Constitution: government and the state Books

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Book SynopsisThe Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 articles and essays written under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution. The Federalist Papers are notable for their opposition to what later became the United States Bill of Rights. The idea of adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution was originally controversial because the Constitution, as written, did not specifically enumerate or protect the rights of the people, rather it listed the powers of the government and left all that remained to the states and the people. Alexander Hamilton, the author of Federalist No. 84, feared that such an enumeration, once written down explicitly, would later be interpreted as a list of the only rights that people had.The first 77 of The Federalist Papers were published serially in the Independent Journal, the New York Packet, and The Daily Advertiser between October 1787 and April 1788. The original plan was to write a total of 25 essays, the work divided evenly among the three men. In the end they wrote 85 essays in the span of six months. Jay wrote five, Madison wrote 29, and Hamilton wrote the remaining 51.

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Book SynopsisAt a time when a lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis seems virtually unattainable, understanding the roots of the longest-running conflict in the Middle East is an essential step in restoring hope to the region. In The Iron Cage, Rashid Khalidi, one of the most respected historians and political observers of the Middle East, examines the Palestinian’s struggle for statehood, presenting a succinct and insightful history of the people and their leadership throughout the twentieth century. Ranging from the Palestinian struggle against colonial rule and the establishment of the State of Israel to the current rivalry between Hamas and Fatah, this is an unflinching and sobering critique of the Palestinian failure to achieve statehood, as well as a balanced account of the odds ranged against them. Lucid yet challenging, Rashid Khalidi’s engrossing narrative of this tortuous history is required reading for anyone concerned about peace in the Middle East.Trade Review"A work of forceful historical analysis written in a spirit of self-examination . . . 'The Iron Cage' compels us to reflect more deeply on the problems that continue to bedevil the Palistinain movement." * The Nation *"the book will delight everyone sick to death of following the minutiae of the "peace process" and the inevitable apportioning of blame for its failure. Equally, it is a godsend for those new to the subject, as it presents a strong analysis within a frameworkd that is comparable across colonized peoples." * International History Review *"'The Iron Cage' is a patient and eloquent work, ranging over the whole of modern Palestinian history from World War I to the death of Yasser Arafat. Reorienting the Palestinain narrative around the attitudes and tactics of the Palestinians themselves, Khalidi lends a remarkable illumination to a story so wearily familiar it is often hard to believe anything new can be found within." Jonathan Shainin * Salon *"Khalidi asks crucial questions regarding the state of Palestinian identity and viability that no other historians or political analysts have covered with such depth." Alejandra Ju * Political Affairs *"Khalidi's book is no exercise in victimology. He is tough on the British, the Israelis, and the Americans, but she is scarcely less hard-hitting in appraising the Palestinians. The final chapter provides an excellent critique of the Palestine Liberation Organization's labored moves toward the recognition of Israel and the idea, increasingly bruited, that a two-state solution is no longer feasible." L. Carl Brown * Foreign Affairs *"A must-read historical and political study of the national Palestinian movement . . . Supporters of the Palestinians and of Israel will read this book in different ways and with different eyes, but both will find Khalidi's presentation richly illuminating." Neil Caplan * The Middle East Journal *"[Khalidi's] most accomplished effort to date . . . Magesterial in scope, meticulous in its attention to detail, and decidedly dispassionate in its analysis, 'The Iron Cage' is destined to be a benchmark of its genre." Joel Schalit * Tikkun *"A first-rate and up-to-date historical and political analaysis of the Palestinian predicament." * Publishers Weekly *"A lucid and compelling examination of the Palestinian dilemma by 'arguably the foremost US historian of the modern Middle East'." Warren I. Cohen * Los Angeles Times Book Review *"Khalidi, tackling ‘historical amnesia,’ brilliantly analyses the structural handicap which hobbled the Palestinians throughout 30 years of British rule . . . Khalidi restores the Palestinians to something more than victims, acknowledging that for all their disadvantages, they have played their role and can (and must) still do so to determine their own fate." * The Guardian *"Khalid [has] done much to provide a Palestinian narrative rooted in personal histories but disciplined by the standards of Western scholarship." * The New York Times *"Khalidi, tackling ‘historical amnesia,’ brilliantly analyses the structural handicap which hobbled the Palestinians throughout 30 years of British rule . . . restor[ing] the Palestinians to something more than victims." * The Guardian *"Khalidi [has] done much to provide a Palestinian narrative rooted in personal histories but disciplined by the standards of Western scholarship." * The New York Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Writing Middle Eastern History in a Time of Historical Amnesia 1. Arab Society in Mandatory Palestine 2. The Palestinians and the British Mandate 3. A Failure of Leadership 4. The Revolt, 1948, and Afterwards 5. Fateh, the PLO, and the PA: The Palestinian Para-State 6. Stateless in Palestine

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Book SynopsisConsistently with the aims of the series, the book canvasses the Australian constitutional system in a way that explains its form and operation, provides a critical evaluation of it and conveys a sense of the contemporary national debate. The chapters deal with the foundations of Australian constitutionalism, its history from the time of European settlement, the nature of the Australian Constitutions, the framework for judicial review, the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government, federalism and multi-level government and rights protection. Running through all chapters is the story of the gradual evolution of Australian constitutionalism within the lean but almost unchanging framework of the formal, written, national Constitution. A second theme traces the way in which the present, distinctive, constitutional arrangements in Australia emerged from creative tension between the British and United States constitutional traditions on which the Australian Constitution originally drew and which continues to manifest itself in various ways. One of these, which is likely to be of particular interest, is Australian reliance on institutional arrangements for the purpose of the protection of rights. The book is written in a clear and accessible style for readers in both Australia and countries around the world. Each chapter is followed by additional references to enable particular issues to be pursued further by readers who seek to do so. 'The Constitution of Australia' has already been cited in a High Court of Australia case: Momcilovic v The Queen [2011] HCA 34 (8 September 2011)Table of Contents1. Foundations I Settlement II Federation III Independence IV Reconciliation 2. Constitutions I Form and Content II Status III Authority IV Constitution and the Common Law 3. Constitutional Review I Framework II Approach III Sources 4. Representative Democracy I Principle II Institutions III Legislative Function IV Political Rights 5. Responsible Government I Principle II Crown III Government IV Power 6. Separation of Judicial Power I Principles II Commonwealth III States IV Rule of Law 7. Federalism I Principle II Power and Authority III Social and Economic Union IV Co-operation 8. Rights and Freedoms I Principle II Beyond the Formal Constitution III Constitutional Rights IV Rights Instruments

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Book SynopsisAn avowed republican investigates the unexpected durability and potential benefits of constitutional monarchies. When he was deposed in Egypt in 1952, King Farouk predicted that there would be five monarchs left at the end of the century: the kings of hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades, and England. To date, his prediction has proved wrong, and while the twentieth century saw the collapse of monarchies across Europe, many democratic societies have retained them. God Save the Queen is the first book to look at constitutional monarchies globally, and is particularly relevant given the pro-democracy movement in Thailand and recent scandals around the British and Spanish royal families. Is monarchy merely a feudal relic that should be abolished, or does the division between ceremonial and actual power act as a brake on authoritarian politicians? And what is the role of monarchy in the independent countries of the Commonwealth that have retained the Queen as head of state? This book suggests that monarchy deserves neither the adulation of the right nor the dismissal of the left. In an era of autocratic populism, does constitutional monarchy provide some safeguards against the megalomania of political leaders? Is a President Boris potentially more dangerous than a Prime Minister Boris?Trade Review‘At 153 pages God Save the Queen is a quick read, and Altman packs a lot into it, whizzing through the histories and current political climates of an array of countries to gain better understanding of the way monarchies have sustained themselves and evolved. … It’s the ability, in such a relatively brief space of words, to capture the breadth of diversity and nuances of modern monarchy, that makes Altman’s exploration of the phenomenon truly fascinating.’ -- Ben Pobjie * The Australian *‘This very readable little book encourages us to think more about the game of thrones and the different ways it might be played.’ -- Jeff Sparrow * The Age *‘A useful reconnaissance across a very large field of study.’ -- David McIntyre * New Internationalist *‘God Save the Queen is a book which deserves a wide readership.’ -- Bernard Whimpress * The Newtown Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisE-Government is a hot topic. The integration of Information and Communication Technologies into public service delivery worldwide offers a number of promising opportunities. This text refers in particular to the benefits derived from ubiquitous access to and delivery of government services to citizens, business partners and employees. This book analyses the fundamental technical and non-technical concepts that are essential for successful implementation of e-Government in diverse environments, especially in developing countries. This book is an indispensable resource for both e-Government practitioners and researchers in that it brings to the fore scholarly scrutiny, scientific debate, and best practice in e-Government. The author has a background in computer and information science and accentuates the multi-disciplinary nature of the issues surrounding e-Government.

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Trade Review'Voici un ouvrage...fondamental pour l'établissement du texte de la République de Platon.' Marcel Meulder, L'Antiquité Classique, 1991.

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Trade Review'As an annotated bibliographic guide, ordered by topics, the book is extremely useful.' David Shulman, Pacific Affairs, 1991. 'So ist ein Buch entstanden, das seiner Anlage nach ein Kompendium im besten Sinne ist.' O.v.Hinüber, WZKSA, 1993.

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Book SynopsisThe Constitution of the Russian Federation was ratified in 1993 amid great hopes and aspirations following the collapse of the USSR. The constitution proclaims the goal of establishing a “democratic, federal state” that functions according to rule of law and promises a broad array of social, political and economic rights to its citizens. But how well has the Russian government lived up to realizing these promises? Seven distinguished scholars on Russian politics and law examine the state of political accountability, federal power-sharing, judicial independence, press freedom, and criminal procedure in Russia today. The picture that emerges is decidedly mixed; they conclude that the Russian constitution remains a work in progress.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface William B. Simons Introduction: The Promise of the Russian Constitution Gordon B. Smith Chief Justices of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation: 1990 to the Present Part I: Constitutional Promise and Political Realities Chapter 1: Constitutionalism and Accountability in Contemporary Russia: The Problem of Displaced Sovereignty Richard Sakwa Chapter 2: The Russian Constitutional Court’s Long Struggle for Viable Federalism Robert Sharlet Chapter 3: Russia’s Constitutional Spirit: Judge-Made Principles in Theory and Practice Alexei Trochev Part II: Constitutional Practice and Legal Obstacles Chapter 4: Press Freedom in Russia: Does the Constitution Matter? Peter Krug Chapter 5: The Procuracy: Constitutional Questions Deferred Gordon B. Smith Chapter 6: Modern Russian Criminal Procedure: The Adversarial Principle and Guilty Plea Stanislaw Pomorski Chapter 7: Jury Trial and Adversary Procedure in Russia: Reform of Soviet Inquisitorial procedure or Democratic Window-Dressing? Stephen C. Thaman Chapter 8: Russia’s Constitutional Project and Prospects for the Future Gordon B. Smith About the Authors List of Russian-Language Abbreviations Index

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Book SynopsisThis book analyses the recent and on-going regime changes, their internal causes and the external factors that either stimulate or obstruct political reforms. Comparing today’s political reforms with the evolution of the political systems in the Western world, and especially with the sequencing of and congruence between the development of civil institutions and economic and political systems then and there, permits to reveal serious problems with the current attempts at regime change. A comparison of the processes started by Gorbachev in Russia and the Chinese reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping, and the current situation in these countries and their respective positions in the world, highlights both the benefits and dangers of radical reforms. The second part of the book is devoted to the study of moral, legal and political aspects of various forms of external interference with the aim of influencing change.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1 – From an African village to a global village 1. Ex Uno Plures in the evolution of humankind 2. Is E Pluribus Unum replacing Ex Uno Plures? 3. Homogenisation of the world and heterogenisation of individual societies 4. ‘Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat’? Chapter 2 – Whither goest thou, the world? 1. Universal history and historical determinism 2. Current regime changes: socioeconomic and political problems 3. Problems of liberal democracy and democratic capitalism 4. Limits of social democratic choice in a globalised world 5. Any viable alternatives? Chapter 3 – On the futility and danger of external attempts to ‘democratise’ China 1. China’s rise and the changing balance of power 2. Modernising China – a democratic China? 3. A small diversion to illustrate the point: the Kyrgyz tragedy of 2010 4. Back to China: reforms, not revolution 5. The world’s reaction to China’s rise 6. From Westernisation to Sinification? Chapter 4 – Regime changes in Russia: Gorbachev, Yeltsin and Putin 1. Understanding Russia or believing in Russia 2. Collapse of the USSR and the emergence of Yeltsin’s Russia 3. On Putin’s authoritarianism 4. Russia and its close neighbours 5. Russia – a part of Europe? Chapter 5 – Democratic peace theories and regime change 1. Theory and politics of democratic peace 2. Problems with democratic peace theories 3. Immanuel Kant and the XXI century world 4. On the war-proneness of some democratising states Chapter 6 – Humanitarian intervention, civil wars and regime change 1. Use of force and humanitarian concerns in ‘modern’ and ‘post-modern’ international societies 2. The Kosovo case revisited 3. Recognition of Kosovo, Abkhazia and South Ossetia 4. The Libya case 5. The Syria tragedy 6. Humanitarian intervention and regime change: some generalisations 7. From humanitarian intervention to R2P or ‘old wine in new bottles’? 8. Intervention in civil wars or internal disturbances and regime change 9. Determinants of success: efforts of interveners or characteristics of the target society? Conclusions, index.

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Book SynopsisConstitutions are a product of history, but what is the role of history in interpreting and applying constitutional provisions? This volume addresses that question from a comparative perspective, examining different uses of history by courts in determining constitutional meaning. The book shows that there is considerable debate around the role of history in constitutional adjudication. Are, for example, historical public debates over the adoption of a constitution relevant to reading its provisions today? If a constitution represents a break from a prior repressive regime, should courts construe the constitution’s provisions in light of that background? Are former constitutions relevant to interpreting a new constitution? Through an assessment of current practices the volume offers some lessons for the future practices of courts as they adjudicate constitutional cases. Contributors are: Mark D. Rosen, Jorge M. Farinacci-Fernós, Justin Collings, Jean-Christophe Bédard-Rubin, Cem Tecimer, Ángel Aday Jiménez Alemán, Ana Beatriz Robalinho, Keigo Obayashi, Zoltán Szente, Shih-An Wang, and Diego Werneck Arguelhes.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Tables Notes on Contributors Introduction   Francesco Biagi, Justin O. Frosini and Jason Mazzone Part 1 Framing the Problem 1 History Limit or License in Constitutional Adjudication?   Mark D. Rosen 2 When History Requires the Use of History in Constitutional Adjudication   Jorge M. Farinacci-Fernós 3 Memory as Mantle Evil Pasts and Judges’ Power in Germany and South Africa   Justin Collings Part 2 Historical Precedents and Inter-constitutional Interpretation 4 Comparing Constitutional Historicities The Case of Precedents in Canada and the United States   Jean-Christophe Bédard-Rubin 5 Inter-constitutional Interpretation A Case Study of the Articles of Confederation   Cem Tecimer Part 3 A Matter of Narratives 6 Janus’ Third Face? The Spanish Constitutional Court at the Crossroads of History   Ángel Aday Jiménez Alemán 7 Competing Narratives The Use of Historical Arguments in Constitutional Interpretation in Brazil   Ana Beatriz Robalinho 8 Manipulating Constitutional, Legislative and Judicial History Incremental Judicial Activism in the Japanese Supreme Court   Keigo Obayashi Part 4 New Democracies and Illiberal Regimes 9 How Not to Use History in Constitutional Interpretation The Aborted Resurrection of the Historical Constitution in Hungary   Zoltán Szente 10 Using the Authoritarian Past for Constitutional Interpretation in New Democracies The Example of the Taiwan Constitutional Court   Shih-An Wang  Conclusion Which History, Whose Past?   Diego Werneck Arguelhes Index

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