Democracy Books

Book SynopsisA penetrating, personal look at contemporary India—the world’s largest democracy at a moment of transition.Trade Review"[A] sharply observed study... richly detailed portraits." -- The Economist"Thoughtful and timely... Sengupta balances strong impartial analysis with emotional investment." -- The Wall Street Journal"[Sengupta] marvels at the resulting ambition and ingenuity, while also observing the power of residual caste and gender prejudices." -- The New Yorker"How India’s youth are trading fatalism and karma for free will and higher expectations, by a former New York Times New Delhi bureau chief who interweaves data, first-hand accounts and archival research to great effect." -- Best Books of 2016 - The Economist"For a topical taste of India on the turn, Somini Sengupta's The End of Karma offers just the ticket." -- Literary Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe concept of democratic freedom refers to more than the kind of freedom embodied by political institutions and procedures. Democratic freedom can only be properly understood if it is grasped as the expression of a culture of freedom that encompasses an entire form of life.Trade Review"Highly Recomennded" ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction: Aestheticization Ð An Apologia Part I: An Antique Diagnosis of a Crisis 1. The Provocative Beauty of Democracy: Plato I. Freedom and Indeterminacy 2. The Slavery of the Tyrant 3. The Unstable Democrat 4. Clear-sighted, Processual and Totalized Weakness of Will 5. Weakness of Will or the Freedom from Oneself 6. The Unfree Opportunist 7. Many Jobs and Much Trespassing 8. The Occurrence of an Inner Nature or the Freedom Toward Self 9. Democrats and Theatre Types 10. Theatrocracy: The Fearlessly Judging Multitude 11. Masses and Mimesis 12. Self-Difference and Perfection Part II: The Ethical-Political Right of Irony 2. The Morality of Irony: Hegel 1. The Beginning of Morality in Socratic Irony 2. Socrates’ Divisive Work 3. Irony and the Practice of Truth 4. Hegel’s Critique of Kant 5. A Socratic Reformulation of the Moral Principle 6. Critique of the Romantics 7. Abstract and Subjective Freedom 8. Evil and the “Natural Will” 9. The Dialectic of Freedom 10. A Less Rigorous Concept of Self-Determination 11. Conflicts with and in Morality 12. Hegel’s Expulsion of Subjective Freedom from Ethical Life 13. The Riddle of Socratic Virtue and the Historicity of the Good 3. The Ethics of Aesthetic Existence: Kierkegaard 1. The Negative Freedom of Socratic Irony and its Romantic Superseding 2. Self-Enhancement and Forgetfulness-of-Self 3. The Impotent Seducer 4. The “Helmeted” Will and its Desperation in the Face of the Aesthetic 5. Repentance and Duty: The Freedom to Choose What One Already Is 6. One Sexism for Another 7. The Love of Divorced Society Ladies 8. Aesthetic and Aristocratic Exception 9. Common sinners 10. The Leap of Faith 11. Repetitions 4. Sovereignty in Romanticism: Schmitt 1. Aestheticization and Neutralization 2. A Look at an Orange 3. Alien Power 4. The Other in the Own and Decision 5. Political Anthropology 6. Schmitt and Kierkegaard 7. Political Theology 8. “Concrete Life” and Decision 9. Schmitt’s Rousseauism 10. Politics as a Critique of Politics Part III: Democracy and Aestheticization 5. The Spectacle of Democracy: Rousseau 1. The Irony of the Actor 2. The Public Expression of Indeterminacy 3. The Actress and Her Parodies 4. The Golden Mean 5. “Thy Magic Powers Reunite What Custom’s Sword Has Divided”: The Feast of the Brothers 6. All Brothers are also Men: The Problem of Male Self-Difference 7. The Two Paradoxes of the Social Contract 8. The Sovereignty of the Legislator and the Judgment of the “Common Man” 9. Another Kind of Equality 10. A Politicizable Boundary 11. The Two Bodies of the People 12. Representation and the Coding of Contingency 6. The Anaestheticization of the Political in Fascism: Benjamin 1. Charisma versus Ratio 2. Politicizing Art 3. Astonishment, Not Sympathy 4. The Look of the Stranger 5. Alienation 6. Adaptability and Revolution 7. Charisma and Democracy 8. Political Theatre 9. Post-Democracy and the Anaesthetizing of the Political: A Look Forward Notes Acknowledgements Origins of the Text Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe outbreak of the “Minamata Disease” in 1950s Japan remains one of the most horrific examples of environmental poisoning in history. Based on primary documents and interviews, this book describes responses to this incidence of mercury poisoning, focusing on the efforts of its victims and their supporters to secure redress.Trade ReviewThis is the first account, in any language, which covers the controversies surrounding the infamous mercury poisoning in Minamata in southern Kyushu over the time frame of ninety years, from the founding of the factory which caused the pollution, up to the settlement for compensation reached in 1995… George’s monograph provides an excellent point of departure for further inquiries. -- Anja Osiander * Social Science Journal *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn investigation into the different relationships between democracy, culture, and Catholicism found in the religious, social, political, and cultural contexts of four nation-states: Indonesia, Lithuania, Peru, and the United States.Trade Review"Democracy, Culture and Catholicism is a unique and very illuminating book studying the restraints and resources of Catholicism for democracy. It links Catholic social thought on democracy with several key case studies of countries which underwent a transition from dictatorship to democracy and how the social location of the church aided or not that crucial transition. A must read for people concerned with comparative study of Catholicism and Catholic social thought." -- -John A. Coleman S.J. Associate Pastor, Saint Ignatius Church, San Francisco "... [A] dynamic conversation regarding the interpretation and application of Catholic social teaching in diverse Lithuanian, Indonesian, Peruvian, and U.S. American perspectives. A critical resource for expanding knowledge and inquiry into diverse expressions of Catholicism and globalization." -- -Alex Mikulich Jesuit Social Research Institute, Loyola University, New OrleansTable of ContentsIntroduction Lithuanian Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck Democracy and Catholicism in Twentieth Century Lithuania Arunas Streikus The Domains of the Lithuanian Church during the Soviet Period: Martyria, Diakonia, and Leiturgia Vidmantus Simkunas, S.J. Traumatized Society, Democracy, and Religious Faith: The Lithuanian Experience Danute Gailiene Christianity and Politics in Post-Soviet Lithuania: Between Totalitarian Experience and Democracy Nerija Putinaite Note John Crowley-Buck Montaigne, Julian, and 'Others': The Quest for Peaceful Coexistence in Public Space David M. Posner Indonesian Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck Catholics in Indonesia and the Struggle for Democracy Baskara Wardaya, S.J. Musyawarah and Democratic Lay Catholic Leadership in Indonesia: The Ongoing Legacy of John Dijkstra, S.J. and Ikatan Petani Pancasila Paulus Wiryono Priyotamtama, S.J. The Influence of Catholic Social Teaching on the Democratic Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility: A Study from Indonesia Francisca Ninik Yudianti The Performing Art of Kethoprak and the Democratic 'Power to Will' in Indonesia Albertus 'Budi' Susanto, S.J. Note John Crowley-Buck Alter/Native Democracies: Muslim and Catholic Negotiations of Culture, Religion, and Citizenship in the Twenty-First Century Marcia Hermansen Comparative Insights Regarding Religion and Democracy in a Muslim Context Russell Powell Peruvian Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck The Relationship of Patronage and Legitimacy between the Catholic Church and the Peruvian State Maria Soledad Escalante Beltran Catholicism and the Struggle for Memory: Reflections on Peru Gonzalo Gamio Gehri The Catholic Church, Indigenous Rights, and the Environment in the Peruvian Amazon Region Oscar A. Espinosa Religion as a Political Factor in Latin America: The Peruvian Case Jorge Aragon Trelles Note John Crowley-Buck The Catholic Church and the Leftist Populist Regimes of Latin America: Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia Jeffrey Klaiber, S.J. United States Voices Introduction John Crowley-Buck Roman Catholic Sisters and the Cultivation of Citizenship in the United States: Rich and Contentious Legacies Bren Ortega Murphy "First Be Reconciled": Restorative Justice and Deliberative Democracy William R. O'Neill, S.J. Access to Information: Citizenship, Representative Democracy, and Catholic Social Thought Barry Sullivan Note Foundations of Human Rights: The Work of Francisco de Vitoria, O.P. Robert John Araujo, S.J. Global Interpretations Introduction John Crowley-Buck Democratic Transitions and Consolidation in Predominantly Catholic Countries Peter Schraeder Civil Discourse and Religion in Transitional Democracies: The Cases of Lithuania, Peru, and Indonesia David Ingram Epilogue on Democracy, Culture, and Catholicism Michael J. Schuck Contributors Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“This brief but powerful book is a much-needed—and timely—Guide for the Perplexed Citizen, and it is as wise as it is witty. Capitalism and Democracy is a masterful synthesis of disparate sources, and a highly intelligent assessment and critique of arguments advanced by various economists, political theorists, and politicians. Spragens’s prose is pithy, clear, and a delight to read.” —Terence Ball, co-author of Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal“Capitalism and Democracy is a remarkably evenhanded book, and especially so in these highly contentious days. Spragens joins a sophisticated understanding of political theory to economic analysis and provides a fuller account of what is at stake in debates about the extent to which the market should be ‘free’ and the government should ‘interfere’ with it than one usually finds in writings on these matters. I read it practically straight through and found it almost as enjoyable as reading a good novel.” —Richard Dagger, author of Playing Fair"The free-market process is ultimately based on the reality of who we are as human beings. The free economy is not an ‘instrument’ but a ‘process’ which allows the ‘flourishing’ of the human person. . . . Spragens’s study is a most worthwhile contribution in this ongoing discussion." —VoegelinViewTable of ContentsForeword Introduction 1. The Political Economy Debate: What Brings Prosperity? 2. The Moral Philosophy Debate: Are Market Outcomes Morally Acceptable? 3. Markets and the Good Society 4. Why No Slam Dunk Answers 5. Conclusion: Toward Reasonable Judgements

Read more less

Book SynopsisLatif Tas investigates the triangular relationship between nationalism, justice and gender politics, to explore how influencing this dynamic allows authoritarian rulers to stay in power for longer and justify their actions for monopolising power.Trade Review"Betrayed by almost everyone, the Kurdish people have developed a politics of self-reliance and an innovative, democratic and feminist, nationalism. In this book, Latif Tas provides a rigorous ethnographic and political account of what the Kurds have done. Focused on Turkey and Syria, Tas's analysis is wonderfully toughminded, appreciative of the Kurdish alternative" but also critical of its shortcomings. This is a major contribution to our understanding of the Middle East. "" -Michael Waltzer, Professor of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisLooking at how armies supportive of democracy are built, this title argues that the military is the important institution that states maintain, for without military elites who support democratic governance, democracy cannot be consolidated. It demonstrates that building democratic armies is the quintessential task of democratizing regimes.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 "This is an important work on militaries in newly democratizing regimes. The scope of the work is impressive... The topic of democratization of militaries is ... very important, and the remarkable breadth of the work will make it an essential handbook."--Choice "The Soldier and the Changing State is very useful reading for democracy scholars and practitioners. It lives up to its title, and it may even displace Huntington's classic as the first stop for those seeking to understand democratic civil-military relations today."--Harold A. Trinkunas, Journal of Democracy "The Soldier and the Changing State is an extraordinary book in both senses of that word, simultaneously remarkable and rare... The Soldier and the Changing State will probably be most widely read among specialists of civil-military relations, who will learn a great deal from the case studies in particular. But it should also find a considerable audience among democratization scholars. The book neither offers up a new theory of regime change nor tests existing theories, but there is no better general historical treatment of the ways in which civil-military relations influence the transition process in countries around the world."--Brian D. Taylor, Comparative Politics "The Soldier and the Changing State will probably be most widely read among specialists of civil-military relations, who will learn a great deal from the case studies in particular. But it should also find a considerable audience among democratization scholars. The book neither offers up a new theory of regime change nor tests existing theories, but there is no better general historical treatment of the ways in which civil-military relations influence the transition process in countries around the world."--Brian D. Taylor, Perspectives on Politics "Too often are military institutions and the threat they pose to democratic consolidation ignored. The Soldier and the Changing State provides a necessary corrective to this oversight by directly tackling the many challenges of building democratic militaries. Barany's work should thus inspire a new research agenda within the democratization field."--Kristen A. Harkness, Political Science QuarterlyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1 What Does a Democratic Army Look Like? 14 BUILDING DEMOCRATIC ARMIES After War Chapter 2 After World War II: Germany, Japan, and Hungary 47 Chapter 3 After Civil War: Bosnia and Herzegovina, El Salvador, and Lebanon 78 After Regime Change Chapter 4 After Military Rule in Europe: Spain, Portugal, and Greece 113 Chapter 5 After Military Rule in Latin America: Argentina, Chile, and Guatemala 143 Chapter 6 After Military Rule in Asia: South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia 178 Chapter 7 After State-Socialism in Europe: Slovenia, Russia, and Romania 212 After State Transformation Chapter 8 After Colonial Rule in Asia: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh 245 Chapter 9 After Colonial Rule in Africa: Ghana, Tanzania, and Botswana 275 Chapter 10 After (Re)Unification and Apartheid: Germany, South Africa, and Yemen 303 Conclusion 339 Notes 359 Bibliography 409 Index 443

Read more less

Book SynopsisDemocracy is not naturally plausible. Why turn such important matters over to masses of people who have no expertise? This title offers an alternative based on the idea that democratic authority and legitimacy must depend partly on democracy's tendency to make good decisions.Trade Review"Estlund offers a thoughtful, philosophically dense discussion arguing for the legitimacy of democratic order... Estlund argues that epistemic proceduralism is a superior justification for democracy because it shows that democracies have the capacity to achieve good decisions that have legitimacy. His comparison of the decisions of a democracy to those of a jury is particularly illuminating. The work includes careful discussion of many prominent democratic and liberal theorists, such as Kenneth Arrow and John Rawls."--M. Coulter, Grove City College, for Choice "Democratic Authority is a rich book. Anyone working on political philosophy in general will find much of interest in it."--Peter S. C. Chau, Journal of Value InquiryTable of ContentsPreface ix CHAPTER I: Democratic Authority 1 CHAPTER II: Truth and Despotism 21 CHAPTER III: An Acceptability Requirement 40 CHAPTER IV: The Limits of Fair Procedure 65 CHAPTER V: The Flight from Substance 85 CHAPTER VI: Epistemic Proceduralism 98 CHAPTER VII: Authority and Normative Consent 117 CHAPTER VIII: Original Authority and the Democracy/Jury Analogy 136 CHAPTER IX: How Would Democracy Know? 159 CHAPTER X: The Real Speech Situation 184 CHAPTER XI: Why Not an Epistocracy of the Educated? 206 CHAPTER XII: The Irrelevance of the Jury Theorem 223 CHAPTER XIII: Rejecting the Democracy/Contractualism Analogy 237 ChAPTER XIV: Utopophobia: Concession and Aspiration in Democratic Theory 258 Notes 277 Bibliography 295 Index 303

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe notion of ''the public sphere'' has become increasingly central to theories and studies of democracy, media, and culture over the last few decades. It has also gained political importance in the context of the European Union''s efforts to strengthen democracy, integration, and identity. The Idea of the Public Sphere offers a wide-ranging, accessible, and easy-to-use introduction to one of the most influential ideas in modern social and political thought, tracing its development from the origins of modern democracy in the Eighteenth Century to present day debates. This book brings key texts by the leading contributors in the field together in a single volume. It explores current topics such as the role of religion in public affairs, the implications of the internet for organizing public deliberation, and the transnationalisation of public issues.Trade ReviewThe idea of the public sphere has been a vital part of democratic theory throughout the modern era. This helpful reader provides the intellectual and historical background to enable those thinking about these issues today to connect the most important contemporary contributions to their intellectual history. -- Craig Calhoun, University Professor of Social Sciences, Arizona State UniversityThough much has been written about the public sphere, this ambitious and generous collection of key texts is truly in a class by itself. While tracing the intellectual history of the concept from the Enlightenment, the volume also probes its links to other key notions such as democracy, culture, media, and multiculturalism, placing it in the context of contemporary debates. Framed by edifying and accessible introductions – to the whole volume, to the seven sections, and to each one of the texts – this book will prove to be an immensely useful resource. It destined to become a classic volume on this topic. -- Peter Dahlgren, Lund UniversityThis is a timely and long-needed introduction to the roots of public sphere thinking, which could help to better understand some burning contemporary controversies in the filed. -- Slavko Splichal, University of LjubljanaTable of Contents1 Preface 2 Acknowledgments 3 Editors' Introduction Part 4 I: The Enlightenment and the Liberal Idea of the Public Sphere 5 Introduction to section I 6 Introduction to Kant 7 Immanuel Kant: An Answer to the Question: "What is Enlightenment?" 8 Introduction to Hegel 9 G.W.F. Hegel: Excerpt from Philosophy of Right 10 Introduction to Mill 11 J.S. Mill: Excerpt On Liberty Part 12 II: "Mass Society", Democracy and Public Opinion 13 Introduction to section II 14 Introduction to Lippmann 15 Walter Lippmann: Excerpt from The Phantom Public 16 Introduction to Dewey 17 John Dewey: Excerpt from The Public and its Problems 18 Introduction to Schumpeter 19 Joseph Schumpeter: Excerpt from Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy 20 Introduction to Schmitt 21 Carl Schmitt: Excerpt from The Crisis of Parliamentary Democracy Part 22 III: The Public Sphere Rediscovered 23 Introduction to section III 24 Introduction to Arendt 25 Hannah Arendt: Excerpt from The Human Condition 26 Introduction to Habermas I 27 Jürgen Habermas: "The Public Sphere: An Encyclopaedia Article" 28 Introduction to Negt and Kluge 29 Oskar Negt and Alexander Kluge: Excerpt from Public Sphere and Experience: Toward an Analysis of the Bourgeois and Proletarian Public Sphere 30 Introduction to Fraser 31 Nancy Fraser: "Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of Actually Existing Democracy" Part 32 IV: The Public Sphere and Models of Democracy 33 Introduction to section IV 34 Introduction to Elster 35 Jon Elster: "The Market and the Forum: Three Varieties of Political Theory" 36 Introduction to Luhmann 37 Niklas Luhmann: "Societal Complexity and Public Opinion" 38 Introduction to Habermas II 39 Jürgen Habermas: Excerpt from Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy 40 Introduction to Rawls 41 John Rawls: "The Idea of Public Reason Revisited" Part 42 V: Current Challenges 43 Introduction to section V 44 Introduction to Peters 45 Bernhard Peters: "National and Transnational Public Spheres" 46 Introduction to Bohman 47 James Bohman: "Expanding Dialogue: The Internet, Public Sphere, and Transnational Democracy" 48 Introduction to Mouffe 49 Chantal Mouffe: "Deliberative Democracy or Agonistic Pluralism?" 50 Introduction to Benhabib 51 Seyla Benhabib: Excerpt from The Claims of Culture: Equality and Diversity in the Global Era 52 Introduction to Habermas III 53 Jürgen Habermas: "Religion in the Public Sphere" 54 Bibliography and Further Readings

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis classic work of comparative history explores why some countries have developed as democracies and others as fascist or communist dictatorships Originally published in 1966, this classic text is a comparative survey of some of what Barrington Moore considers the major and most indicative world economies as they evolved out of pre-modern political systems into industrialism. But Moore is not ultimately concerned with explaining economic development so much as exploring why modes of development produced different political forms that managed the transition to industrialism and modernization. Why did one society modernize into a relatively free, democratic society (by which Moore means England)? Why did others metamorphose into fascist or communist states? His core thesis is that in each country, the relationship between the landlord class and the peasants was a primary influence on the ultimate form of government the society arrived at upon arrival in its modern a

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe election of Donald Trump and the Brexit vote in the UK have caused fear and panic among liberals worldwide. They argue that the populist backlash represents a dangerous new authoritarianism. But what if the really dangerous authoritarianism is in fact their own? In this provocative and highly original book, Salvatore Babones argues that democracy has been undermined by a quiet but devastating power grab conducted by a class of liberal experts. They have advanced a global rights-based agenda which has tilted the balance away from the lively and vibrant unpredictability of democratic decision-making toward the creeping technocratic authority of liberal consensus. Populism represents, contends Babones, an imperfect but reinvigorating political flood that has the potential to sweep away decades of institutional detritus and rejuvenate democracy across the West. Babones’ bracing attack on the insidious “new authoritarianism” of the expert class and call for an end to liberal mission creep will stimulate and challenge all readers trying to make sense of the political tumult of the recent past.Trade ReviewNamed one of 2018's Best Books on Politics by the Wall Street Journal"Babones’ relentless critique of the liberal expert class brilliantly exposes their contempt for ordinary people. A crucial contribution to our understanding of how contemporary liberalism is increasingly illiberal and undemocratic."Adrian Pabst, co-author of The Politics of Virtue: Post-liberalism and the Human Future"An overdue and rational corrective about populism and authoritarianism."The Australian"Brilliantly insightful and always fair-minded, The New Authoritarianism is a compelling insider’s account of how the liberal-minded became close-minded."Quadrant"This is a superb book. Anyone interested in politics must read it; it is one of those rare tracts which is constantly rewarding."Spectator Australia

Read more less

Book SynopsisYour blunt guide to Brexit. Journalist Ian Dunt reveals how leaving the EU will strike the law, politics and business. Based on expert advice, this fully revised 2018 edition of his pithy bestseller illuminates the UK's biggest issue, stripped of the spin of its media cheerleaders. Incisive and important, and growing more so by the day.Trade Review'Admirably brief and necessarily brutal... Whatever your position during the referendum, you ought to read Dunt because he is willing to face uncomfortable facts. The only country in the world with absolute sovereignty is North Korea. Everyone else must make compromises. The only question for us is how bad a compromise we must endure.' – NICK COHEN, THE SPECTATOR'Excellent. A must-read. Harass every MP until they read Dunt's book.' – AC GRAYLING, ACADEMIC'Dunt's compact and easily digestible book skilfully navigates the post-referendum world - giving far more detail than any Government minister has yet managed. I'd encourage anyone who is confused, fascinated or frustrated by Brexit to read this book - you'll be far wiser by the end of it.' – CAROLINE LUCAS MP'I would strongly recommend Ian Dunt's excellent guide to what happens next. Dunt has taken the extraordinary step of asking a set of experts what they think about matters of law. This is one of the few books of the set to face forwards rather than backwards and it is all the better for that. I learnt a lot, which I find often happens when I have the humility to listen to experts.' – PHILIP COLLINS, PROSPECT MAGAZINE'Dunt is a Remainer, but you wouldn’t be able to tell that from reading this book. He wastes no time on recriminations, finger-pointing or a dissection of the referendum campaign (riven as it was with misinformation, ignorance, propaganda and outright lies). Instead he looks ahead, to the enormous challenges Britain now faces, in the hope of making the best of a bad situation.' – GRUB STREET'It’s a nightmare vision, deliberately painted so, as a shock to the complacency of those who thought Brexit would be a breeze. But, as Dunt then makes clear, these are “the consequences of a chaotic, hard Brexit.' – PAUL MAGRATH, ICLRTable of ContentsMICHAEL GOVE QUOTE. 'I think the people in this country have had enough of experts from organisations with acronyms, saying they know what’s best and getting it consistently wrong.’ Michael Gove, Brexit campaigner, Sky News, 3 June 2016, when told the US, China, India, IMF, CBI etc opposed Brexit INTRODUCTION. Imagines the disruption to trade if Britain left the European Union without a deal and was forced to fall back on World Trade Organisation rules, leading to Customs and country of origin checks on British goods entering the Continent. Food starts to rot WHAT WAS THAT? Ian Dunt was laying out Britain's worst-case scenario – a chaotic heard Brexit. But there are alternatives. 'Based on extensive research and discussions with leading experts in politics, the law, markets and Europe, it maps the road ahead, with its multiple hazards and dangers' WHAT DID WE VOTE FOR? On 23 June 2016, voters in the UK were asked: ‘Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union.’ The results were: Remain 16,141,241 (48.1%), Leave 17,410,742 (51.9%). Voters could not specify which version of Brexit they wanted WHAT IS ARTICLE 50? Theresa May triggered Article 50 – the European Union rule that must be invoked by any country wishing to leave – on 29 March 2017. Unlike pretty much any other European law ever written, Article 50 is very short. And nightmarish for the UK WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN PROJECT? Britain has always been deeply ignorant of the motivation behind the European project, tracing the Coal and Steel Community (France, West Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg), European Economic Community which made a bigger common market, and European Union WHAT IS THE SINGLE MARKET? The single market had been the dream of European planners from the outset. It would not just get rid of tariffs like an ordinary free trade agreement, it would create four fundamental freedoms: • Goods • Capital • Services • People. Europe's people and firms would merge WHAT ARE THE POLITICS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION? Successive waves of enlargements have increased the EU. Chart of EU members in 2016, relative to the size of the economy. In the 1990s, the EU constructed the Eurozone, a monetary union of 19 member states using the euro. Illustration of EU members and Eurozone WHAT ABOUT FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT? Boris Johnson joked that he was ‘pro having my cake and pro eating it.’ The 27 remaining European leaders have stressed that access to the single market ‘requires acceptance of all four freedoms’, but there may still be some wriggle room. WHAT ABOUT THE ECONOMY? Britain faced a full range of options for withdrawal from the European Union, including staying in the customs union and/or staying in the single market. The EU has a full range of menu options for the single market. Norway and Switzerland are members in different ways NORWAY. When EFTA states Norway, Lichtenstein and Iceland joined the single market they became members of a wider European Economic Area (EEA), securing an arm’s length relationship with Brussels while enjoying the benefits of free trade SWITZERLAND. In 1992, Swiss voters rejected the idea of joining the other EU objectors in the European Economic Area. Instead, the Swiss eventually agreed on a series of bilateral treaties with the EU in return for access to the single market. It is a messy fudge TURKEY. Britain could leave the single market and stay in the customs union. A customs union is only about the taxation of goods. It allows goods to be moved between its members without paying tariffs and has one common tariff arrangement for goods coming from outside. CANADA. Leaving the single market and customs union means that the closest economic relationship the UK and Europe can expect to have is a free trade deal, like the one between the EU and Canada. One would allow Britain to trade with the EU while reducing tariffs and country-of-origin checks THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION. Brexit supporters have long claimed that the WTO is a safety net for the UK once it finally leaves Europe. They portray the WTO as a virile, regulation-free wonderland just waiting for Britain to take its place as one of the world’s leading trading nations. It is not. HOW CAN WE KEEP THE UK TOGETHER? Most of Britain’s difficulties are based on its desire to maintain the financial benefits of the EU while extracting itself from sharing any sovereignty. But there is an aspect to the British dilemma outside that trade-off: keeping the United Kingdom together SCOTLAND. Most Scots voted to stay in the European Union, but that does not mean that Brexit will lead to a surge in support for Scottish independence. The British single market is worth four times as much to Scotland in terms of jobs and trade than the EU single market IRELAND. The problems in Scotland look like pleasantries next to those in Ireland. At stake is nothing less than a reversal of two decades of careful progress since the Troubles. And yet government ministers have seemed largely uninterested in the impact of Brexit across the Irish Sea WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? Brexit cannot satisfy the dreams, but we can ask the following questions: what do the leading Brexiters want, how talented are they, what tools do they have at their disposal and in which context do they operate? The answer to those questions grounds our expectations WHAT DO THE BREXIT MINISTERS WANT? Since the Brexit referendum and the June 2017 general election British politics has been volatile and unpredictable, so it’s impossible to know if the Brexit ministers in place (Boris Johnson, David Davis, Liam Fox) will be in place for long HOW TALENTED ARE THEY? Both Liam Fox and David Davis often seemed unable to grasp the rudiments of the European Union and international trade. In July 2016, Dr Fox told The Sunday Times that ‘about a dozen free trade deals outside the EU’ would be ‘ready for when we leave’ WHAT TOOLS DO THEY HAVE? The reliance of European businesses on the UK has prompted some people to suggest ‘they need us more than we need them’. As with all alluring nonsense, it is based on a grain of truth. But the Brexiters have drastically underestimated the lopsidedness of the relationship WHAT IS THE CONTEXT? Ministers are operating in a complicated and restrictive environment. They are being forced into an impossible timetable by an overmighty negotiating partner while trying to establish a society-wide regulatory framework and facing a volatile Parliament with no majority THE ECONOMY. After the referendum vote, the pound fell to a 31-year low on currency markets. While there have been occasional bounces, the trend has been downwards and there is no sign of sterling reaching its pre-referendum level. The confidence of foreign investors in Britain's economy is waning THE CITY OF LONDON. Britain’s financial services will weaken as banks move part of their operations and staff to EU jurisdictions in Ireland or mainland Europe. This will not be a rout, but a small and steady leak. The City of London will survive Brexit IMMIGRATION. Immigration to the UK fell after the referendum vote and continued to do so thereafter. Although most members of the public don’t know it due to decades of tabloid misinformation, this will lower the standard of living. The reason is that immigration is good for the economy THE PARLIAMENTARY BATTLE. Whoever occupies Downing Street will have a difficult time trying to pass the legislation needed to deliver Brexit unless they have a large working majority. As things stand, there is no support in the Commons for any position, whether hard Brexit, soft Brexit or Remain MAKING A NEW COUNTRY. Britain’s membership of the European Union will also kill off lots of other laws important to everyday life. Britain’s membership of the EU is a legal agreement, enshrined in domestic law by the European Communities Act 1972 THE TIME PROBLEM. Two years might just have been enough to complete the administrative element of Article 50. It is not enough to recreate the EU’s regulatory infrastructure or to negotiate, agree and ratify a good trade deal. Anyone trying to finish these tasks competently probably needs 10 years WHAT HAPPENS AFTER BREXIT? Exiting the European Union is so complicated it would be impossible to achieve without statutory instruments. But it is also incredibly dangerous. Ministers suddenly have the power to tinker with nearly half a century of law and industrial standards POSTSCRIPT. There is a need for patience and good sense... Absolute sovereignty is a fantasy. The only absolute sovereignty available in the world is North Korea’s model of total isolation. Outside of that, we must make compromises in order to cooperate with other countries for our mutual advantage LIST OF EXPERTS. Including James Chalmers, Larry Elliott, Sir Lawrence Freedman, Carl Gardner, Holger Hestermeyer, Markus W. Gehring, Dominic Grieve, Sir Paul Jenkins, Sabine Jenni, Steve Keen, Guy Lougher, Anand Menon, Giles Merritt, Laurent Pech, Steve Peers, Gavin Phillipson, Keith Rockwell ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. I thank Martin Hickman, my publisher... who came to me after my first post-referendum blog, Everything You Need To Know About Theresa May’s Brexit Nightmare In Five Minutes, despite the fact that it didn’t tell the reader everything they needed and couldn't be read in 5 minutes REFERENCES. Full list of references and sources for important facts about Britain's withdrawal from the European Union

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBringing together ten leading researchers in the field of deliberative democracy, this important book examines the features of a Deliberative Mini-Public (DMP) and considers how DMPs link into democratic systems. It examines the core design features of DMPs and their role in the broader policy process and takes stock of the characteristics that distinguish them from other forms of citizen participation. In doing so, the book offers valuable insights into the contributions that DMPs can make not only to the policy process, but also to the broader agenda of revitalising democracy in contemporary times.Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. The Diversity of Mini-Publics: A Systematic Overview 3. Recruitment 4. The Deliberative Experience 5. Evidence in Deliberative Mini-Publics 6. Outputs 7. Legitimacy of Deliberative Mini-Publics 8. Deliberative Mini-Publics in Democratic Systems 9. Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisApril 30, 2019 is the expected publication date for The Mueller Report trade paperback. The ebook will be published on April 19th. The only book with exclusive analysis by the Pulitzer Prize–winning staff of the Washington Post, and the most complete and authoritative available.Trade Review'Makes for a lively read…More than a liar, Trump here looks like a fabulist, intent, as his enablers put it, on “creating a narrative” or a “script” that would rationalise what his lawyer, Don McGahn, calls “crazy shit”, like the firing of James Comey and the subsequent cover-up.' -- Peter Conrad * Observer *'This is a document that, like the Badlands National Park, one has to visit for oneself. If you rely on the velvet fog of Attorney General William Barr’s Cliffs Notes, you will get an ‘F’ on the exam… So much of what’s in the Mueller report is already known, thanks to what never again should be referred to as "fake news"... but its two volumes nonetheless have the power to shock and appal.' -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *'The Mueller report, Olympian and meticulous, feels like an attempt to wrest back our government on behalf not just of real lawyers but of reality itself.' -- Laura Miller * Slate *'It's amazing how many journalistic stories derided as "fake news" over the past few years now re-appear in Mueller's recounting - only this time as documented evidence… Mueller's contribution to the literature of this period in history will have an expanding readership in the immediate future as well.' -- NPR'The Mueller report is that rare Washington tell-all that surpasses its pre-publication hype…the best book by far on the workings of the Trump presidency. It was delivered to the attorney general but is also written for history. The book reveals the president in all his impulsiveness, insecurity and growing disregard for rules and norms; White House aides alternating between deference to the man and defiance of his "crazy s---" requests; and a campaign team too inept to realize, or too reckless to care, when they might have been bending the law. And special counsel Robert Mueller has it all under oath, on the record, along with interviews and contemporaneous notes backing it up.' -- Carlos Lozada * Washington Post *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"An investigation of how this remarkably successful but 'consciously unheroic' transition was achieved in western continental Europe. A scholarly work of history that displays a deep knowledge of different political cultures, [Western Europe's Democratic Age] offers valuable context for today’s crisis of liberal democracy."---Ben Hall, Financial Times"[Western Europe's Democratic Age] had a real influence on me."---E. J. Dionne Jr., Washington Post"An important and insightful study. . . . highly readable [and] well-written."---Julia Eichenberg, H/Soz/Kult

Read more less

Book SynopsisPolitical journalist Michael Tomasky tracks an exciting change among  progressive economists who are overturning decades of conservative dogma and offering an alternative version of capitalism that can serve broadly shared prosperity to all.Engaging, briskly paced ... On balance, history appears to be on Tomasky’s side. —The New York Times Book ReviewIn the first half of the twentieth century the Keynesian brand of economics, which saw government spending as a necessary spur to economic growth, prevailed. Then in the 1970s, conservatives fought back. Once they got people to believe a few simple ideas instead—that only the free market could produce growth, that taxes and regulation stifle growth—the battle was won. The era of conservative dogma, often called neoliberal economics, had begun. It ushered in increasing inequality, a shrinking middle class, and declining public investment. For fifty years, liberals have not

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow We the People can reclaim our democracyupdated with a discussion guide, author videos, and a new chapter-length Introduction In this updated edition of his prophetic book, renowned author and activist Parker J. Palmer celebrates the power of We the People to resist the politics of divide and conquer. With the U.S. now on a global list of backsliding democracies, Palmer writes about what we can do to restore civil discourse, reach for understanding across lines of difference, focus on our shared values, and hold elected officials accountable. He explores ways we can reweave the communal fabric on which democracy depends in everyday settings such as families, neighborhoods, classrooms, congregations, workplaces, and various public spacesincluding five habits of the heart we can cultivate as we work to fulfill America''s promise of human equality. In the same honest, vulnerable, compelling and inspiring prose that has won Palmer millions of readers, Healing the HearTable of ContentsIntroduction to the 2024 Edition xv Prelude The Politics of the Brokenhearted 1 Chapter I Democracy’s Ecosystem 11 Chapter II Confessions of An Accidental Citizen 29 Chapter III the Heart of Politics 49 Chapter IV the Loom of Democracy 69 Chapter V Life in the Company of Strangers 89 Chapter VI Classrooms and Congregations 119 Chapter VII Safe Space for Deep Democracy 151 Chapter VIII the Unwritten History of the Heart 175 Gratitudes 195 Notes 199 The author 219 Index 221

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Important. . . . For Rogers, indicting the United States for not achieving Baldwin and King’s vision does not mean that racial equality is impossible. Rather, it remains a future to be fought for, albeit by drawing on elements of the past."---William P. Jones, Dissent"Provocative. . . . This illuminating work helps build a foundation of scholarship for understanding core ideas, ideological development, and necessary engagement in African American politics. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice Reviews *"By bringing African American political thought to the forefront of the American tradition, Rogers advances a hopeful but realistic view of American democracy that rejects the narrative that the country is fundamentally white supremacist while, at the same time, acknowledges the United States’ sins of slavery, segregation, and discrimination. . . . At a time when ridiculous and dangerous views about race are voiced in the public square, we need a sensible and hopeful one. The Darkened Light of Faith is such a voice."---Lee Trepanier, University Bookman"In an age when the canons of political thought are being critically reexamined and made more inclusive, this book is an essential resource to learn about what makes African American reflections on democracy and freedom rather distinctive – and how they could fruitfully reshape mainstream conversations." * Review of Democracy *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAmerica’s founders feared a president like Donald Trump. Through the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, they erected a fortified but constrained government to secure the benchmarks of our democracy and established the guardrails designed to protect it. But Trump pushed almost every one of the Framers’ safeguards to its limit—most held, but some broke under the weight of presidential abuses even the Framers did not foresee. Thirteen Cracks will be the first book to expose the most vulnerable areas in our democracy, explain in historical context how President Trump uniquely and outrageously exploited these weak spots, and propose a fix for each challenge. Historian Allen J. Lichtman argues that Trump has put us at a pivot point in our history, where the survival of American democracy is at stake. But this is also an historic opportunity to shore up the vulnerabilities and to strengthen our democracy.

Read more less

Book SynopsisUniversities have historically been integral to democracy. What can they do to reclaim this critical role?Universities play an indispensable role within modern democracies. But this role is often overlooked or too narrowly conceived, even by universities themselves. In What Universities Owe Democracy, Ronald J. Daniels, the president of Johns Hopkins University, argues thatat a moment when liberal democracy is endangered and more countries are heading toward autocracy than at any time in generationsit is critical for today's colleges and universities to reestablish their place in democracy. Drawing upon fields as varied as political science, economics, history, and sociology, Daniels identifies four distinct functions of American higher education that are key to liberal democracy: social mobility, citizenship education, the stewardship of facts, and the cultivation of pluralistic, diverse communities. By examining these roles over time, Daniels explains where colleges and universities Trade ReviewThis is an exceptionally important, insistently reasonable, delightfully readable book.—The New York TimesAnyone concerned with higher education's role in the public good, especially researchers and practitioners, will find [What Universities Owe Democracy] well worth the read.—Higher EducationWhen the president of a major university publishes a deeply researched, closely reasoned, strongly argued powerful idea and call to the profession to respond to an urgent crisis in our national history, it is highly likely to become a classic in the literature of higher education. Ronald Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University (co-authoring with colleagues Grant Shreve and Phillip Spector), has accomplished that with this new book.—New England Journal of Higher Education[A] forceful argument for universities as change-makers. Daniels wants the American university and its graduates to find more ways to challenge power.—Simona Chiose, University of Toronto, Globe and MailDaniels makes an important contribution to not one but two urgent and topical subjects: the weakening of American self-governance and the overall role of higher education in countering that dangerous trend. One hopes that Daniels's sterling academic reputation, and that of his institution, leads to a wide readership.—Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue University, Washington PostRonald J. Daniels, the president of Johns Hopkins University, makes a compelling case that American universities are failing to meet their civic duty.—Richard Haass, Project SyndicateDaniels recognizes that the public's willingness to support higher education's democratic mission depends on universities reengaging with the nation-state....Daniels's wager is that the end is not inevitable, that universities can reassert their centrality to the American liberal democratic project. I hope he's right.—Johann Neem, Public BooksThe fraying of democracy around the world that is the key premise of Ronald J. Daniels's important book, What Universities Owe Democracy....Daniels's book does two things that are desperately needed and that make it important reading for anyone working in or adjacent to higher education. First, it shows us how to contextualize the work we do in universities—and libraries, and as researchers and publishers....Second, it offers some direction of travel and an agenda in a moment when both feel urgently needed and in short supply.—Karin Wulf, The Scholarly Kitchen[Daniels] offers concrete, actionable and reasonable ideas for how universities can support liberal democratic values and goals. Students of the evolution of the university will learn much from reading this book....Compelling.—Joshua Kim, Inside Higher EdTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1. American Dreams: Access, Mobility, Fairness2. Free Minds: Educating Democratic Citizens3. Hard Facts: Knowledge Creation and Checking Power4. Purposeful Pluralism: Dialogue across Difference on CampusConclusionAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Lawrence and Lynne Brown Democracy Medal, presented by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State, recognizes outstanding individuals, groups, and organizations that produce innovations to further democracy in the United States or around the world. The 2020 Brown Democracy Medal winner, Srdja Popovic, was a leader in the revolution that brought down the Miloševic regime in Serbia and he continues to help protestors around the world learn effective, sometimes humorous, nonviolent tactics. In 2020, he teamed up with Sophia A. McClennen to study the concept of dilemma actions, which offers a structured, strategic approach to fighting back against authoritarianism, as well as for defending democracy.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. A Brief History of the Dilemma Action 2. Core Components of Dilemma Actions 3. Laughtivism: The Secret Ingredient 4. A Proven Tactic Conclusion

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamining the practice of 'political technology', this book explores how Russia is no longer a democracy but an aggressive propaganda state which exports its problems globally. Andrew Wilson shows how many other countries have voluntarily adopted or developed similar technologies which now cross-fertilise and influence each other.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Russia: the home of political technology; 2. America: all that is solid melts into money; 3. Trump and after; 4. Globalisation: political technologists abroad; 5. Hungary: everything in the pot; 6. Ukraine: A surprisingly comfortable home for the black arts; 7. The post-Soviet playground; 8. China and India; 9. Does political technology work; Conclusions.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisJ. Michael Williams is Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of San Diego.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDuring the past decade there has been a series of radical changes to the educational system of England and Wales. This book argues that any serious study of these changes has to engage with complex questions about the role of education in a modern liberal democracy. Were these educational changes informed by the needs and aspirations of a democratic society? To what extent will they promote democratic values and ideals? These questions can only be adequately addressed by making explicit the political ideas and the underlying philosophical principles that have together shaped the English educational system. To this end, the book provides a selective history of English education which exposes the connections between decisive periods of educational change and the intellectual and political climate in which it occurred. It also connects the educational policies of the 1980s and 90s to the political ideas of the New Right in order to show how they are part of a broader political strTrade Review"There have been a few fine books already on this topic...but damned few, and none with the calm detestation of this one with its long, careful historiography, the noble reclamation of the vocabulary of T H Green and R H Tawney, the steadiness once more to use such terms as equality, dignity, and the good society." - T.E.S. "Whatever the route, the debate Carr & Hartnett wishto promote can be welcomed." - British Educational Research JournalTable of ContentsPreface and acknowledgementsIntroduction the politics of educational ideasEducation, politics and societyDemocratic theory and democratic education'Gentling the Masses': the nineteenth century origins of the English education tradition'Secondary Education for All': the struggle for democratic education in twentieth century EnglandThe battle of ideas and the rise of the New Right coalition in EnglandThe New Right offensive and the demise of democratic education in EnglandConclusiondemocratic education in the twenty first century References and BibliographyIndex.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a book for all researchers in educational settings whose research is motivated by considerations of justice, fairness and equity. It addresses questions such researchers have to face. Will a prior political or ethical commitment bias the research? How far can the ideas of empowerment or 'giving a voice' be realised? How can researchers who research communities to which they belong deal with the ethical issues of being both insider and outsider?The book provides a set of principles for doing educational research for social justice. These are rooted in considerations of methodology, epistemology and power relations, and provide a framework for dealing with the practical issues of collaboration, ethics, bias, empowerment, voice, uncertain knowledge and reflexivity, at all stages of research from getting started to dissemination and taking responsibility as members of the wider community of educational researchers.Theoretical arguments and the realities of practicalTrade Review"...insightful and thought-provoking, challenging readers'beliefs about educational practice." - Assessment in EducationTable of ContentsPart one: Introduction and contextTaking sides, getting changeResearch for social justice?some examplesPart two: Theoretical frameworks for practical purposesTruths and methodsFacts and valuespower/knowledgeLiving with uncertainty in educational researchEducational research for social justicea frameworkPart three: Practical possibilitiesGetting startedthe research processGetting justiceempowerment and voiceBetter knowledgeEducational research at largeAppendixReferencesIndex.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn praise of previous editions: "...brilliant introduction." - New Statesman and Society"From start to finish, Arblaster's book is stimulating and highly readable." - Times Higher Educational Supplement"...an ideal first book to place in the hands of a student embarking on the study of democracy." - Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics What is the meaning of democracy? Why has democracy provoked hostility in the past? Has the hostility entirely vanished? * How democratic are contemporary Western societies in reality and how might they be made more democratic? The revised and updated edition of this widely acclaimed survey takes account of the very different global context in which any discussion of democracy must now take place, including the mighty power of the multinationals vis-a-vis elected governments, the resurgence of the idea of an Islamic alternative to the Western democratic ideal, and the suggestion thTable of ContentsPreface and acknowledgementsPreface to the third editionIntroductiondefining democracyPart one: HistoryThe invention of democracyThe re-emergence of democracyPopular politicsPart two: IdeasGovernment by the peopleMajority rule and its problemsEquality and the general interestRepresentation and 'direct' democracyConsent, freedom and debateConclusioncreating democracyNotesBibliographyIndex.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIs there a predominant reason why India is not Pakistan? Many would likely point to the omnipresence of the military in the polity of the latter. While the interventionist attitude of the army in Pakistan easily explains the democratic shortfall in its history, the mirror opposite in India is rarely studied or credited.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA timely analysis of why abuses and atrocities occur, why leaders behave as they do, and how a more accountable system might be developedTrade Review"Mitchell provides an interesting typology of the various techniques that leaders use to deflect blame, and he writes with a certain acerbic flair" * Washington Post *"I highly recommend this book. Its strongest feature is the clarity of the theoretical argument made about why high officials in mature democracies will engage in self-interested blame management that obscures accountability and devolves punishment on those at the lowest rungs of power" -- Hank Jenkins Smith,co-author of Critical Masses and Critical Choices"Mitchell's incisive and compelling account of how atrocities are handled by 'working' democracies provides a promising foundation for how stronger and more efficient systems of accountability might be implemented." -- Kimberly A. Seida * International Journal of Comparative Sociology *"Although accountability lies at the heart of the ideal of democracy, leaders rarely accept blame for human rights violations. The Bush administration famously dismissed the abuses at Abu Ghraib as a result of & a few bad apples, deflecting blame to the individual soldiers involved, and denying any responsibility for the actions. This insightful book is essential reading for all scholars interested in agency and incentives in the use of violence." -- Kristian Skrede Gleditsch,author of All International Politics Is Local"Neil Mitchells provocative new book, Democracys Blameless Leaders, should be must reading for those concerned about the operation of democracy and the accountability of its leaders.In a series of probing case analyses of human right atrocities committed by those from the United States, Britain, and Israel over the decades, Mitchell deftly shows how leaders often escape accountability for such actions.To the extent that accountability occurs, the fall guy, an individual at a lower level of responsibility, not the leaders, takes the blame.His conclusions are equally revealingwhy democratic polities, whether parliamentary or presidential systems, often find it difficult hold their leaders more accountable for such actions." -- James M. McCormick,author of American Foreign Policy and Process"Using interesting and readable case examples, Mitchell argues that democratic leaders are not held accountable by their citizens for the human rights atrocities they permit in times of conflict. If blame is assigned, it goes to low-level soldiers, police, and prison guards, and even their punishments are usually insufficient. To understand why this is so and what can be done about it, read this book." -- David Cingranelli,co-author of Human Rights and Structural Adjustment"Highly recommended for lower-division undergraduates and above." * CHOICE *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Preface 1 Introduction 2 The Theory of the Fall Guy 3 Evading Accountability 4 Amritsar 5 Dresden 6 Londonderry 7 Beirut 8 Baghdad 9 Baghdad to Basra 10 A Tale of a Few Cities: Better Leaders, Better Institutions, or a Better Audience? Notes Bibliography Index About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisA testimony of how our government has undermined our democratic principles from a barrister who took the Prime Minister to courtTrade Review'Unflinching, brilliant.' -- TLS‘Overruled is a fascinating insider account of the complex and opaque British legal system, and a timely warning about the steady erosion of British democracy at the hands of unaccountable elites.’ -- Grace Blakeley, author of Stolen‘A compelling description of a barren political landscape… This is about the power of the people rather than the people in power.’ -- Michael Mansfield QC'[A] unique insight into what has gone wrong and how to begin the process of mending our constitution' -- Robert Verkaik * The Times *‘Sam Fowles has seen the way the UK constitution works – and doesn’t – up close. In this invigorating new book he brings his expertise to bear in asking whether UK democracy is in peril – and what we can do about it.’ -- Alex Dean, Prospect‘An incisive and vigorous investigation into how excessive executive power threatens democracy by sidestepping accountability and scrutiny. Enlivened by historical and courtroom anecdotes, this exploration of our unwritten constitution is easily accessible to all.’ -- Owen Bowcott, former legal affairs correspondent at the Guardian

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith the loosening of restrictions on the Chinese economy in the 1980s and 1990s and the rise of the middle class, many observers thought that Western-style democracy would soon follow. Instead, China has adopted its own version, with a market-driven economy where actions that might call into question the decisions of the governing party are strictly forbidden. In this fascinating account, Cormier chronicles numerous failed attempts to bring democracy to China in the last century, starting with a handful of brave souls who tried to move China towards a constitutional monarchy at the turn of the century and peaking with the student uprising of 1989. Using historical research (including surprising transcripts from Party meetings) and candid interviews with many of the dissidents -- some now living in exile, others under house arrest in China -- Cormier tells the very human story of real people struggling for human rights and freedoms. The Legacy of Tiananmen Square was originally published in French as Les héritiers de Tiananmen. This updated edition was translated by Jonathan Kaplansky.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs diverse as the papers presented in this volume may seem at first glance, all of them touch on two characteristic themes of James Buchanan''s work: the respect for individual sovereignty and the threat of monopoly power on the rights of the individual. In his foreword, Hartmut Kliemt says, As opposed to more extreme and more utopian libertarians, (Buchanan) well understands that in our world it takes a state to defend the individual from the state. Buchanan, therefore, is not an anarchist but, rather, what may be called a ''reluctant anarchist'' who accepts both that the state is the greatest threat to individual sovereignty and that without some statelike monopoly, individual sovereignty cannot be protected. The twenty-six essays included in FEDERALISM, LIBERTY, AND THE LAW are grouped into these categories: the analytics of federalism; federalism and freedom; liberty, man, and the state; the constitution of markets; economists, efficiency, and the law; law, money, and crime. The central issue that unites the pieces in this volume is monopoly power and its control. As a libertarian, Buchanan sees government as the greatest threat -- and also the greatest protector -- of individual liberties.

Read more less

Book SynopsisArthur Seldon uses public choice economics research to support his theory of over-government. The term over-government was coined by Seldon and is defined as the failure of governments to govern well, leading the public to avoid government programs in favour of markets. Seldon explains how the results of government programs are always at odds with what the people would have chosen for themselves, because governments seek to impose taxes and legislature based on their own agendas. This increasing control and restraint by the government will continue to force people to abandon those ineffective programs for more open markets and other countries that support them. Seldon argues that government bureaucrats rely too heavily on unions, labour groups, and lobbyists and act in their own interest instead of opening those options up to the people they serve. Seldon purports that any government that continues to force its own views and desires on the unwilling public will lead to its own demise a

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less