Democracy Books

Book SynopsisAppearing against the backdrop of Jordan''s remarkable levels of authoritarian stability and accounting for Jordan being one of the highest recipients of US and European ''democracy promotion'' funding, Promoting Democracy, Reinforcing Authoritarianism examines what external ''democracy promoters'' actually do when they promote democracy. By examining why Jordanian authoritarianism is so stable, not despite but in part because of external attempts at ''democracy promotion'', Benjamin Schuetze demonstrates the depth of Orientalist attitudes among ''democracy promoters''. In highlighting the undermining of democratic values as they become circumscribed by the free market and security concerns, Schuetze suggests that although US and European policy in Jordan comes under the cloak of a universal morality which claims the surmounting of authoritarianism as its objective, its effect is not that different to traditional modes of imperial support for authoritarian regimes. As a result, this isTrade Review'Schuetze has produced a much-needed analysis of how US and EU 'democracy promotion' in Jordan buttresses authoritarian rule. Textured and layered, his work challenges ideas of a benevolent monarchy and well-intentioned external actors, providing us with important insights into the logics and limits of the 'reform game' in Jordan.' Ziad M. Abu-Rish, Ohio University'Schuetze offers a theoretically-informed, practice-oriented, empirically rigorous expose of 'Western' promotion of certain aspects of procedural democracy in Jordan. In addition to projects oriented towards elections and civil society, respectively, he investigates neoliberal economic models and security collaboration, placing political aid in the context of global power structures and ideologies.' Sheila Carapico, University of Richmond'Western democracy promotion programs in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have been state of the art for decades. In this important study, Schuetze blows the lid off by examining what democracy promotion actually does. Based on a wealth of interviews and striking observational evidence, Schuetze frames democracy promotion policies as intimately tied to monarchical absolutism in Jordan.' Pete W. Moore, Case Western Reserve University, OhioTable of ContentsPreface: in Jordan 'reform is not a strange word'; 1. 'Democracy promotion' and moral authority; 2. Who's afraid of politics?; 3. Supporting, mobilising for, and ignoring Jordanian elections; 4. The Jordanian civil society market; 5. Break on through to the other side; 6. Securing Jordan; 7. Imperial coercion, liberal intervention and the rise of populist politics; Sources and bibliography.

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Book SynopsisLegislative solutions to pressing problems like balancing the budget, climate change, and poverty usually require compromise. Yet national, state, and local legislators often reject compromise proposals that would move policy in their preferred direction. Why do legislators reject such agreements? This engaging and relevant investigation into how politicians think reveals that legislators refuse compromise - and exacerbate gridlock - because they fear punishment from voters in primary elections. Prioritizing these electoral interests can lead lawmakers to act in ways that hurt their policy interests and also overlook the broader electorate''s preferences by representing only a subset of voters with rigid positions. With their solution-oriented approach, Anderson, Butler, and Harbridge-Yong demonstrate that improving the likelihood of legislative compromise may require moving negotiations outside of the public spotlight. Highlighting key electoral motives underlying polarization, this bTrade Review'… well-written and well-researched book …' D. P. Franklin, Choice'Why won't legislators accept compromises, even ones that move policy in the direction they favor? This book identifies not only a primary culprit - the fear of a backlash by primary voters - but a possible solution. It deserves to be read by scholars and politicians alike.' John Sides, Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University'Anderson, Butler, and Harbridge-Yong make a compelling case that the threat of electoral punishment by primary voters is deterring politicians from supporting compromise policy proposals. This book also makes an important contribution to the broader debate over the mechanisms and consequences of polarization - the effects of elite perceptions of primary voters on legislative behavior is a critically important topic that has received too little scholarly attention.' Brendan Nyhan, Professor of Government, Dartmouth CollegeTable of Contents1. Rejecting compromise, getting gridlock; 2. Legislators reject half-loaf compromises; 3. Legislators reject half-loaf compromises because they fear voter retribution; 4. Primary voters as the source of punishment; 5. Voter punishment is rare but real; 6. Structuring negotiations in the shadow of primary voter punishment; 7. Compromise, voter punishment in primaries, and legislative gridlock; References.

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Book SynopsisAgonistic Democracy presents a pioneering overview of this important strand of contemporary democratic theory. Wenman delivers a comprehensive account of the core components and the historical background of agonism, and evaluates the contributions of the leading proponents. This book offers much-needed fresh ideas about revitalising democracy in response to globalisation.Trade Review'The first comprehensive and critical survey of the whole field of agonistic democracy. It is an excellent introduction to this new field and makes an original contribution to it.' James Tully, Distinguished Professor, University of Victoria'Mark Wenman wonderfully illustrates the analytical power of the concept of agonistic democracy at the same time as he subjects it to revision by bringing it to bear on the most serious challenges to liberal democratic society since the end of the Cold War. In the course of his discussion we come to deeply appreciate the value of agonism and the creative work of contemporary political theorists who have thought most deeply about agonistic politics, among whom Wenman must now be included.' Morton Schoolman, State University of New York, Albany'… [this] book offers new insights … thoughtful, systematic, and important …' Robert W. Glover, European Political ScienceTable of ContentsPart I: Introduction: agonism and the constituent power; 1. Agonism: pluralism, tragedy, and the value of conflict; 2. Democracy: the constituent power as augmentation and/or revolution; Part II: 3. An ethos of agonistic respect: William E. Connolly; 4. Agonistic struggles for independence: James Tully; 5. Agonism and the problem of antagonism: Chantal Mouffe; 6. Agonism and the paradoxes of (re)foundation: Bonnie Honig; Part III: 7. Agonism and militant cosmopolitanism; Conclusion: agonism after the end of history.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Uncompromising and unconventional . . . Cornel West is an eloquent prophet with attitude.” —Newsweek“West reveals himself as a thinker of dazzling erudition, whose critiques are inevitably balanced by an infectious optimism and magnanimity of spirit.” —The Village VoiceTable of Contents1. Democracy Matters Are Frightening in Our Time2. Nihilism In America3. The Deep Democratic Traditioni in America4. Forging New Jewish and Islamic Democratic Identities5. The Crisis of Christian Identity in America6. The Necessary Engagement with Youth Culture7. Putting On Our Democratic ArmorAcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisEnergized and inspired by the 2008 elections, celebrated illustrator Maira Kalman traveled to Washington, D.C., launching a year-long investigation of American democracy and its workings. The result is an artist’s idiosyncratic vision of history and contemporary politics. Whether returning to America’s historical roots at the Lincoln archive and Jefferson’s Monticello, or taking the pulse of the present day at a town hall meeting in Vermont, an Army base in Kentucky, and the inner chambers of the Supreme Court, Kalman finds evidence of democracy at work all around us. Her route is always one of fascinating indirection, but one that captures and shares in hundreds of beautiful, colorful reasons why we  are proud to be Americans.

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Trade Review"The authors suggest that the endeavor of good speaking has a lot to do with being a responsible citizen in society. Public Speaking and Democratic Participation returns to this idea throughout and appropriately ties concepts back to this notion of taking responsibility for our communication. Throughout, the text offers good examples; it's well written and has a contemporary sensibility."--Lyn J. Freymiller, Penn State University "I am very intrigued and impressed by the approach that the authors take in this text and find most appealing their breadth of knowledge, substantive information and arguments, and the holistic way that they organically weave together public speaking, rhetorical discipline, and civic responsibility."--Scott Weiss, St. Francis College "The contemporary examples provide ample evidence that classical rhetorical theory is as meaningful today as it was for Quintilian."--Benjamin J. Cline, Western New Mexico UniversityTable of ContentsPreface: CHAPTER 1. Public Speaking as the Intersection of Rhetoric and Democracy RHETORIC AS A CIVIC ART THE HISTORICAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RHETORIC AND DEMOCRACY Democratic Participation in the Assembly Public Critique in a Democracy RHETORIC AND DEMOCRACY ARE MUTUALLY REINFORCING Rhetoric Encourages Democracy Democracy Encourages Rhetoric Civic Rhetoric at the Local Level --Spotlight on Social Media: Twitter and Public Activism: Civic Rhetoric at the Global Level CHAPTER 2. The Landscape of Public Discourse and the Politics of Polarization THE PROBLEMS WITH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION The Public, the Public Sphere, and Public Discourse Growing Concerns about the State of Our Public Communication The Qualities of Unproductive Discourse OBSTACLES TO PRODUCTIVE COMMUNICATION The News Media Incivility as Strategy Marketing Ideas Rather Than Working toward Compromise Reluctant Participation in Democratic Processes CHANGING OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: TOWARD PRODUCTIVE DISCOURSE Rethinking Public Discourse --Spotlight on Social Media: Keep it to Yourself? Politics on Facebook: Qualities of Productive Discourse UNPRODUCTIVE DISCOURSE AND THE ROLE OF SOCIAL PROTEST Social Hierarchy and Policing Discourse Social Protest as Political Strategy CHAPTER 3. The Ethics of Public Speaking ETHICS AND RHETORICAL ETHICS Ethical Codes Rhetorical Ethics THE ETHICS OF SPEECH PREPARATION The Deceptively Hard Work of Speech Preparation Speech Preparation as an Ethical Demand THE ETHICS OF SPEECH PERFORMANCE The Ethics of Public Influence Ethos and Five Ethical Practices of Public Communication Avoiding Plagiarism: Ethical Research: Practicing Ethical and Sound Reasoning: Ethical Language Use: Being Responsible for the Consequences of your Public Rhetoric: THE ETHICS OF LISTENING Active Listening Listening to Improve as a Speaker Qualities of Ethical Listening Ethical Listening Attitude: Listening to Comprehend and Retain Information: Listening for Message Evaluation: --Spotlight on Social Media: Ethical Listening in the Electronic Age: CHAPTER 4. Conducting Credible and Effective Research RESEARCH AS INQUIRY VERSUS STRATEGY TYPES OF SOURCES Yourself as a Resource Generalized Knowledge News --Spotlight on Social Media: Social Media Deliver and Shape the News: Scholarship and Trade Journals Books Government Documents Legal Documents Corporate Materials People's Opinions and Experiences INTERVIEWS Making a Contact Preparing for the Interview Conducting the Interview ACCESS SOURCES ONLINE Research Databases Specialized Search Engines Domain Name Labels Site-Specific Searches Simple and Advanced Field Searches Boolean Searches Searches Using Punctuation Marks Saving Sources from the Internet FOUR CRITERIA TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING SOURCES Relevance Recency Credibility Bias DOCUMENTING YOUR SOURCES Oral Citations Bibliographies CHAPTER 5. Knowing and Adapting to Your Audience THE IMPORTANCE OF AUDIENCE AUDIENCE ANALYSIS Audience Analysis and Advertising Audience Analysis and the Ancients Contemporary Audience Analysis Demographic Factors: Limitations to Using Demographic Factors: Psychological Factors: Environmental Factors: AUDIENCE ADAPTATION It's Still Your Message Finding Common Ground Using Appropriate Language Adjusting Depth and Complexity of Content Appealing to Deeply Held Values Using Compelling Supporting Appeals Selecting Credible and Familiar Sources Adaptation, Not Manipulation --Spotlight on Social Media: Mitt Romney and the Challenges of the Unintended Audience: IMAGINING THE FUTURE TOGETHER CHAPTER 6. Organizing Your Public Presentation in a Clear and Compelling Manner THE PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION Four Benefits of a Well-Organized Speech The Recursive Nature of Organization THESIS STATEMENTS: FRAMING A CLEAR PURPOSE A Thesis to Inform an Audience as They Prepare for Deliberation Damien's Draft Thesis: Damien's Revised Thesis: A Thesis for Persuasion: Advocating Community Involvement in Animal Welfare Ryan's Draft Thesis: Ryan's Revised Thesis: MAIN POINTS: THE BODY OF YOUR SPEECH Gorgias' Main Ideas Ryan's Main Ideas Your Main Ideas --Spotlight on Social Media: Twitter at Conference Presentations: PATTERNS OF ARRANGEMENT Categorical Arrangement Chronological Arrangement Spatial Arrangement Cause-Effect Arrangement Three Problem-Based Arrangements Problem - Solution Arrangement: Problem - Alternatives - Solution Arrangement: Problem - Cause - Solution - Solvency Arrangement: Refutative Arrangement Monroe's Motivated Sequence FRAMING WITH EFFECTIVE INTRODUCTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS The Functions of Introductions Get Attention: Raise a Need: Establish Credibility and Good Will: State Your Thesis or Focal Point: Preview the Body of the Speech: The Functions of Conclusions Summarize Your Main Points: Restate Your Thesis or Focal Point: Articulate Implications or Give Call to Action: End Decisively: CONNECTING SPEECH ELEMENTS Ideas for Writing Transitions and Signposts CHAPTER 7. Writing Effective Preparation and Presentation Outlines THE IMPORTANCE OF OUTLINING THE PRINCIPLES OF OUTLINING Consistent Indentation and Symbolization Subordination Coordination Parallelism Balance THE PREPARATION OUTLINE Begin with the Speech Title State Your Specific Purpose Label and State Your Thesis Label and Offer a Preview for the Speech Label Your Introduction and Conclusion Write Main Points and Sub-points in Complete Sentences Label Transitions and Internal Summaries or Internal Previews as Signposts Include a Bibliography --Sample Preparation Outline--Putting Our Heads in the Game: Deliberating Concussions and High School Football: THE PRESENTATION OUTLINE Strive for Brevity Maintain Indentation and Other Visual Guides Include Delivery Notes Format Presentation Outline for the Rhetorical Situation --Sample Presentation (Key Word) Outline-Putting Our Heads in the Game: Deliberating Concussions and High School Football: --Another Preparation Outline: Showing Compassion to Our Animal Friends (Persuasive Speech): CHAPTER 8. Using Style to Harness the Power of Language THE USES OF STYLE IN PRESENTATIONS Clarity Attention Emotion Perspective Creation STYLISTIC DEVICES Rhythm Parallelism: Repetition: Antithesis: Alliteration: Visualization Concrete Language: Visual Imagery: Simile: Metaphor: Personification: Strengthening Argument Irony: Satire: Reference to the Unusual: Community Inclusive Pronouns: Gender Neutral Language: Maxim: Ideograph: --Spotlight on Social Media: DePaul University Social Media Guidelines: FRAMING CHAPTER 9. Engaging Your Audience through Delivery and Memory DELIVERY Speech Anxiety is Normal Strategies to use Prior to Speaking: Strategies to Use During a Speech: Strategies to Use After a Speech: Find a Manner of Delivery that Works for You Delivery is Situational Your Delivery Will Develop Over Time ELEMENTS OF DELIVERY Vocal Delivery Volume: Tone: Rate: Pauses: Articulation: Pronunciation: Vocal Fillers: Nonverbal Delivery Eye contact: Facial Expressions: Gestures and Movement: Appearance: Conclusions about Vocal and Nonverbal Delivery MEMORY AND MODES OF DELIVERY Extemporaneous Delivery Impromptu Delivery Memorized Delivery Manuscript Delivery --Spotlight on Social Media: Phil Davison Wants Your Support: CHAPTER 10. Speaking Informatively through Deliberative Presentations INFORMATIVE SPEAKING The Need for Informative Speaking in Civic Affairs --Spotlight on Social Media: Mediated Learning Communities Expand Our Understanding of Informative Speaking: Types of Informative Speeches in a Civic Engagement Context Instructional Speeches: Problem-Focused Speeches: Deliberative Presentations: PREPARING A DELIBERATIVE PRESENTATION Selecting a Public Controversy Discovering a Range of Perspectives Framing for Deliberation Defining the Problem Fairly: Identifying Trade-offs: Weighing Competing Values: Organizing and Delivering the Deliberative Presentation LIMITATIONS AND BENEFITS OF INFORMATIVE SPEAKING CHAPTER 11. Helping Communities Make Difficult Decisions through Deliberative Discussions DISTINCTIVE QUALITIES OF DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSIONS DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSIONS IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT --Spotlight on Social Media: The Advantages and Challenges of Online Deliberative Discussions: DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSION STRUCTURE THE HEART OF A DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSION: WORKING THROUGH THE ISSUE DISCUSSION LEADING Creating a Comfortable Environment Specific Leadership Tasks Developing Discussion Questions PARTICIPATING IN A DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSION BENEFITS OF DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSIONS CHAPTER 12. Persuading an Audience to Modify Their Beliefs, Values, or Actions INVENTION: THE SUBSTANCE OF PERSUASION Heuristics Modes of Proof THE PERSUASIVE PROCESS Audience Analysis and Adaptation Persuasive Goal Framing Persuasive Efforts Identify an Issue Worthy of Attention Offer a Superior Response Empower Your Audience--Provide a Means to Act --Spotlight on Social Media: Persuasive Advocacy Using Facebook and Twitter: CHAPTER 13. Practicing Good Reasoning through Quality Arguments ARGUMENT AND THE TOULMIN MODEL Classical Reasoning Using the Toulmin Model Arguments and Their Limits EVIDENCE AND ITS EVALUATION Examples Statistics Testimony PATTERNS OF REASONING AND REASONING FALLACIES Reasoning from Example Reasoning from Analogy Reasoning from Cause Reasoning from Sign Reasoning from Authority Additional Common Fallacies --Spotlight on Social Media: Taking Academic Debate Online: CHAPTER 14. Designing Visual Aids to Reach an Audience VISUAL AIDS CAN BENEFIT SPEAKERS Visual Aids Can Increase Clarity Visual Aids Can Summarize Ideas Quickly Visual Aids Can Increase Audience's Attention and Recall Visual Aids Have the Power to Affect Your Credibility as a Speaker VISUAL RHETORIC AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Images Function as Visual Rhetoric Visual Aids and Civil Discourse The Pitfalls of Oversimplification, Unnecessary Complexity, and Unproductive Discourse: The Rhetoric of Visual Aids as Productive Discourse: TYPES OF VISUAL AIDS Presentation Software PowerPoint: Keynote: Prezi: Google Presentation: Final Thoughts on Presentation Software: Other Types of Visual Aids, Their Affordances, and Considerations for their Use --Spotlight on Social Media: TedTalks: Aimee Mullins "My 12 Pairs of Legs": VISUAL AIDS AND THE ART OF DESIGN Additional Considerations in Artistic Design White Space: Font: Color: Ease of Processing: Image Quality: Slide Readability for All Audience Members: Content Overload: Transition and Animation Overload: The "Ooops" Factor: INTEGRATING THE VISUAL WITH THE ORAL PRESENTATION Research Venue Constraints Practice with Your Aids Don't Read from Your Slides Don't be Afraid of a Blank Screen CHAPTER 15. Rhetorical Criticism as Civic Engagement RHETORIC AND RHETORICAL CRITICISM Rhetoric as Symbolic Action Rhetorical Criticism Description and Interpretation: Evaluation: RHETORICAL CRITICISM AS AN INTELLECTUAL DISCIPLINE FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS IN RHETORICAL CRITICISM Selecting Rhetorical Artifacts Situating Rhetorical Acts in Context Reading Rhetorical Artifacts --Spotlight on Social Media: Analyzing Visual Images as Rhetorical Artifacts: Considering Audience EVALUATING DEMOCRATIC PRACTICE AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Rhetorical Criticism as Democratic Participation CHAPTER 16. Public Communication Analysis LOCATING A RHETORICAL ARTIFACT DETERMINING THE CONTEXT DESCRIBING AND INTERPRETING THE RHETORICAL FEATURES Argumentation Appeals to Emotions and Loyalties Rhetor's Credibility Construction of the Desired Audience Construction of the Undesired Audience Organization Style and Framing Delivery --Spotlight on Social Media: A Blog Devoted to Rhetorical Criticism of Public Communication: EVALUATING THE RHETORICAL ARTIFACT Did the Artifact Achieve the Rhetor's Goals? Why or Why not? Did the Artifact Strengthen or Weaken Democratic Principles? How? How Did the Artifact Directly Support or Hurt Democratic Principles?: How Did the Artifact Indirectly Support or Hurt Democratic Principles?: CHAPTER 17. Ideological Analysis IDEOLOGICAL CRITICISM AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION LOCATING A RHETORICAL ARTIFACT DETERMINING THE CONTEXT OF THE RHETORICAL ARTIFACT DESCRIBE AND INTERPRET THE ARTIFACT'S IDEOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS Ideological Assumptions and Agency Ideological Assumptions and Hegemony Ideological Assumptions and Resistance --Spotlight on Social Media: A Mighty Girl Blog and Facebook Posts: EVALUATE HOW THE ARTIFACT'S IDEOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS ELEVATE OR CHALLENGE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES Glossary: Notes: Index:

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Book SynopsisIlluminates an ethic of moral imperfectionism, a set of anticolonial, antifascist practices devoted to ordinariness and abnegation that ranged from doomed mutinies in the Indian military to Mahatma Gandhi's spiritual discipline.Trade Review"Drawing on an unusual mix of archives, and moving fluidly between dynamic analysis and vivid historical narrative, this study is a major contribution to current debates on the relation of ethics to politics. An important and original book." (Amanda Anderson, Brown University)"

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Book SynopsisIn 1915, western farmers mounted one of the most significant challenges to party politics America has seen: the Nonpartisan League, which sought to empower citizens and restrain corporate influence. Before its collapse in the 1920s, the League counted over 250,000 paying members, spread to thirteen states and two Canadian provinces, controlled North Dakota's state government, and birthed new farmer-labor alliances. Yet today it is all but forgotten, neglected even by scholars. Michael J. Lansing aims to change that. Insurgent Democracy offers a new look at the Nonpartisan League and a new way to understand its rise and fall in the United States and Canada. Lansing argues that, rather than a spasm of populist rage that inevitably burned itself out, the story of the League is in fact an instructive example of how popular movements can create lasting change. Depicting the League as a transnational response to economic inequity, Lansing not only resurrects its story of citizen activism, b

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Book SynopsisSince the 1970s, two major trends have emerged among developing countries: the rise of new democracies and the rush to free trade. For some, the confluence of these events suggests that a free-market economy complements a fledgling democracy. Others argue that the two are inherently incompatible and that exposure to economic globalization actually jeopardizes new democracies. Which view is correct? Bumba Mukherjee argues that the reality of how democracy and trade policy unravel in developing countries is more nuanced than either account. Mukherjee offers the first comprehensive cross-national framework for identifying the specific economic conditions that influence trade policy in developing countries. Laying out the causes of variation in trade policy in four developing or recently developed countriesBrazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africahe argues persuasively that changing political interactions among parties, party leaders, and the labor market are often key to trade policy

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Book SynopsisChallenging the conventional wisdom that Americans are less engaged than ever in national life and the democratic process, this title paints a comprehensive portrait available of public deliberation in the United States and explains why it is important to America's future.Trade Review"The prospects for public deliberation represent this generation's variation on the classic question of whether ordinary citizens are actually capable of self-government. Talking Together brings new empirical data to bear on this major issue. A well-crafted study based on research by three of the field's leading scholars, this book will be of great interest to political scientists, psychologists, sociologists, and anyone else whose work deals with political participation." - M. Stephen Weatherford, University of California, Santa Barbara"

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Book SynopsisThough Tocqueville is the main subject, this book also examines Augustine, Hobbes, Rousseau, Hegel and Nietzsche. It offers an interpretation of Tocqueville as a moral historian, concerned less with history as an objective record than as a disclosure of the trajectory of the human spirit.

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Book SynopsisThis work presents a revisionist account of Ralph Waldo Emerson's influential thought on individualism, in particular his political psychology. It illuminates contradictions in Emerson's political outlook, and the conjunctions of liberal and authoritarian ideology they produced.Table of ContentsA Note on Emerson's Texts Acknowledgments Introduction 1: The Submissive Center 2: The Authoritarian Language of Liberal Religion 3: Democratic Prophecy and Corporate Individualism 4: Friendly Inequalities: Emerson and Straight Homoeroticism 5: Loving Bondage: The Authority of Domestic Remoteness 6: Market Despotism: "The Poet Affirms the Laws" 7: Corporatism and the Genes of Liberal Racism 8: Continuations: Liberation from Management Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review@BUHLE\Working for Democracy@"Contains fourteen short chapters by well-known historians of the American working class, American women, Afro-Americans, or anti-capitalist movements... They stretch over two full centuries, describing and analyzing some of the most important moments in our history." -- Herbert G. Gutman, from the foreward.

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Book SynopsisDescribes how people become politically engaged, how they build civic communities, and how they generate political energy or public will. This book argues that political discussion is the doorway into politics. It explains what a democratic citizenry must do if representative government is to perform effectively.Trade Review"We the people are pretty disgusted with politics. . . . But what we're disgusted with is formally elected, representative government. . . . There is another form of American politics, however, one vital to the American ideal that government is of, by, and for the people. It resides in our town-meeting-like habit of banding together to do things that need doing in our communities, whether it's keeping a toxic-waste dump from being put next door to a school or cleaning up the neighborhood. It depends not upon election, but upon self-selection and not upon careerism, but upon good citizenship and fellow feeling. Perhaps . . . by realizing how much political power we can and do wield in our own backyards, we may lose some of our despondency and a lot of our dependency upon our elective government."--ALA Booklist"The optimism of David Mathews is very much needed in these cynical times. His faith that the public can play a much more substantial political role is contagious. . . . An effective antidote to the prevailing cynical view of an apathetic public that has little interest in any but the most parochial concerns."--William Stewart, The Alabama Review"An extraordinarily timely, topical, and useful book. Written in an accessible, popular style, it addresses the central public question of our time: How to develop a politics that works?"--Harry C. Boyte, coauthor of Citizen Action and the New American Populism"There is a remarkable wave of innovative thought and action among social problem solvers at the grassroots today--and Politics for People is at the leading edge of that wave. It is required reading for citizens."--John W. Gardner, Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professor in Public Service, Stanford University"Accessible and deeply important, Politics for People makes a vital contribution to the debate about the nature of American democracy."--Benjamin F. Barber, author of The Conquest of Politics: Liberal Philosophy in Democratic Times"Goes several steps beyond many recent reflections on public disenchantment with traditional political behavior and with governance by politics-as-usual. David has effectively integrated a candid examination of the dilemma of inaccessible politics with practical examples of ways in which ordinary citizens can manage, influence, and even capture the future of their own communities. Politics for People makes a very valuable contribution to the literature on political participation."--Eddie N. Williams, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

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Book SynopsisFrom one of America's foremost economic and political thinkers comes a vital analysis of our new hypercompetitive and turbo-charged global economy and the effect it is having on American democracy. With his customary wit and insight, Reich shows how widening inequality of income and wealth, heightened job insecurity, and corporate corruption are merely the logical results of a system in which politicians are more beholden to the influence of business lobbyists than to the voters who elected them. Powerful and thought-provoking, Supercapitalism argues that a clear separation of politics and capitalism will foster an enviroment in which both business and government thrive, by putting capitalism in the service of democracy, and not the other way around.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“No one in the West understands Russia's strategic thinking, Vladimir Putin's strategic ambitions, as well as [Fiona] Hill." — Ezra Klein, The Ezra Klein Show “The rare Trump insider memoir that doesn’t obsess over Trump . . . As it turns out, we should have paid more attention to Hill’s life story. Though her book does feature first-person accounts of Trump and his inner circle, There Is Nothing for You Here is a more ambitious and personal effort.” — Washington Post “Riveting…compelling…Hill deftly combines three books into one to great effect…This is not a kiss-and-tell account, but what she does relate of her interactions with the president is in every case worth telling.” — Foreign Affairs “Hill is a lucid writer, delivering her reminiscences in a vivid and wry style. . . . with immediacy, tenderness and a good bit of gallows humor.” — New York Times "Thoughtful...compelling....While other Trump-era memoirs have focused solely on the carnival, Hill's scope pans out to the wounded country that put him in office, and then wider still, across the Atlantic to Britain and then across Europe to Russia." — The Guardian "Full of startling and unsettling insights into how Trump dealt with foreign leaders and his ‘autocrat envy.’ Hill’s book is also a compelling memoir about her journey from a working-class background in northern England to the corridors of power in Washington. Her background gives her particular insight into the social and economic forces driving the rise of populism in the US, UK and Russia.” — Gideon Rachman, “Best books of 2021,” Financial Times “The alarm [Hill] sounds is urgent . . . She sees striking similarities between the impoverished region of her roots and disadvantaged areas of both America and Russia. . . . Her journey from disadvantaged origins to success has echoes of the bestselling tales of Tara Westover’s Educated and J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy.” — The Economist “This book has a miraculous quality. Fiona Hill has transformed her own predicaments in the Trump administration into a prescription for a better America. Known as an outstanding expert on Russia and an exemplary public servant, she reveals herself here as a wise observer and a beautiful writer. As a memoir this is hard to put down; if you are seeking a better American future you should pick it up.” — Timothy Snyder, Yale University, New York Times best-selling author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century “[An] ambitious, immensely compelling memoir, Hill interweaves her interesting life story with events and issues she has continued to observe during her career . . . The author persuasively argues that America may be heading in a similar direction to Russia unless we address the crucial challenges facing much of the country, specifically regarding education, health care, and job opportunities. Drawing insightful parallels between Trump and Putin, she unpacks how the threat of populism can quickly undermine democracy . . . A shrewd, absorbing memoir that casts a sharp eye on America's future while offering feasible solutions for change.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Valuable and riveting . . . Hill’s personal, professional and political lives form a coherent whole so that each part illuminates the other . . . a memoir that will give pleasure to readers today — and will be an important document for historians of the future.” — Financial Times "In this captivating chronicle of her improbable life, Fiona Hill takes us from a Northern England of idled coal mines and deindustrialization to Trump’s Oval Office, demonstrating how individual biography can illuminate far broader issues of world affairs. Her book represents a stern and essential warning about the global threats to democracy and their root causes in a worldwide crisis of opportunity." — Drew Gilpin Faust, President Emerita and Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor, Harvard University “A story told with self-deprecating humor and kindness . . . Unlike other tell-all authors from the Trump administration, [Hill] isn’t obsessed with the scandalous. Much like her measured but riveting testimony in Trump’s first impeachment, the book offers a more sober, and thus perhaps more alarming, portrait of the 45th president. If Hill’s tone is restrained, it is damning by a thousand cuts. It lays out how a career devoted to understanding and managing the Russian threat crashed into her revelation that the greatest threat to America comes from within.” — Associated Press "A sobering analysis of the toxic environment Trump and his aides created and how it continues to threaten democracy’s very existence.” — Booklist (starred review) “Fiona Hill knows all too well the threats posed by Russia and the Trump administration, but this well-written, analytically sophisticated autobiography is focused on an even more dangerous crisis: the vast and growing opportunity gap in the United States and much of the rest of the world. Her personal story of upward mobility from the distressed coal fields of northern England to the White House is, as she knows, ‘a fluke.’ That is precisely what makes this remarkable book must reading for anyone concerned about our country’s future.” — Robert D. Putnam, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, and New York Times best-selling author of Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis and The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again "Lucid . . . a forceful argument for investing in education to lower the barriers to opportunity . . . Readers will come for the insider details about Trump, but stay for the keen analysis." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A masterful book with remarkable depth and breadth…There Is Nothing for You Here is a wonderful and compelling read that interweaves its author’s amazing personal journey with deep analysis of some of the most urgent issues facing capitalism, democracy, and international diplomacy today. It is a rare and remarkable combination.” — Carol Graham, Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and College Park Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Policy "Fiona Hill’s talents took her from England to Putin’s Russia and to the Trump White House. She has lived through the social and economic disintegration of all three countries, and has the close-up experience to draw new parallels between Putin and Trump. A candid, insightful, and disturbing story.” — Sir Angus Deaton, Nobel Prize winner and co-author of the New York Times best-selling Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

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Book SynopsisVoting rights journalist Ari Berman has been detailing threats to our democracy for years, and his new book Minority Rule is a timely and essential read. He expertly shows how Republicans are trying to rig our political systemand shares how we can fight back. Hillary Clinton on XA riveting account of the decades-long effort by reactionary white conservatives to undermine democracy and entrench their powerand the movement to stop them.The mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, represented an extreme form of the central danger facing American democracy today: a blatant disregard for the will of the majority. But this crisis didn't begin or end with Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Through voter suppression, election subversion, gerrymandering, dark money, the takeover of the courts, and the whitewashing of history, reactionary white conservatives have strategically entrenched power in the face of a massive demo

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Book SynopsisThis addresses an important problem in democratic transition and consolidation: the ability of the chief executive to control the state bureaucracy. Using three well-chosen case studies—the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan—Jeeyang Rhee Baum explores the causes and consequences of codifying rules and procedures in a newly democratic government.

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Book SynopsisAn urgent call to arms from Time?s Person of the Year,the Ukrainian leader whose unwavering courage in the face of the Russian invasion has inspired the world and turned him overnight into a global beacon of democracyThe words of a man. The message of a people.Bringing together a new introduction by Volodymyr Zelensky with his most powerful war speeches, this book recounts Ukraine?s story through the words of its president.It is the story of a nation valiantly defending itself from Russian aggression. And it is the story of a people leading the world in the struggle for democracy.Above all, it is a battle cry for us all to stand up and fight for liberty. If not now, when?The only book officially authorized by President Zelensky, A Message from Ukraine includes speeches he has personally selected to tell the story of the Ukrainian people.

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Book SynopsisA classic, radical study of development via US foreign policy from the post-war periodTrade Review'Pathbreaking ... a major contribution' -- Marilyn B. Young'A landmark book' -- Zachary LockmanTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by Thomas Ferguson Introduction by Robert Vitalis 1. The 'New Look' in Development Studies 2. Making Connections 3. Discourse on Development 4. Transparent Boundaries: From Policies to Studies of Political Development 5. Defining the Parameters of Discourse 6. The Academic Translation: Liberal Democratic Theory and Interpretations of Political Development 7. The Impossible Task of Theories of Political Development Epilogue Notes Index

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Book Synopsisaeo Examines the impact of transnational forces on political life and, in the light of this, generates a new agenda for world politics today. aeo Highly original and far--reaching account of how democracy can be recast to meet the challenges of new global forces -- e.g.Trade Review"Extending democracy beyond borders is what I advocated throughout my mandate at the UN. This fascinating book tells us that while transnational democracy is still a utopian fantasy it may be the reality of tomorrow." Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations "This outstanding contribution to political thought shows how, in the contemporary world, domestic democracy and transnational democracy have become two sides of the same coin. Without both, democracy has no future." Norberto Bobbio, University of Turin "Impressive volume." Foreign Affairs "All the most important thinkers on cosmopolitan democracy are included and there is not a duff esay in the book ... for those of us interested in the developing literature on the transnationalization of democracy the book is a gem and should become a staple reference point in a continuing debate." International AffairsTable of ContentsList of Contributors. Introduction Daniele Archibugi, David Held and Martin Köhler. Part 1. The Transformation of the Interstate System. 1. Democracy and Globalization: David Held. 2. Governance and Democracy in a Globalizing World: James N. Rosenau. 3. Human Rights as a Model for Cosmopolitan Democracy: David Beetham. 4. The Global Democracy Deficit: an Essay in International Law and its Limits: James Crawford and Susan Marks. 5. Reconceptualizing Organized Violence: Mary Kaldor. Part II: Citizenship, Sovereignty and Transnational Democracy. . 6. Citizenship and Sovereignty in the post-Westphalian European State: Andrew Linklater. 7. Citizenship in the EU - A Paradigm for Transnational Democracy?: Ulrich K. Preuss. 8. Between Cosmopolis and Community: Three Models of Rights and Democracy within the European Union: Richard Bellamy and Dario Castiglione. 9. Community Identity and World Citizenship: Janna Thompson. 10. Principles of Cosmopolitan Democracy: Daniele Archibugi. Part III: The Prospects of Cosmopolitan Democracy. . 11. From the National to the Cosmopolitan Public Sphere: Martin Kohler. 12. Refugees: a Special Case for Cosmopolitan Citizenship?: Pierre Hassner. 13. Global Security Problems and the Challenge to Democratic Process: Gwyn Prins and Elizabeth Sellwood. 14. Democracy in the United Nations System; Cosmopolitan and Communitarian Principles: Derk Bienen, Volker Rittberger and Wolfgang Wagner. 15. The United Nations and Cosmopolitan Democracy: Bad Dream, Utopian Fantasy, Political Project: Richard Falk. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe ascendancy of neo-liberalism in different parts of the world has put social democracy on the defensive. Its adherents lack a clear rationale for their policies. Yet a justification for social democracy is implicit in the United Nations Covenants on Human Rights, ratified by most of the worlds countries. The covenants commit all nations to guarantee that their citizens shall enjoy the traditional formal rights; but they likewise pledge governments to make those rights meaningful in the real world by providing social security and cultural recognition to every person. This new book provides a systematic defence of social democracy for our contemporary global age. The authors argue that the claims to legitimation implicit in democratic theory can be honored only by social democracy; libertarian democracies are defective in failing to protect their citizens adequately against social, economic, and environmental risks that only collective action can obviate. Ultimately, social demTrade Review“The theory of social democracy developed by Professor Thomas Meyer marks an impressive, thought-provoking advance in the broader theory of democracy.” Jürgen Habermas “This is an excellent book to give to students to make them think about the differences between various types of social democracy, also about the difference between liberal and social democracy. It is likely to prove highly influential and to be a benchmark for future debates.” Andrew Gamble, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Democratic theory as a framework 1 Social democracy and the social welfare state 4 Part I Political Theory 7 1 Social Rights, Risks, and Obligations 9 1.1 Contradictions in political liberalism 9 1.2 Social citizenship 17 1.3 Universal fundamental rights 20 1.4 Social risks and fundamental rights 26 1.5 Self-reliance and civic duties 38 1.6 Social democracy and sustainability 42 1.7 Justice and political integration 53 2 Regulation, Participation, and Actors 64 2.1 Political duties 64 2.2 Actors, systems, and strategies 68 2.3 Political actors in social democracy 70 2.4 Political steering and social democracy 80 2.5 Democratizing society 89 2.6 Civil society and liberal democracy 92 Part II Political Economy 97 3 The Social Market Economy 99 3.1 Fundamental rights and political economy 99 3.2 Public goods and civil rights 102 3.3 The market–state complex 107 3.4 Imbedding the economy 111 3.5 Varieties of Capitalism 113 3.6 Types of capitalism compared 121 3.7 The social market economy 125 3.8 The social market economy and globalization 127 4 A Rights-Based Welfare State 136 4.1 Social security regimes 136 4.2 Welfare state and welfare society 147 4.3 Labor and human dignity 148 4.4 Education as a crucial resource 152 4.5 Perspectives on sustainability 156 Part III The Politics of Globalization 161 5 Progressive Globalization 163 5.1 Social democracy and globalization 163 5.2 Global citizenship 167 5.3 Global governance 170 5.4 The global imbedding of markets 175 5.5 Globalization and political contingency 180 5.6 Shaping and coping 183 Part IV Cultural Foundations 189 6 The Universalism of Social Democracy 191 7 Cultural Divergence and Social Citizenship 196 7.1 Multiculturalism and political rights 196 7.2 Cultural difference and social citizenship 202 Part V Theory and Practice 207 8 Libertarian and Social Democracies Compared 209 Appendix 214 9 Defective and Consolidated Democracy 221 Conclusion 228 Notes 231 References and Bibliography 247 Index 269

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Book SynopsisTamas formerly of Georgetown University; Vladimir Tismaneanu, University of Maryland at College Park; Grigory Yavlinsky, member of the Russian State Duma (parliament).Trade ReviewA thoughtful collection of essays on the hazards, practical and conceptual, of one of the monumental changes in world affairs in our time. -- Bohdan Harasymiw International Journal 2004Table of ContentsContents: I. The Exit from Communism 1. How Different Are Postcommunist Transitions: Ghia Nodia 2. Comparing East and South: Valerie Bunce 3. The Persistence of Postcommunist Elites: John Higley, Judith Kullberg, and Jan Pakulsk i4. Civil Society after Communism: Aleksander Smolar 5. Understanding Postcommunist Transitions: Leszek Balcerowicz 6. Estonia's Success Story: Mart Laar 7. The Postcommunist Wars: Charles H. Fairbanks, Jr. II. The East European Experience 8. The Postcommunist Divide: Jacques Rupnik 9. Europe Transformed: Richard Rose 10. Reassessing the Revolutions of 1989: Vladimir Tismaneanu 11. The Transformation of Central Europe: Bronislaw Gereme k12. Victory Defeated: G.M. Tamas 13. The International Context: Jacques Rupnik 14. A Diverging Europe: Richard Rose 15. History and Memory: The Revolutions of 1989-91: Aleksander Smolar III. The Post-Soviet Experience 16. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: Michael McFaul 17. The Primacy of History and Culture: Zbigniew Brzezinski 18. The Impact of Nationalism: Ghia Nodia 19. From Democratization to "Guided Democracy": Archie Brown 20. The Advantages of Radical Reform: Anders Aslund 21. Disillusionment in the Caucasus and Central Asia: Charles H. Fairbanks, Jr. 22. Sovereignty and Uncertainty in Ukraine: Nadia Diuk 23. Russia's Hybrid Regime: Lilia Shevtsova 24. Putin's Path: M. Steven Fish 25. Going Backwards: Grigory Yavlinsky 26. A Mixed Record, an Uncertain Future: Michael McFaul

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Book SynopsisLouis and University of Miami; Gordon Redding, University of Hong Kong; Tun-jen Cheng, College of William and Mary; Yun-han Chu, National Taiwan University; Laurence Whitehead, Oxford University.Trade ReviewThe contributors to the the book make a strong argument that although these two regions seem rather disparate, recent developments indicate that there is strong potential for convergence between them. -- Barsha Khattry Perspectives on Political Science A number of the articles in this book are truly outstanding. -- Juan D. Lindau Pacific Affairs Emerging Market Democracies provides useful insights into topics that connect market economies to various nations' politics, especially efforts at democratization, and compares and contrasts two important regions of the world in their quests for modernization. -- John F. Copper Asian Affairs 2004 This book is a good start for cross-regional analysis of the political economy of East Asia and Latin America. -- Cynthia McClintock Japanese Journal of Political ScienceTable of ContentsContents: Stirrings of Mutual Recognition The Politics of the Asian Financial Crisis State-bBusiness Relations in South Korea and Taiwan State-Business Relations in Latin America Captial Mobility and Democratic Stability Dimensions of Development Alternative Systems of Capitalism Does Education Promote Growth and Democracy? The Hazards of Convergence

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Book SynopsisRomero and Luis Salamanca, Central University of Venezuela; Harold Trinkunas, Naval Postgraduate School.Trade ReviewThe contributors to this edited volume show the negative political impact of an economy based on oil exports and dependent on the global price of oil. Choice 2005 This sobering postmortem reveals with depressing clarity the conditions that gave rise to Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. -- Richard Feinberg Foreign Affairs 2005 Provides the best contextual understanding of Venezuelan politics, both today and in recent decades. -- Alan Siaroff Political Studies Review 2005 The breadth of the editors' approach is a welcome corrective to those works on Venezuela that focus almost exclusively on institutional arrangements including electoral systems and the rules governing executive power. -- Steve Ellner Journal of Latin American Studies 2005 This volume is a welcome addition to the rather thin body of scholarship on Venezuela. -- Matthew Soberg Shugart Perspectives on Politics 2005 An excellent edited volume that updates the literature on several aspects of Venezuela's political system. -- Kirk A. Hawkins Latin American Politics and Society 2006 Important book. -- Maxwell A. Cameron Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 2007Table of ContentsForewordPreface and AcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroductionPart I: Antecedents: The Foundations of the Punto Fijo Regime of Representative DemocracyChapter 1. The Normalization of Punto Fijo DemocracyPart II: The Actors: Making Political DemandsChapter 2. Urban Poor and Political OrderChapter 3. The Military: From Marginalization to Center StageChapter 4. Entrepreneurs: Profits without Power?Chapter 5. Civil Society: Late BloomersChapter 6. Intellectuals: An Elite DividedChapter 7. The United States and Venezuela: From a Special Relationship to Wary NeighborsChapter 8. The Unraveling of Venezuela's Party System: From Party Rule to Personalistic Politics and DeinstitutionalizationPart III: Policy Making and Its ConsequencesChapter 9. Decentralization: Key to Understanding a Changing NationChapter 10. The Syndrome of Economic Decline and the Quest for ChangeChapter 11. Public Opinion, Political Socialization, and Regime StabilizationPart IV: ConclusionChapter 12. From Representative to Participatory Democracy? Regime Transformation in VenezuelaNotesGlossaryReferencesList of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisSchmitter, European University Institute, Florence; Doh Chull Shin, University of Missouri at Columbia.Trade ReviewAn important milestone in the study of democratic quality, and an excellent resource for both scholarly researchers and graduate courses on comparative democracy and democratization. -- Daunis Auerson Political Studies Review 2007Table of ContentsAcknowldgmentsIntroductionI. Dimensions of Democratic Quality1. Why the Rule of Law Matters2. The Ambiguous Virtues of Accountability3. Freedom as the Foundation4. Addressing Inequality5. The Chain of Responsiveness6. A Skeptical PerspectiveII. Comparative Case Studies7. Italy and Spain8. Chile and Brazil9. Bangladesh and India10. South korea and Taiwan11. Poland and Romania12. Ghana and South AfricaIndex

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Book SynopsisAnalyzes the function of informal institutions in Latin America and how they support or weaken democratic governance. This work examines how informal rules shape the performance of state and democratic institutions, offering insights into contemporary problems of governability, and unrule of law.Trade ReviewOne of the most interesting and illuminating works on Latin American politics to appear in recent years. -- Joe Foweraker Journal of Latin American Studies 2007 Rich in empirical material and in provoking theoretical questions. -- Julian Durazo Herrmann European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 2007Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionPart I. The Informal Politics of Executive-Legislative Relations1. Accommodating Informal Institutions and Chilean Democracy2. How Informal Electoral Institutions Shape the Brazilian Legislative Arena3. Crafting Legislative Ghost Coalitions in Ecuador: Informal Institutions and Economic Reform in an Unlikely CasePart II. Informal Institutions and Electoral Politics4. Informal Institutions When Formal Contracting Is Prohibited: Campaign Finance in Brazil5. The Difficult Road from Caudillismo to Democracy: The Impact of Clientelism in Honduras6. Do Informal Rules Make Democracy Work? Accounting for Accountability in ArgentinaPart III. Informal Institutions and Party Politics7. The Birth and Transformation of the Dedazo in Mexico8. Election Insurance and Coalition Survival: Formal and Informal Institutions in Chile9. Informal Institutions and Party Organization in Latin AmericaPart IV. Informal Judicial Institutions and The Rule of Law10. The Rule of (Non)Law: Prosecuting Police Killings in Brazil and Argentina11. Mexico's Postelectoral Concertacasiones: The Rise and Demise of a Substitutive Informal Institution12. Dispensing Justice at the Margins of Formality: The Informal Rule of Law in Latin AmericaConclusionAfterword: On Informal institutions, Once AgainNotesReferences

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Book SynopsisAnalyzes the function of informal institutions in Latin America and how they support or weaken democratic governance. This work examines how informal rules shape the performance of state and democratic institutions, offering insights into contemporary problems of governability, and unrule of law.Trade ReviewOne of the most interesting and illuminating works on Latin American politics to appear in recent years. -- Joe Foweraker Journal of Latin American Studies 2007 Rich in empirical material and in provoking theoretical questions. -- Julian Durazo Herrmann European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies 2007Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionPart I. The Informal Politics of Executive-Legislative Relations1. Accommodating Informal Institutions and Chilean Democracy2. How Informal Electoral Institutions Shape the Brazilian Legislative Arena3. Crafting Legislative Ghost Coalitions in Ecuador: Informal Institutions and Economic Reform in an Unlikely CasePart II. Informal Institutions and Electoral Politics4. Informal Institutions When Formal Contracting Is Prohibited: Campaign Finance in Brazil5. The Difficult Road from Caudillismo to Democracy: The Impact of Clientelism in Honduras6. Do Informal Rules Make Democracy Work? Accounting for Accountability in ArgentinaPart III. Informal Institutions and Party Politics7. The Birth and Transformation of the Dedazo in Mexico8. Election Insurance and Coalition Survival: Formal and Informal Institutions in Chile9. Informal Institutions and Party Organization in Latin AmericaPart IV. Informal Judicial Institutions and The Rule of Law10. The Rule of (Non)Law: Prosecuting Police Killings in Brazil and Argentina11. Mexico's Postelectoral Concertacasiones: The Rise and Demise of a Substitutive Informal Institution12. Dispensing Justice at the Margins of Formality: The Informal Rule of Law in Latin AmericaConclusionAfterword: On Informal institutions, Once AgainNotesReferences

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Book SynopsisThis book will interest scholars of Latin American politics, democratization studies, market reform, and comparative politics and international relations.Trade ReviewAnalytically sophisticated and heavily documented with an extensive bibliography. It belongs in all college and university libraries... Highly recommended. Choice 2008 Highly original academic work. -- Russell Crandall Survival Gonzalez's book is a serious attempt to understand the complex processes of political and economic change in Chile and Mexico. It is worth reading, and opens up an important debate about authoritarian rule and its pernicious consequences. -- Reynaldo Yunuen Ortega Oritz Journal of Latin American Studies 2010Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Dual Transitions from Authoritarian RulePart I: The 1970s: Divergent Politicoeconomic Trajectories1. Chile, 1970–19822. Mexico, 1970–1982Part II: The 1980s: Surviving the Crisis Years and Convergence of Trajectories3. Chile's Decisive Decade, 1982–19904. Mexico's Lost Decade, 1982–1988Part III: The 1990s: Versions of Electoral Democracy and Free Market Economies5. The New Chile, 1990–20006. Mexico in North America, 1988–2000Conclusion: Dual Transitions in Chile, Mexico, and BeyondNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisSchamis, Andreas Schedler, Mitchell A. Seligson, Lourdes Sola, Arturo Valenzuela, Donna Lee Van CottTrade ReviewConveniently summarizes important arguments by leading scholars. -- Richard Feinberg Foreign Affairs 2009 This valuable collection is essential for all. Choice 2009 A good many insightful analyses of recent events in Latin America. -- Daniel M. Brinks Journal of Latin American Studies 2010Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: Trends in the RegionChapter 1. Latin American Presidencies InterruptedChapter 2. The Crisis of Representation in the AndesChapter 3. Latin America's Indigenous PeoplesChapter 4. Populism, Socialism, and Democratic InstitutionsChapter 5. Explaining the Left's ResurgenceChapter 6. The Rise of Populism and the LeftChapter 7. The Transformation of the Labor ArenaPart II: Case Studies: South AmericaChapter 8. Argentina: From Kirchner to KirchnerChapter 9. Politics, Markets, and Society in BrazilChapter 10. Problems of Success in ChileChapter 11. An Unlikely Comeback in PeruChapter 12. Colombia Hews to the Path of ChangeChapter 13. Venezuela: Chávez and the OppositionChapter 14. Ecuador: Correa's Plebiscitary PresidencyPart III: Case Studies: Mexico, Central America, the CaribbeanChapter 15. Mexico's Contentious ElectionChapter 16. The Mobilization of Distrust in MexicoChapter 17. Looking to Mexico's FutureChapter 18. From Turmoil to Stability in Central AmericaChapter 19. The Caribbean: Democracy Adrift?Index

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Book SynopsisIt will be essential in setting research agendas and policy discussions for a broad range of scholars and practitioners.Trade Review"Democracies in Danger harnesses cutting-edge research by world-class scholars to the urgent task of designing feasible proposals to make new democracies work better. The result is an invaluable contribution that will be required reading for academics and practitioners alike." - Richard Snyder, Brown University"Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Undertheorized Political Problems in the Founding Democratization LiteraturePart I: Managing Potential Cultural Conflicts Democratically Chapter 1. Civil Society, Islam, and Ethnocommunal ConflictChapter 2. Debating Secession Peacefully and Democratically: The Case of CanadaPart II: Toward Creating and Controlling Democratically Usable Security ServicesChapter 3. The New "Double Challenge": Democratic Control and Efficacy of Military, Police, and IntelligenceChapter 4. Beyond Threats to Democracy from the Armed Forces, Police, and Intelligence: The Spanish CasePart III: Refining Presidentialism and Semi-PresidentialismChapter 5. Latin America's Interrupted Presidencies: Alternatives?Chapter 6. The Predicament of Semi-presidentialismConclusion: The Way ForwardNotesList of ContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisSchmitter, Amartya Sen, Alfred Stepan, Palle Svensson, Nicolas van de Walle, Lucan A. WayTrade ReviewIn all, this is an excellent book for students of politics, and would also be a great benefit to many of democracy's practitioners. -- Prof. Damien Kingsbury Forum 2010Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I: What is Democracy?Chapter 1. What Democracy Is...And Is NotChapter 2. What Makes Elections Free and Fair?Chapter 3. Delegative DemocracyChapter 4. How Far Can Free Government Travel?Chapter 5. From Liberalism to Liberal DemocracyPart II: What Sustains Democracy?Chapter 6. Three Paradoxes of DemocracyChapter 7. What Makes Democracies Endure?Chapter 8. Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social CapitalChapter 9. Religion, Democracy, and the "Twin Tolerations"Part III: What Institutions Work Best?Chapter 10. Constitutional Design for Divided SocietiesChapter 11. Federalism and Democracy: Beyong the U.S. ModelChapter 12. The Import of InstitutionsChapter 13. Constitutional Courts: A Primer for Decision MakersChapter 14. Stronger Legislatures, Stronger DemocraciesChapter 15. Constitutional MedicinePart IV: Elections Without Democracy?Chapter 16. Thinking About Hybrid RegimesChapter 17. The Rise of Competitive AuthoritarianismChapter 18. The Menu of ManipulationChapter 19. Africa's Range of RegimesChapter 20. International Linkage and DemocratizationPart V: Is Democacy a Universal Value?Chapter 21. Democracy as a Univeral ValueChapter 22. Democracy and Liberty: The Cultural ConnectionChapter 23. Confucianism and DemocracyChapter 24. Buddhism, Asian Values, and DemocracyChapter 25. Muslims and DemocracyChapter 27. The Rise of "Muslim Democracy"Index

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Book SynopsisWeiss, Christopher Wyrod, Daniel J. YoungTrade ReviewThe collection is representative of African politics and will serve the needs of faculty, especially for undergraduate courses. Choice 2010 Given its broad sweep of anglophone Africa, highly readable style, balanced perspectives, and penetrating analysis, this volume represents an important contribution to the field and a valuable resource for students wishing to comprehend the seemingly contradictory outcomes associated with African democratisation. -- Ian Cooper Journal of Modern African Studies 2011 Rich accounts of democracy's progress and retreat in Africa. -- Inge Amundsen African Studies Review 2011Table of ContentsAcknowledgements IntroductionPart I: Progress and Retreat in AfricaChapter 1. Challenges of a "Frontier" RegionChapter 2. Presidents UntamedChapter 3. Legislatures on the Rise?Chapter 4. The Rule of Law versus the Big ManChapter 5. The Institutionalization of Political Power in AfricaChapter 6. The Decline of the African Military CoupChapter 7. Growth Without Prosperity in AfricaChapter 8. Formal versus Informal Institutions in AfricaPart II: West AfricaChapter 9. Nigeria's Muddled ElectionsChapter 10. Another Step Forward for GhanaChapter 11. Senegal: The Return of PersonalismChapter 12. Sierra Leone: A Vote for Better GovernanceChapter 13. Liberia Starts OverPart III: East AfricaChapter 14. Kenya: Back from the Brink?Chapter 15. The Crisis in KenyaChapter 16. Tanzania's Missing OppositionChapter 17. Personalizing Power in UgandaChapter 18. The Remarkable Story of SomalilandPart IV: Southern and Central AfricaChapter 19. An Accidental Advance? South Africa's 2009 ElectionsChapter 20. The Illusion of Democracy in BotswanaChapter 21. Zambia: One Party in Perpetuity?Chapter 22. Voting for Change in the DRCChapter 23. Angola's Façade DemocracyChapter 24. Zimbabwe's Long AgonyIndex

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Book SynopsisEmpirically thorough and conceptually clear, Crafting State-Nations will have a substantial impact on the study of comparative political institutions and the conception and understanding of nationalism and democracy.Trade ReviewUseful and important. Choice For its conceptual innovation, erudition, and real-world applicability, this book deserves to be widely read... The authors tell us that the goal of their analysis is "to expand our collective political imaginations" (p. xiv) about how to combine democracy and ethnic diversity. They have brilliantly succeeded in meeting that goal. -- Ashutosh Varshney Journal of Democracy This book offers a compelling account of "state-nation" -ism as a political model. -- Louise Tillin Publius The book makes a very timely and important intervention to understanding nationalism and democracy in the study of comparative politics. -- Rohit K. Dasgupta Asian Affairs As they intended, Stepan, Linz, and Yadav have imagined alternative democratic formations for managing deeply pluralistic societies. Their models of state-nations, and of federacies, expand the realm of what might be considered politically possible in democracies. For this reason, their work will be of interest to scholars interested in pluralistic societies and concerned about democracy in all parts of the world. -- Daniel Jasper International Journal on World PeaceTable of ContentsList of Tables and FiguresPreface1. Comparative Theory and Political Practice: Do We Need a ''State-Nation'' Model as Well as a ''Nation-State'' Model?2. India as a State-Nation: Shared Political Community amidst Deep Cultural Diversity3. Four Indian Cases That Challenge State-Nation Theory?4. Tamils in India: How State-Nation Policies Helped Construct Multiple but Complementary Identities5. Tamils in Sri Lanka: How Nation-State Policies Helped Construct Polar and Conflictual Identities6. Ukraine: State-Nation Policies in a Unitary State7. Federacy: A Formula for Democratically Managing MultinationalSocieties in Unitary States8. The U.S. Federal Model and Multinational Societies: Some Problems for Democratic Theory and PracticeBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisEmpirically thorough and conceptually clear, Crafting State-Nations will have a substantial impact on the study of comparative political institutions and the conception and understanding of nationalism and democracy.Trade ReviewUseful and important. Choice For its conceptual innovation, erudition, and real-world applicability, this book deserves to be widely read... The authors tell us that the goal of their analysis is "to expand our collective political imaginations" (p. xiv) about how to combine democracy and ethnic diversity. They have brilliantly succeeded in meeting that goal. -- Ashutosh Varshney Journal of Democracy This book offers a compelling account of "state-nation" -ism as a political model. -- Louise Tillin Publius The book makes a very timely and important intervention to understanding nationalism and democracy in the study of comparative politics. -- Rohit K. Dasgupta Asian Affairs As they intended, Stepan, Linz, and Yadav have imagined alternative democratic formations for managing deeply pluralistic societies. Their models of state-nations, and of federacies, expand the realm of what might be considered politically possible in democracies. For this reason, their work will be of interest to scholars interested in pluralistic societies and concerned about democracy in all parts of the world. -- Daniel Jasper International Journal on World PeaceTable of ContentsList of Tables and FiguresPreface1. Comparative Theory and Political Practice: Do We Need a ''State-Nation'' Model as Well as a ''Nation-State'' Model?2. India as a State-Nation: Shared Political Community amidst Deep Cultural Diversity3. Four Indian Cases That Challenge State-Nation Theory?4. Tamils in India: How State-Nation Policies Helped Construct Multiple but Complementary Identities5. Tamils in Sri Lanka: How Nation-State Policies Helped Construct Polar and Conflictual Identities6. Ukraine: State-Nation Policies in a Unitary State7. Federacy: A Formula for Democratically Managing MultinationalSocieties in Unitary States8. The U.S. Federal Model and Multinational Societies: Some Problems for Democratic Theory and PracticeBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisDesigned to spur debate on how to incorporate democracy and human rights initiatives into the mainstream foreign policy of the EU and its member states, this study challenges the standard view that the EU has established itself as a distinctive normative power.Trade ReviewThe individual chapters are clearly written and well structured, offering a wealth of information and sound analyses of recent developments, and discussing the shortcomings of the theoretical frameworks employed to date to understand Europe's failure to make the promotion of democratic values the cornerstone of its foreign policy. Choice This book can be used as a handbook for political science students in order to have a better understanding of the European Union's commitment to democratisation attempts around the world. -- Nihan Akincilar Political Studies ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsChapter 1. Introduction: Idealism at BayChapter 2. Unfinished Business: European Political Conditionality After Eastern EnlargementChapter 3. The Balkans: European InducementsChapter 4. Ukraine: A New PartnershipChapter 5. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe: A Paper Tiger?Chapter 6. Central Asia: Limited ModernizationChapter 7. Morocco: A Flawed ResponseChapter 8. The Gulf Cooperation Council: The Challenges of SecurityChapter 9. Iraq: A New European EngagementChapter 10. Nigeria: Conflict, Energy, and Bad GovernanceList of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisAn optimistic book for Americans who are asking, in the wake of Trump’s victory, What do we do now? The answer: We need to organize and fight to protect and expand our democracy.Americans are distraught as tightly held economic and political power drowns out their voices and values. Legendary Diet for a Small Planet author Frances Moore Lappé and organizer-scholar Adam Eichen offer a fresh, surprising response to this core crisis. This intergenerational duo opens with an essential truth: It’s not the magnitude of a challenge that crushes the human spirit. It’s feeling powerless—in this case, fearing that to stand up for democracy is futile. It’s not, Lappé and Eichen argue. With riveting stories and little-known evidence, they demystify how we got here, exposing the well-orchestrated effort that has robbed Americans of their rightful power. But at the heart of this unique book are solutions. Even in this di

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Book SynopsisAn intervention into the landscape of contemporary political theory. This book argues that the survival of democracy depends on recognizing the failings of disengaged liberal democracy - the exclusions and subjugations that accompany every democratic "we," for example - and experimenting with more radical modes of democratic theory and action.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This is a wonderful, wise account of what a grass roots election is all about. Young idealist people need to read this thoughtful book. I wish he would have won, but I am so glad he ran and wrote about it." —Myron Orfield, executive director, Institute on Race & Poverty and former Minnesota State Representative"In Doorstep Democracy, James Read taps into a growing trend in progressive campaigns—real conversations between candidates and voters as a strategy that wins elections while engaging people in social and political change." —Jeff Blodgett, executive director, Wellstone Action!

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