Comparative politics Books

Book SynopsisWhy are some authoritarian regimes highly competitive and others highly unified? Do they function differently? And what does it mean for our understanding of democracy and democratization? In The Social Roots of Authoritarianism, Natalia Forrat describes two models of authoritarianism: the first in which people see the state as their team leader and the other where they trust informal (non-state) leaders and see the state as a source of perks or punishment. Depending on which vision of the state is dominant in society, she argues that autocrats must use different tools to consolidate their regimes or risk a pushback. If people view the state as their team leader, autocrats rely on social conformity and teamwork logic. If people view the state as an outsider, autocrats rely on clientelist bargains and utility maximization logic. Unpacking the grassroot mechanisms maintaining unity-based and division-based authoritarianisms further, Forrat compares the structures of political machines in four Russian regions. She finds that the two regions with centralized organizational structures bound by social solidarity and team logic delivered predictable, stable results across multiple elections. But the other two regions that relied on decentralized structures with multiple levels of brokers acting independently of each other were less effective in delivering stable results.Carefully crafted and sophisticated, Forrat''s theory of authoritarian power sheds new light on state-society relations in Russia. But it is also broadly applicable beyond Russia and helps explain the divergent patterns of regime maintenance strategies in authoritarian countries throughout the world.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'A very useful addition to the scholarly literature on India-Pakistan relations.' -Shivshankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor, Government of India'A compelling read.' -M. K Narayanan, Former National Security Advisor, Government of India'[It brings] to light an eminently readable conversation between two protagonists who otherwise refuse to talk to each other.' -Lt. Gen. (retd.) Tariq Waseem Ghazi, Former Defense Secretary, Government of Pakistan'There is much here for decision-makers, scholars, and commentators.' -George Perkovich, Vice President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC'Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the fraught relationship between India and Pakistan.' -Bruce Riedel, Director, Brookings Intelligence Project, Brookings Institution, Washington DC14/01/2019

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Book SynopsisJon Pierre is Professor of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. His main research interests include theories of governance, public administration, public management and urban politics. B. Guy Peters is Maurice Falk Professor of American Government at the University of Pittsburgh, USA. His main research interests include areas of public administration and public policy, both for the United States and comparatively.Trade ReviewThis revised and extended version of a classic is as incisive as ever in orienting readers to the major issues associated with the concept of governance. Adopting a state-centric perspective, the book brings to light why and how state-society interaction transforms the character of contemporary governing. * Christopher Ansell, University of California, Berkeley, USA *Impressive! This fully revised new edition of a classic book has retained its great narrative style and original views and insights, yet now also perceives governance with a stronger historical sensitivity as well as a keen eye for new development such as public participation and populism. A must read. * Thomas Schillemans, Utrecht University School of Governance, the Netherlands *Table of ContentsContents: Introduction: What is Governance? 1. Different Ways to Think About Governance 2. Conceptual and Theoretical Perspectives on Governance 3. The Transformation of Governance 4. Governance Beyond the State 5. Multi-level Governance 6. Metagovernance 7. Populism and Participatory Modes of Governance 8. State Strength and Governing Capacity 9. Governance Past, Present and Future Postscript: How do We Study Governance?

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Book SynopsisComparative Politics: Continuity and Breakdown in the Contemporary World is an exciting new core text for introduction to comparative politics courses, focusing on the dynamics of politics: modernization, revolution, coups and democratization.Unlike other texts, Comparative Politics integrates thematic and extensive country-specific material in each chapter, striking a unique balance between discussing a wide range of countries and civilizations in detail, whilst using shorter focused textboxes to clearly illustrate key thematic points.Key features and benefits include: explanations of core concepts such as state, nation, regime, legitimacy, modernization, globalization, revolution, and mass movements an introduction of key theoretical approaches such as institutionalism, structural functionalism, political culture, political economy, and game theory detailed coverage of democratization, advanced democracies, developing counTrade Review'Zagorski has written a book that is at once in-depth and accessible, thorough in its coverage of the topic and rich in the examples it employs. With meticulous care, the book begins by introducing the basic foundations of the discipline and then moves on to the phenomenon of political continuity and breakdown, modernization and revolution, dictatorship and democracy, patrimonialism and autocracy, and globalization and postmodernity, all the meanwhile grounding his analysis in a wide array of case studies. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the study of comparative politics.' - Mehran Kamrava, Georgetown University School of Foreign Serivice, Qatar 'This is a lively textbook that provides an engaging introduction for undergraduates to the field of comparative politics. By focusing on alternative theoretical approaches to the comparative study of political regimes, Zagorski makes a valuable addition to the pedagogical arsenal of modern political science.' - Richard Snyder, Brown University, USA Table of Contents1. Continuity and Breakdown 2. Nation, State, "Democracy": How the Breakdown of the Traditional Order led to the Modern World 3. The Requisites of Democratic Continuity 4. Democratic Institutions 5. Revolution: Breakdown in the Face of Mass Movement 6. Revolutionary Movements in the Contemporary World 7. The Coup D’etat and its Consequences: Breakdown Engineered by Elite Actors 8. Military Regimes 9. Democratization in the Noncommunist World 10. Democratization and Economic Reform in the Communist World 11. The Politics of Contemporary Patrimonial Rule 12. Hybrid Regimes 13. New Political Actors and New Ideologies in the Postmodern Era 14. The Future of Democracy

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Book SynopsisThis book delineates the history of minban/private education in mainland China, particularly its current form. It studies the process of policy implementation in the domain of minban education, on the basis of which the Chinese central-local relationships and the contemporary model of state governance are analyzed.Trade ReviewDing's work is an unusual contribution to the literature about contemporary China. Using private education policies in Shanghai as a microcosm, and with a wealth of field data, she delineates a typical policy processes in China. The book explains some of the major puzzles about China held by those who are outside the system. In particular, she has uncovered the paradox between the apparent distortions during policy implementation on the one hand, and the general progress achieved by such policies on the other. Ding's work starts a new perspective of understanding China. -- Kai-ming Cheng, University of Hong KongThis closely researched study of private schooling should interest those interested not only in Chinese education but also in Chinese policy implementation. -- Daniel Levy, SUNY Distinguished Professor, University at AlbanyThe book is based on a well-designed qualitative study with 65 in-depth interviews in 2001 and 2004. Ding tries to figure out the logic of policy implementation in Shanghai as an “insider” while having a clear awareness of the dilemma of studying a policy issue in her own culture. She makes the best use of her identity as an insider, not only as a Chinese but as someone who knows some “inside” stories concerning the issue interviewed. * Frontiers of Education in China *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: A New Framework for Understanding Chapter 3: Minban Education I: The Nation Chapter 4: Minban Education II: Shanghai Chapter 5: Student Admission and Fee Charging Chapter 6: Converted Schools Chapter 7: The Model of Structural Fracturation

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Book SynopsisAfter the Referendum on whether Scotland should become an independent country in September 2014 - and following a momentous mobilisation of voters by both the Yes and No campaigns - Scotland''s political environment has been fundamentally energised. But how was the Referendum campaign reported and structured in the media in Scotland, the wider United Kingdom, and in other parts of the world, and was it a matter of ''construction'' rather than ''representation''?In this book scholars, commentators and journalists from Britain, Europe and beyond examine how the media across the world presented the debate itself and the shifting nature of Scottish - and British - identity which that debate revealed. Several of the contributors also explore how the emphases and constructions which were put on the debate in their particular countries illuminated these countries'' own responses to nationalism and separatism.The consequences of the Referendum''s No result are traced in the media through until the May general election of 2015.

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about conflicts and fears: how domestic reasons are drawing countries in Europe into international events. Raymond Taras explains why France, Poland and Sweden have become engaged in outside conflicts and tells the story of when and why xenophobia at home is converted into xenophobia abroad.Trade Review'An original and insightful approach to the understanding of foreign policy. Applying cultural, historical and psychological perspectives grounded in classical and modern scholarship, Raymond Taras shows how suspicions, hatreds and fears of real and imagined enemies are major factors in foreign policies. In so doing, he provides a needed corrective to the assumptions of rational decision making.' - William Safran, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Colorado at BoulderTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; 1. Fear and suspicion in contemporary politics: citizens, strangers, elites; 2. Reconnecting culture with foreign policy; 3. Reflections on designing research for the study of fear and foreign policy; 4. French Muslims and France's foreign policy; 5. Poland's Fixation with Russia: Fear or Reason?; 6. Sweden: the limits of humanitarianism at home and abroad; 7. Summing up; Select bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisGabriele Cosentino is Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at The American University in Cairo, Egypt.Trade ReviewThe book offers a sweeping inquiry into many relevant informational short-circuits and omissions that contributed to the Covid-19 pandemic. * Cristian Vaccari, Loughborough University, UK *Cosentino achieves something incredibly impressive with The Infodemic, succinctly and coherently distilling crucial elements of a complex information ecosystem that roiled the world for over two years. * Marc Owen Jones, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Where did it all begin? 1. The Infodemic 2. Wet Market or Lab Leak? Controversies on the Origin of COVID-19 3. Democratic chaos: QAnon and the COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories 4. You Can’t Arrest a Virus: How Autocrats Exploited the Pandemic Conclusion: How will it end? Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisLays out an account of the origins and development of liberal political and economic theoryTrade Review"Lee Ward brings his immense learning and analytic acumen to the task of reconceptualizing classical liberal political economy as importantly different, morally and politically, from so-called neo-liberalism. And as he would save us from neo-liberalism he would also save us from illiberal democracy"."" -Michael Zuckert, University of Notre Dame

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Book SynopsisExamines how centralised authoritarian regimes upgrade their system of local governance

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Book SynopsisExplores the momentous shifts in power during a crucial decade in Turkish history, 2010-2020, by analyzing how these events have produced shifts in the physical landscape of Istanbul.

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Book SynopsisExplores the reception of Machiavelli's works in modern Latin America and Spanish-speaking political thought between 1880 and 1940Trade Review"This brilliant book restores the influence Machiavelli had on the modern Spanish-speaking Atlantic world. Avoiding clich , this book reveals the debts of Liberals, Catholics and Republicans to the notions conceived from the radical autonomy of the political. By both revisiting old and posing new questions, Losada offers renewed answers, and forces us to think again about the Hispanic world's reading of Machiavelli. " - ngel Duarte, Universidad de C rdoba

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Book SynopsisExamines how Montesquieu, Hume, Smith, and Ferguson's foundational liberal theories responded to the moral and civic challenges of early capitalismTrade Review"Moderate Liberalism and the Scottish Enlightenment is an extremely ambitious book. On the one hand, it weaves together, in intriguing ways, thoughts gathered from Montesquieu and the central figures of the Scottish Enlightenment; on the other hand, it slyly juxtaposes those thoughts with recent concerns about the practical and theoretical status of liberalism and its critics. This is a needed study for the times in which we live. " -Stuart D. Warner, Roosevelt University

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Book SynopsisExamines the meaning of five theopolitical figures scripture, prophecy, oath, charisma and hospitality in contemporary philosophical-political discourse

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Book SynopsisExamines the meaning of five theopolitical figures scripture, prophecy, oath, charisma and hospitality in contemporary philosophical-political discourseTrade Review"The relationship between the sacred and the civil defines the stakes of a postsecular era. Montserrat Herrero's new book is a significant contribution to rethinking the political as a figure of the divine and the divine as the apophatic engine of the political. The booming literature on political theology is enriched with an indispensable volume." -Vassilios Paipais, University of St Andrews

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Book SynopsisThe first interdisciplinary comparative examination of populism in the cases of Donald Trump and Marine Le Pen.

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Book SynopsisThis engaging, knowledgeable book traces the American path France has followed since resolving its searing Algerian conflict in 1962. Barnett Singer convincingly demolishes two pervasive clichés about modern France: first, that the country never has been fit to fight wars, including wars on terror; and second, that the French have always been and remain overwhelmingly anti-American. Drawing on a wealth of archival sources, Barnett Singer clearly demonstrates that a serious and organized France fought strongly until its own divisions, international pressures, and the actions of de Gaulle ended the conflict with tragic consequences. The outcome led to an important sea change, clearing the way for France to embrace American culture, especially rock ''n'' roll, and more generally, an American-style emphasis on personal happiness. The author argues that today's France, wounded by the loss of traditions and stability, is increasingly pro-American, clinging to trends from across the Atlantic Trade ReviewHistorian Singer offers a provocative . . . examination of the changing postwar French national identity, arguing that France stopped being a 'serious' nation when it abandoned its 'noble' colonial enterprise in favor of searching for self-centered American-style 'happiness.' Singer raises interesting questions about how to evaluate the role of de Gaulle, and his focus on the idea of 'happiness,' particularly his insistence on the significance of pop music, brings an important new area of focus to 1960s Americanization. * CHOICE *Countering the notion that France has been and remains intractably anti-American, Singer instead argues that France began a transformation in the 1950s in which it shifted its focus from colonial concern with Algeria toward American-style celebration of personal happiness and an embrace of American culture and values, even suggesting that this embrace of America has proceeded 'too unabashedly in contemporary France.' He brings a biographical approach to the subject, examining key figures that illustrate the turn of soldiers from sober military values to seeking American-style materialism, the development of French rock and roll, and the contemporary 'full anchoring' of Americanization in France. * Book News, Inc. *This elegantly well-written monograph . . . [adds] new layers and new material to the investigation of France’s complicated relationship with the United States during the latter part of the twentieth century, and now, by bringing consideration of the first years of the twenty-first century, to reflect on what case studies (such as, in passing, that of Lance Armstrong) can reveal about France’s ‘Americanization.’ The range of topics that are covered . . . provides stimulating food for thought in easily digestible prose. Apart from its great readability and frequent allusion to thought-provoking case studies, a great strength of this volume is its recourse . . . to direct testimony from actors of the period . . . whose views are combined with clear historical judgment to give intriguing insights. Where analysis is not based on primary research through interviews or archive work, the argument advances through lively, direct, and well-focused consideration of a plethora of topics. . . . An excellent, decent, and plain-speaking study of French culture, society, and politics, which is both intriguingly personal and academically historical, and which should serve to provoke thought amongst students and researchers alike. Highly recommended reading. * Modern and Contemporary France *The Americanization of France will be of interest to scholars of French, American, and Algerian history, foreign policy, and culture. Barnett Singer’s lively, jargon-free prose makes the book accessible to undergraduates and other educated . . . readers. * Journal of American Culture *[Singer draws] on an admirably eclectic reading, observation, and experience. . . .An engaging account of his . . . reflections on the ever-attractive French. * Historian *[T]he book is intriguing, idiosyncratic, [and] entertaining. * Journal of Modern History *[T]he book is well documented and the archival material is impressive. Singer has made real use of departmental archives. . . . The footnotes . . . demonstrate a deep familiarity with the literature on postwar France. . . . [He] does an excellent job describing the way terror deforms civil society. * H-France Review *[I]n this engaging and sometimes brilliant book, Barnett Singer unlocks the mystery [of the enduring popularity of the singer Johnny Hallyday] and provides some very important clues about who Johnny Hallyday is and why he is so important in the story of postwar France.... Singer writes with a light and deft touch, but he is an impressively forensic researcher and his arguments are serious and sometimes groundbreaking.... It is to the great credit of a historian like Singer that he has started the work of excavating what it meant to be young and French at one of the crucial turning-points in the 20th century. * History Today *This is a stimulating, provocative, and unusual book. . . . [Singer] has produced a useful, absorbing, and challenging addition to our understanding of contemporary French culture. * French Politics, Culture, and Society *Compelling and provocative, The Americanization of France describes the shattering impact of the Algerian war on France and, in its wake, the French pursuit of happiness. Singer provides new and critical assessments of the bitter conflict—which divided France more profoundly than any other in its colonial history—as well as fresh and surprising insights into contemporary France. -- William A. Hoisington Jr., University of Illinois at ChicagoIn The Americanization of France, Barnett Singer has created an insightful, provocative reinterpretation of the powerfully moving transition of a nation and people. His characterization of de Gaulle is stunning. . . . And his sharply crafted images of French singers and cultural icons will not only remain with readers long after this sparkling account has been returned to the shelf; they will define those celebrities for anyone who picks up this book. -- John W. Langdon, Le Moyne CollegeFrance today is an enigma, and Barnett Singer’s book is a crucial guide as it searches for its identity. -- Jeremy Black, University of Exeter, author of The World of James Bond: The Lives and Times of 007Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Algerian Challenge in the Last Serious France Chapter 3: De Gaulle, the Algerian Denouement, and the End of an Era Chapter 4: From French Chanteurs to American Yé-Yé Chapter 5: Other Aspects of the “Happiness Revolution” in the 1960s and Beyond Chapter 6: Today’s Americanized France Chapter 7: Conclusion

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Book SynopsisDavid Block is ICREA Research Professor in Sociolinguistics at the University of Lleida, Spain. His main interests are the impact of political economic, sociological, anthropological and geographical phenomena on multimodal practices of all kinds, including social movements, multiculturalism, bi/multilingualism and the acquisition and use of languages.Trade ReviewPolitical Economy and Sociolinguistics: Neoliberalism, Inequality and Social Class is written in Block’s readable style and is suitable for graduate student level research and above. Through the initial three theoretical chapters which dissect the principle concepts of the book, Block succeeds in providing a strong foundation for the analyses that follow. The accessible case studies and succinct discussions will be of use to educators wishing to demonstrate to students of all levels the prevalence and depth of the discursive construction of neoliberalism, inequality, and ‘classtalk’ in ‘western’ societies. It will also be of interest to linguists hoping to integrate political economy in their research, particularly those seeking a history and a firm theoretical foundation in the area. This book is particularly necessary at this juncture in time, when market rule appears absolute, and with the rise of far-right parties and groups across Europe and North America ... The book calls for increased collaboration between linguists interested in political economy and economists of language, bridging the ontological and epistemological differences in each field. * LINGUIST List *This represents an important project which could both fill a gap and chime with the growing interest in political economy in language disciplines. Given that the author is a leading writer in the field, the book will undoubtedly sell well and may possibly become something of a landmark piece in the ‘political economy’ turn in sociolinguistics. -- Marnie Holborow, Associate Faculty, School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS), Dublin City University, IrelandTable of ContentsPreface 1. A short history of political economy in sociolinguistics 2. Political economy: Background and approach 3. Neoliberalism: Historical and conceptual considerations 4. Stratification, inequality and social class 5. The neoliberal citizen: conceptualisations and contexts 6. Inequality, class and class warfare: Discourse, ideology and ‘truth’ Epilogue References Index

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Book SynopsisThis book argues that in order to understand dibao (China's minimum livelihood guarantee) we need to look at how the programme emerged and how it has developed in the years since.

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Book SynopsisThis book joins five key debates in the current theoretical literature that have been largely taking place in isolation and identifies common strands of argument and their shared problems to developed a unified way forward for practice-based political theory.

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Book SynopsisCharting and comparing Tunisia's, Algeria's, Morocco's and Mauritania's political development over the past 10 years, this book offers fresh and original insight into their contrasting experiences as well as extending Levitsky and Way's model.

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Book SynopsisEhud Eiran compares three major settlement projects Israel in the West Bank and Gaza, Morocco in Western Sahara and Indonesia in East-Timor to discover why states launch settlements against international norms. He argues that post-colonial settlement projects are a distinct cluster of cases, separate from traditional colonial studies.

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Book SynopsisThis edited volume provides the first comprehensive introduction to and critical exploration of the constructivist turn in political representation, the reorientation of scholarship on mass democracy toward the constitutive or mobilizing aspects of political representation.

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Book SynopsisThis volume traces the roots of the constructivist turn in the distinct (and competing) traditions of Continental and Anglo-American Western political thought. Divided into three thematic parts, these 13 newly commissioned essays advance the insight that there can be no democratic politics without representation.

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Book SynopsisFeaturing a range of experts on the American presidency, this book offers both European and American perspectives on both the successes and failures of President Obama's tenure in the White House. Focusing primarily on domestic policy, these essays explain why Obama's widely anticipated moment of change did not fully materialise.

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Book SynopsisExamines Russian language politics and its impact on different Russian speaking communities

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Book SynopsisApproaching religious identity with an emphasis on agency and contestation, this book offers a historical perspective on the development of Muslim identities in Asia. It examines the contingent politics that influence how Muslims constitute themselves as modern subjects.Trade Review"The Politics of Muslim Identities brings together nine case studies from across Asia. The discussions in each chapter together illustrate the contested diversity of Islam as it is understood and practiced by Muslims, and contributes to a growing and much-needed literature which emphasises the need for historicised and anti-essentialist understandings of Islam." -Dr. Syed Farid Alatas, Professor of Sociology, National University of Singapore

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Book SynopsisThis book argues that in order to understand dibao (China's minimum livelihood guarantee) we need to look at how the programme emerged and how it has developed in the years since.

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Book SynopsisProposes a framework of Muslim democracy that reconciles public claims made by Muslims with the normative and practical demands of democratic regimes.Trade Review"A very cutting-edge and path-breaking work in the field. There are many political science texts on the phenomenon of Muslim democracy" but this may be the first book that treats it as political theory or ideology. This will be a very important and influential book."" -Andrew F. March, Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts

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