of Government is the first professional guide to the principles and practices of public administration in an age when governments no longer provide many services-but arrange for others to do so. Characterized by extensive collaboration among levels of government and between government and the private sector, this new approach to solving public problems presents many new important issues. Comprehensive in scope, this new book offers a first hand look at the challenges faced by contracting out to nonprofit and profit sectors for grants, insurance, regulation, vouchers, cooperative arrangements, tax data, grants-in-aid, and others. The chapters examine over 20 different tools in use today and summarizes their basic features, patterns of usage, key tasks, political and substantive rational, and the major management challenges that each one poses. International in coverage and application, this book is ideal for students, teachers, and scholars in public administration, managemeTrade ReviewA comprehensive guide. * International Review of Administrative Sciences *

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Book SynopsisThe global response to climate change has reached a critical juncture. Since the 1992 signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the nations of the world have attempted to address climate change through large-scale multilateral treaty-making. These efforts have been heroic, but disappointing. As evidence for the quickening pace of climate change mounts, the treaty-making process has sputtered, and many are now skeptical about the prospect of an effective global response. Yet global treaty-making is not the only way that climate change can be addressed or, indeed, is being addressed. In the last decade myriad initiatives have emerged across the globe independently from, or only loosely connected to, the official UN-sponsored negotiations and treaties. In the face of stalemate in the formal negotiations, the world is experimenting with alternate means of responding to climate change. Climate Governance at the Crossroads chronicles these innovations--how cities,Trade ReviewThe perennial quest for a seamless international bargain on climate change has yielded to a far more complex set of climate governance initiatives around the world. Matthew Hoffmann takes a fresh look at this ever-expanding arena of public policy and thoughtfully explores early lessons and possible next steps. This book represents a valuable scholarly contribution and provides an important public service. * Barry G. Rabe, Professor of Public Policy and Professor of the Environment, University of Michigan *Growing concern about the impacts of climate change, coupled with frustration at the lack of progress in intergovernmental climate negotiations, has motivated numerous subnational governments and non-state actors to launch experiments with alternative approaches to climate governance. This important book provides the first systematic assessment of these initiatives. Focusing on the experimental governance system, it not only sheds light on ways forward regarding climate change; it also adds to our understanding of a trend of fundamental importance to the pursuit of governance more generally. * Oran R. Young, Professor of Institutional and International Governance, University of California-Santa Barbara *Matthew Hoffman brings light to the darkening literature of climate change. He shows that, while negotiations at the international level have stalled, there is a multitude of promising governing efforts taking place in the municipal, corporate and nongovernmental sectors. Seen through Hoffman's incisive analytical lens, we can appreciate such 'experiments' as grounds for hope. If you care about and want to respond positively to climate change, read this book! * Paul Wapner, Associate Professor and Director of the Global Environmental Politics Program, American University *This timely, jargon-free book may be transformational by stimulating new perceptions of climate change policy dilemmas. Understanding this universe of climate governance experiments may help activists and scholars move toward climate change solutions rather than an abyss of ineffective responses. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *The perennial quest for a seamless international bargain on climate change has yielded to a far more complex set of climate governance initiatives around the world. Matthew Hoffmann takes a fresh look at this ever-expanding arena of public policy and thoughtfully explores early lessons and possible next steps. This book represents a valuable scholarly contribution and provides an important public service. * Barry G. Rabe, Professor of Public Policy and Professor of the Environment, University of Michigan *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations ; Preface and Acknowledgements ; Chapter 1 Into the Void ; Chapter 2 The World of Climate Governance Experimentation ; Chapter 3 Making Sense of Climate Governance Experimentation ; Chapter 4 Experimenting in Practice ; Chapter 5 Experimenting with Cities and Technology ; Chapter 6 Constructing Carbon Markets ; Chapter 7 Lost in the Void or Filling the Void? ; Appendix ; List of Interviews Undertaken ; Works Cited ; Index

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Book SynopsisTimothy Heppell brings together a renowned group of contributors to consider the role of the Leader of the Opposition in British Politics. The book argues that the neglect of opposition studies needs to be addressed, especially given the increasing importance attached to the performance the Leader of the Opposition in the British political system.Trade Review'Opposition leaders matter, but are understudied. Studying opposition leaders allows key lessons to be learnt about the nature of British democracy and representation. However, it is all too easy for scholarly attention to fall on Prime Ministers and ignore their opponent at the dispatch-box. This edited collection provides excellent critical assessments on post-war opposition leaders from Churchill to Cameron with chapters written by authoritative experts in the field. It is a significant advancement for studies of the opposition, and a key book for students and scholars of British politics.' - Toby S. James, Lecturer in Politics, University of Swansea 'Leaders of the Opposition is an important book. It goes some considerable way to answering the question of why Leader of the Opposition is the hardest job in British politics. The book is firmly set within the context of a changed political environment, one in which leadership dynamics matter and failure is not an option. Expertly marshalled by Dr Tim Heppell, an impressive cast of contributors view opposition leaders from Churchill to Cameron against established political leadership criteria. This edited book fulfils many functions: it is a critical analysis of an under-researched position in British politics, it is a valuable contribution to understanding contemporary political leadership and it is a handbook for those contemplating the hardest job. Above all though it is a great read for students and academics.' - Mark Bennister, Lecturer in Politics, Canterbury Christ Church University, UKTable of ContentsIntroduction; T.Heppell Winston Churchill 1945-1951; K.Theakston Clement Attlee 1951-1955; V.Honeyman & T.Heppell Hugh Gaitskell 1955-1963; T.Heppell Harold Wilson 1963-1964 and 1970-1974; P.Dorey Alec Douglas-Home 1964-1975; M.Hill Edward Heath 1965-1970 and 1974-1975; M.Garnett Margaret Thatcher 1975-1979; P.Norton James Callaghan 1979-1980; S.Meredith Michael Foot 1980-1983; E.Gouge Neil Kinnock 1983-1992; S.Griffiths John Smith 1992-1994; M.Stuart Tony Blair 1994-1997; S.McAa William Hague 1997-2001; N.Fletcher Iain Duncan Smith 2001-2003; R.Hayton Michael Howard 2003-2005; M.Garnett David Cameron 2005-2010; T.Bale Conclusion; T.Heppell Bibliography

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Book SynopsisInvestigates political parties, politicians, elections, and policymaking to discover why public policy emerges in the shape that it does. This book probes beneath the parties to the essentials of the US constitutional system and the impulses and idiosyncrasies of history.Trade Review"An indispensable contribution which taken as a whole shows how ambitious and challenging David Mayhew's view of American politics really is."—Rick Valelly, Swarthmore College -- Rick Valelly"A cornucopia of original and instructive analyses of politics and policy-making in the United States. No student of American politics should miss it."—Fred Greenstein, Princeton University -- Fred Greenstein“Wars, recessions, critical elections. It's all here. With a keen eye and deft hand, David Mayhew paints a sweeping picture of the big events in American politics over the past 100 years—how the electorate has reacted and how the government has responded. Mayhew proves once again to be one of America's great political scientists and historians.”—Stephen Ansolabehere, Harvard University -- Stephen Ansolabehere"David Mayhew's original, lucid, and bracing essays have powerfully shaped thought about Congress, elections, parties, institutional rules, and the conduct of analytical history. What a treat, therefore, to have these pathbreaking analyses and reflections between covers!"—Ira Katznelson, Ruggles Professor of Political Science and History, Columbia University -- Ira Katznelson

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Book SynopsisWhy originalism is a flawed, incoherent, and dangerously ideological method of constitutional interpretationTrade Review“Chemerinsky . . . offers a concise, point-by-point refutation of the theory [of originalism]. He argues that it cannot deliver what it promises—and if it could, no one would want what it is selling.”—David Cole, New York Review of Books Listed by Wall Street Journal in “12 Books to Read: The Best Reviews of September” “Chemerinsky has written a powerful, respectful but devastating critique of the political practice known as originalism. This rich and careful book provides essential context for understanding the confusions and self-deceptions of that project.”—Aziz Z. Huq, Frank and Bernice J. Greenberg Professor of Law, University of Chicago “Worse Than Nothing addresses an exceptionally timely and significant issue. Chemerinsky provides a definitive account of the rise and pitfalls of originalism that is accessible to a broad audience of lawyers and nonlawyers alike.”—Leah Litman, professor of law, University of Michigan Law School “Worse Than Nothing is a devastating, concise, and beautifully written critique of originalism. It is a must read for anyone interested in the current debates about originalism and constitutional interpretation.”—Eric J. Segall, author of Originalism as Faith “Originalism mistakenly seeks to slavishly tie interpretation of our living Constitution to a single point in time. Nowhere is this mistake more forcefully and clearly explained than in this excellent new book by Erwin Chemerinsky.”—Martin H. Redish, author of Judicial Independence and the American Constitution “Clear, concise and devastating. . . . A must-read for anyone interested in the Constitution and its contemporary meaning.”—David Cole, national legal director of the ACLU

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