Democracy Books

Book Synopsis ‘A riveting read that skips along at pace. Illuminating and concerning, it lifts the lid on the tawdry world of Westminster powerbroking’ Tim Shipman, The Times The explosive behind-the-scenes account of the plot to bring down Boris JohnsonTrade Review 'It’s a rattling read – a non-fiction page-turner’ The Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the Society for History in the Federal Government''s George Pendleton Prize for 2013The United States Senate has fallen on hard times. Once known as the greatest deliberative body in the world, it now has a reputation as a partisan, dysfunctional chamber. What happened to the house that forged American history''s great compromises?In this groundbreaking work, a distinguished journalist and an eminent historian provide an insider''s history of the United States Senate. Richard A. Baker, historian emeritus of the Senate, and the late Neil MacNeil, former chief congressional correspondent for Time magazine, integrate nearly a century of combined experience on Capitol Hill with deep research and state-of-the-art scholarship. They explore the Senate''s historical evolution with one eye on persistent structural pressures and the other on recent transformations. Here, for example, are the Senate''s struggles with the presidency--from George Washington''s first, disastrous visit to tTrade ReviewThere is much to admire in this single volume, such that the general reader will find their interest whetted while the specialist will be inspired to deepen their understanding of this unique institution. * William Sheward, Political Studies Review *This first-rate comprehensive study is likely to set the standard for historical scholarship on the US Senate. Chock-full of fascinating stores from insider's prespectives, The American Senate is entertaining and engaging. The American Senate is a must read for any serious historian or political scientist, yet still accessible to the general public. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *Whether discussing money and elections, campaign reform, the origins of the filibuster, the Senate's investigatory power or its role in ratifying treaties or debating the great issues of the day, the authors pack the narrative with wide-ranging information and anecdotes." * Kirkus Reviews *An excellent choice for history buffs and political scientists. * Library Journal *A multidimensional study of the history, traditions and culture of the United States Senate... Whether discussing money and elections, campaign reform, the origins of the filibuster, the Senate's investigatory power or its role in ratifying treaties or debating the great issues of the day, the authors pack the narrative with wide-ranging information and anecdotes. A useful, engaging primer for anyone wishing to understand the politics, precedent and procedures that have shaped the Senate. * Kirkus Reviews *The American Senate should be required reading for anyone new to the chamber: interns, staffers, even senators. There's unlikely to be another single volume quite as comprehensive anytime soon, a fact that can probably be attributed to the authors." * Roll Call *[A] thoroughly researched book by two veteran Senate observers . . . Baker has done a superb job of combining his deep knowledge of the Senate with that of McNeil, to complete it and illuminate the evolution of the upper chamber of Congress through the efforts of the more than 1,900 people who have served." * The Hill *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Preface ; Prologue: Entering the Contemporary Senate ; 1: Money and Politics: Electing U.S. Senators ; 2: The Collapse of Campaign Finance Reform ; 3: Dancing with Presidents: A Wary Embrace ; 4: Struggling for Primacy: From TR to FDR ; 5: Losing Ground to the Imperial Presidency ; 6: Living with the House of Representatives ; 7: The Center to Which Everyone Comes ; 8: Leadership Empowered: The Modern Era ; 9: The Senate Investigates ; 10: The Watchdogs ; 11: Debate, Deliberation, and Dispute ; 12: Dilatory Tactics ; 13: Reform and Reaction ; To the Future ; Notes ; Selected Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn a world that is increasingly unstable, intelligence services like the American CIA and the United Kingdom''s MI6 exist to deliver security. Whether the challenge involves terrorism, cyber-security, or the renewed specter of great power conflict, intelligence agencies mitigate threats and provide decisional advantage to national leaders. But empowered intelligence services require adequate supervision and oversight, which must be about more than the narrow (if still precarious) task of ensuring the legality of covert operations and surveillance activities. Global Intelligence Oversight is a comparative investigation of how democratic countries can govern their intelligence services so that they are effective, but operate within frameworks that are acceptable to their people in an interconnected world. The book demonstrates how the institutions that oversee intelligence agencies participate in the protection of national security while safeguarding civil liberties, balancing among compTrade ReviewThe scholarship on display is impressive...those conversations, and the proposals that came out of them, enrich this dialogue in actionable ways. No one gets the final word on intelligence - but the contributions in this book make for a much better public debate." (From the Preface) The Honorable Jane Harman Director, President and CEO, Woodrow Wilson International Center for ScholarsTable of ContentsContributors Acknowledgments Preface--Why Intelligence Oversight Matters By The Honorable Jane Harman Introduction By Zachary K. Goldman & Samuel J. Rascoff Part I: Transnational Oversight Chapter 1: Intelligence Services, Peer Constraints, and the Law By Ashley Deeks Chapter 2: Oversight Through Five Eyes: Institutional Convergence and the Structure and Oversight of Intelligence Activities By Richard Morgan Chapter 3: Oversight of Intelligence Agencies: The European Dimension By Iain Cameron Chapter 4: Global Change and Megatrends: Implications for Intelligence and its Oversight By Christopher A. Kojm Part II: The Role of the Courts in Intelligence Oversight Chapter 5: The FISC's Stealth Administrative Law By Daphna Renan Chapter 6: In Law We Trust: The Israeli Case of Overseeing Intelligence By Raphael Bitton Chapter 7: Review and Oversight of Intelligence in Canada: Expanding Accountability Gaps By Kent Roach Part III: Executive Branch and Independent Oversight Institutions Chapter 8: The Emergence of Intelligence Governance By Zachary K. Goldman Chapter 9: Presidential Intelligence By Samuel J. Rascoff Chapter 10: Intelligence Oversight: Made in Germany By Russell A. Miller Chapter 11: Intelligence Powers and Accountability in the UK By Jon Moran & Clive Walker Chapter 12: Executive Oversight of Intelligence Services in Australia By Keiran Hardy & George Williams Index

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first book length study of property-owning democracy, Republic of Equals argues that a society in which capital is universally accessible to all citizens is uniquely placed to meet the demands of justice. Arguing from a basis in liberal-republican principles, this expanded conception of the economic structure of society contextualizes the market to make its transactions fair. The author shows that a property-owning democracy structures economic incentives such that the domination of one agent by another in the market is structurally impossible. The result is a renovated form of capitalism in which the free market is no longer a threat to social democratic values, but is potentially convergent with them. It is argued that a property-owning democracy has advantages that give it priority over rival forms of social organization such as welfare state capitalism and market socialist institutions. The book also addresses the currently high levels of inequality in the societies of the deveTrade ReviewThomas's vision of an egalitarian property-owning democracy is powerful and compelling...Thomas arguably provides the best hope that liberal democratic states have for ensuring greater justice and also repairing what has broken in our current democratic theory and practice. * Political Theory *

Read more less

Book SynopsisConstitutional Democracy systematically examines how the basic constitutional structure of governments affects what they can accomplish. This relationship is especially important at a time when Americans are increasingly disillusioned about government''s fundamental ability to reach solutions for domestic problems, and when countries in the former Soviet block and around the world are rewriting their constitutions. Political economist Mueller illuminates the links between the structure of democratic government and the outcomes it achieves by drawing comparisons between the American system and other government systems around the world. Working from the public choice perspective in political science, the book analyzes electoral rules, voting rules, federalism, bicameralism, citizenship, and separation of powers. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of political economy.Trade Review"...Constitutional Democracy is a useful addition to the literature on public choice theory and on constitutions. It opens up an interesting area for discussion and deserves to be widely studied."--The American Journal of Legal History"...An extaordinarily interesting book. Those who dislike public choice literature because of its frequent use of symbolic notation and first or second derivatives will be pleasantly surprised by Mueller's book. It is almost entirely prose and leaves the mathematical proof of his statements to notes. A tremendous advantage of Mueller's book is that it provides material for the teaching of many courses."--The Law and Politics Book Review"...Mueller has done a superb job in bringing together in one volume a very complete coverage of the essential economics....Constitutional Democracy will become the standard reference for those who take the next step to constitutional economics."--Constitutional Political Economy

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis text re-thinks the relationships between technology, rationality, and democracy, arguing that the degradation of labour - as well as of many environmental, educational, and political systems - is rooted in the social values that preside over technological development.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn modern nations, political disagreement is the source of both the gravest danger and the greatest security, writes Cass Sunstein. All democracies face intense political conflict. But is this conflict necessarily something to fear? In this provocative book, one of our leading political and legal theorists reveals how a nation''s divisions of conviction and belief can be used to safeguard democracy. Confronting one explosive political issue after another, from presidential impeachment to the limits of religious liberty, from discrimination against women and gays to the role of the judiciary, Sunstein constructs a powerful new perspective from which to show how democracies negotiate their most divisive real-world problems. He focuses on a series of concrete concerns that go to the heart of the relationship between the idea of democracy and the idea of constitutionalism. Illustrating his discussion with examples from constitutional debates and court-cases in South Africa, Eastern Europe,Trade ReviewSunstein takes the reader on a nuanced but spirited journey across a broad terrain of constitutional issues, from race discrimination to religious rights and presidential impeachment. Designing Democracy is a welcome change from the many books on constitutional law that sink under the weight of hermetic debates about interpretive methods. ...this approach brings a fresh perspective to many of the well-worn but still vital issues of American constitutional debate. * New York Times Book Review *One of our finest constitutional thinkers, Cass Sunstein develops here a powerful new understanding of a constitution's purpose and resources. In this important book, Professor Sunstein discusses the way a democratic constitution can turn a nation's political differences, however sharp, into a constructive force. * William Jefferson Clinton, former president of the United States *A powerful, persuasive critique of the conditions that distort [democratic] deliberation. * Washington Post Bookworld *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince its publication in 1984, Chants Democratic has endured as a classic narrative on labor and the rise of American democracy. In it, Sean Wilentz explores the dramatic social and intellectual changes that accompanied early industrialization in New York. He provides a panoramic chronicle of New York City''s labor strife, social movements, and political turmoil in the eras of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Twenty years after its initial publication, Wilentz has added a new preface that takes stock of his own thinking, then and now, about New York City and the rise of the American working class.Trade Review"Certainly the best book yet written about the emergence of New York City's working class and a major contribution to American working-class history."--The New Republic"[Chants Democratic] is nothing less than a scholarly epic...it has no equal in breadth of subject, grace of style or acuity of interpretation."--The Nation"A great leap forward in both American social and American political history....Wilentz has written the statement on Jacksonian New York."--Journal of American History"Chants Democratic is a remarkable book that will quickly establish itself in the historiography and exert a powerful influence on the future direction of social, labor, and political history."--Journal of Interdisciplinary History"Gives the student of the Jacksonian Era an insider's look at the developing labor system of the northern industrialization process. In my 'Voices of the Union' course I use Chants to contrast the young republic's divergent and conflicting concepts of the Union, including its ideologic, economic, political, religious, and historical identities."--Wayne Cutler, University of Tennessee"A brilliant book."--U. Scharff, University of New Mexico"Wilentz's Chants Democratic gives the student of the JACKSONIAN ERA an insider's look at the developing labor system of the northern industrialization process. In my "Voices of Union" course, I use hants to contrast the young Republic's divergent and conflicting concepts of the Union, inclusing its ieologic, economic, political, religious, and historical identities."--Professor Wayne Cutler, University of Tennessee

Read more less

Trade ReviewCristina Beltran's powerful book, The Trouble with Unity is timely for our age of Obama in which an ugly anti-immigrant spirit looms large. Don't miss it! * Cornel West, Princeton University *In her lucid account of the complexities of identity politics, Cristina Beltran analyzes U.S. Latino efforts to forge a unified political community, persuasively arguing that unity-based politics can provide spaces for meaningful political action but too often minimizes major differences. The Trouble with Unity is an informative, balanced, and unusually thoughtful contribution. * Rogers M. Smith, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania *Many have looked at the growth of Latino political identity from a purely empirical perspective. This work, however, tries to understand how Latino-ness is performed and understood in the public sphere, the growth and nature of pan-ethnic identity, and how disparate individuals come together to see themselves as a political interest. Cristina Beltran's book is a work of theory built off of a careful historical examination of practice and is a major contribution. * Gary Segura, Professor of Political Science and Chair of Chicana/o Studies, Stanford University *This book makes an original and centrally important contribution by using categories of political theory to analyze the ways in which 'Latinos' have thought about their political identities. It will become essential reading for those interested in how political theorists can contribute to the rethinking of race and ethnicity. * Joan Tronto, Professor of Political Theory, University of Minnesota *A sophisticated analysis of social justice in the Latino community.... useful for general readership and all undergraduate work on Latino studies in the US.... Recommended. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; SLEEPING GIANTS AND DEMOGRAPHIC FLOODS: LATINOS AND THE POLITICS OF EMERGENCE; CONCLUSION; LATINO IS A VERB: DEMOCRACY, LATINIDAD, AND THE CREATION OF THE POLITICAL; NOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX

Read more less

Trade ReviewThis is a very well-written, well-argued, and thoroughly researched volume...Highly recommended. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsPART 1: DEMOCRATIC INDIVIDUALITY ; 1. Responsible Citizenship ; 2. Docility and Democracy ; 3. The Ideal of Individuality ; PART II: EMERSON ; 4. The Docile Individual ; 5. Emersonian Transitions ; 6. Withdrawal from Complicity ; PART III: MILL ; 7. Conformity and Subjection ; 8. The Active Mind ; 9. Individuality and Civic Virtue ; PART IV: CONCLUSION ; 10. The Burdens of Citizenship ; KEY TO REFERENCES ; BIBLIOGRAPHY

Read more less

Book SynopsisToday Iran is once again in the headlines. Reputed to be developing nuclear weapons, the future of Iraq''s next-door neighbor is a matter of grave concern both for the stability of the region and for the safety of the global community. President George W. Bush labeled it part of the Axis of Evil, and rails against the country''s authoritarian leadership. Yet as Bush trumpets the spread of democracy throughout the Middle East, few note that Iran has one of the longest-running experiences with democracy in the region.In this book, Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr look at the political history of Iran in the modern era, and offer an in-depth analysis of the prospects for democracy to flourish there. After having produced the only successful Islamist challenge to the state, a revolution, and an Islamic Republic, Iran is now poised to produce a genuine and indigenous democratic movement in the Muslim world. Democracy in Iran is neither a sudden development nor a western import, Gheissari and NasTrade ReviewA clear and readable account of politics in the Islamic Republic. * The Washington Post *A comprehensive overview of Iran's history on its way towards democracy...shed[s] new light on already well-known facts, recombining them into an unfamiliar but conclusive shape; and on top of that is an impressive read. * Iranian Studies *Democracy in Iran unravels the jumble of paradoxes that have marked Iranian politics over the last century. The country has experienced considerable success in state-building and development but has periodically undermined both by failing to consolidate democracy. Presently, it has many of the elements of a lively democracy but, somehow, is not a democracy at all. Iranians have successfully challenged candidates supported by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic but have failed to weaken clerical control of the state. Vali Nasr and Ali Gheissari do an outstanding job of explaining how Iran keeps flirting with democratic governance, more than practically any other Islamic country in the Middle East, yet somehow always seems to fall short of sealing the marriage. * Joel Migdal, Professor of International Studies, University of Washington, and author of State in Society *A comprehensive account of political developments in Iran in the last century, theoretically sophisticated and yet very accessible. Easily the best book in a decade on Iran's bumpy road to democracy through two revolutions and much anti-democratic state-building. * Said Amir Arjomand, author of The Turban for the Crown *Democracy in Iran is a bold and sweeping survey of the past century of Iranian political history, an absorbing drama of contending ideologies, social classes, revolutionary movements, international pressures, political factions, and charismatic leaders. Nasr and Gheissari vividly expose Iran's ongoing struggle between democratic principles of freedom and accountability, the authoritarian-modernist quest for order and development, and revolutionary idealism, both secular and religious. In the process, they show once again the folly of all forms of utopianism and the necessity of constitutional and representative government. This is not just a book about Iran, but an insightful study of how regimes rise, evolve, stagnate, fragment, and fall. * Larry Diamond, author of Squandered Victory *Iran is often portrayed in the West as 'despotic,' 'autocratic,' and 'totalitarian.' This lucid and succinct book is an excellent antidote to the conventional view. It narrates eloquently the history of modern Iran through the prism of democracy * its birth, growth, trials and tribulations, and, despite recent setbacks, its continued vibrancy and extensive social roots. Those interested in modern Iran would do well to read this highly informative book.Ervand Abrahamian, author of Tortured Confessions *Table of ContentsChronology ; Introduction ; Part I: Rise of the State ; 1. Democracy or State-Building? 1906-1941 ; 2. The Triumph of the State, 1941-1979 ; Part II: The Crucible of Revolution ; 3. Revolution and War Fundamentalism, 1979-1989 ; 4. An Islamic Developmental State? 1989-1997 ; 5. State and Limits to Democracy, 1997-2005 ; 6. Epilogue ; Prospects for a Democratic State ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA critique of Michael Sandel's "Democracy's Discontent". Sandel's liberal and feminist critics square off with his communitarian and civic republican sympathizers in a lively and wide-ranging discussion spanning constitutional law, culture, and political economy.Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Quest for a Post-Liberal Public Philosophy ; PART 1. REVIVING CIVIC VIRTUE ; 1. . The Retrieval of Civic Virtue: A Critical Appreciation of Sandel's Democracy's Discontent ; 2. Virtue En Mass ; 3. Reworking Sandel's Republicanism ; PART 2. TOWARD AN AMERICAN PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY ; 4. Political Economy and the Politics of Virtue: US Public Philosophy at Century's End ; 5. The Encumbered American Self ; 6. A Public Philosophy for the Professional-Managerial Class ; 7. Notes of a Jewish Episcopalian: Gender as a Language of Class; Religion as a Dialect of Liberalism ; PART 3. LIBERAL REPUBLICANISM ; 8. A Defense of Minimalist Liberalism ; 9. Michael Sandel and Richard Rorty: Two Models of the Republic ; 10. Liberal Egalitarianism and Civic Republicanism: Friends or Enemies? ; 11. Moral Status and the Status of Morality in Political Liberalism ; 12. Sandel's Liberal Politics ; PART 4. LIVING WITH DIFFERENCE ; 13. Michael Sandel's America ; 14. Moral Dialogues: A Communitarian Core Element ; 15. Can This Republic be Saved? ; 16. Civic Republicanism and Civic Pluralism: The Silent Struggle of Michael Sandel ; 17. Living with Difference ; PART 5. LAW, MORALS, AND PRIVATE LIVES ; 18. Unencumbered Individuals and Embedded Selves: Reasons to Resist Dichotomous Thinking in Family Law ; 19. The Right of Privacy in Sandel's Procedural Republic ; 20. Gay Marriage and Liberal Constitutionalism: Two Mistakes ; PART 6. SELF-GOVERNMENT AND DEMOCRATIC DISCONTENT ; 21. Fusion Republicanism ; 22. Corporate Speech and Civic Virtue ; 23. Federalism as a Cure for Democracy's Discontent? ; PART 7. A REPLY TO MY CRITICS ; 24. A Reply to My Critics

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the first full-length presentation of a republican alternative to the liberal and communitarian theories that have dominated political philosophy in recent years. The author''s eloquent, compelling account opens with an examination of the traditional republican conception of freedom as non-domination, contrasting this with established negative and positive views of liberalism. The book examines what the implementation of the ideal would imply for substantive policy-making, constitutional and democratic design, regulatory control and the relation between state and civil society. Professor Pettit''s powerful and insightful new work offers not only a unified, theoretical overview of the many strands of republican ideas, it also provides a new and sophisticated perspective on studies in related fields including the history of ideas, jurisprudence, and criminology. The author had included a new postscript to this paperback edition, which offers a sketch of the crucial republican idTrade ReviewPettit follows Skinner in aligning himself with a version of republicanism that is every bit as realist and anti-perfectionist as contemporary liberalism, yet capable of offering a genuinely radical critique of its deficiencies in promoting a community of equal citizens. * Res Publica *Petit's work is a major advance on previous studies of republican political philosophy. In terms of analytical rigour and imaginative insight, it is easily the best book on the subject. * Mind *Table of ContentsPART 1. REPUBLICANISM FREEDOM ; Before Negative and Positive Liberty ; Liberty as Non-domination ; Non-domination as a Political Ideal ; Liberty, Equality, Community ; PART II. REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT ; Republican Aims: Causes and Policies ; Republican Forms: Constitutionalism and Democracy ; Checking the Republic ; Civilising the Republic ; Republicanism: A Propositional Summary ; Republicanism: Once More with Hindsight

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Presidentialization of Politics shows that the politics of democratic societies is moving towards a presidentialized working mode, even in the absence of formal institutional changes. These developments can be explained by a combination of long-term structural changes in modern politics and societies'' contingent factors which fluctuate over time. While these contingent, short-term factors relate to the personalities of office holders, the overall political agenda, and the majority situation in parliament, there are several structural factors which are relatively uniform across modern nations. First, the internationalization of modern politics (which is particularly pronounced within the European Union) has led to an ''executive bias'' of the political process which has strengthened the role of political top elites vis-à-vis their parliamentary groups and/or their parties. Their predominance has been amplified further by the vastly expanded steering capacities of state machineries Table of Contents1. The Presidentialization of Politics in Democratic Societies: A Framework for Analysis The Presidentialization of Democracy in Democratic Societies ; 2. The British Prime Minister: Much More Than 'First Among Equals' ; 3. A Presidentializing Party State? The Federal Republic of Germany ; 4. Presidentialization, Italian Style ; 5. The Presidentialization of Spanish Democracy: Sources of Prime Ministerial Power in Post-Franco Spain ; 6. The Low Countries: From 'Prime Minister' to President-Minister ; 7. Denmark: Presidentialization in a Consensual Democracy ; 8. 'President Persson' How Did Sweden Get Him? ; 9. Canada: Executive Dominance and Presidentialization ; 10. Dyarchic Presidentialization in a Presidentialized Polity: The French Fifth Republic ; 11. Finland: Let the Force Be with the Leader. But Who Is the Leader? ; 12. The Presidentialization of Portuguese Democracy? ; 13. The Failure of Presidential Parliamentarism: Constitutional versus Structural Presidentialization in Israel's Parliamentary Democracy ; 14. The Semi-Sovereign American Prince: The Dilemma of an Independent President in a Presidential Government ; 15. The Presidentialization of Contemporary Democratic Politics: Evidence, Causes, and Consequences ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book seeks to comprehend the evolving nature of the European Union following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the failure of the European Constitution. Its prime focus is the last wave of enlargement that has profoundly transformed the EU. Although there are many parallels between the European integration process and state building processes, the Union is nothing like a Westphalian super state. The new emerging polity resembles a kind of neo-medieval empire with a polycentric system of government, multiple and overlapping jurisdictions, striking cultural and economic heterogeneity, fuzzy borders, and divided sovereignty. The book tries to spell out the origin, the shape, and the implications of this empire. The aim of this book is to suggest a novel way of thinking about the European Union and the process of European integration. The book shows ''two Europes'' coming together following the end of the cold war. It proposes a system of economic and democratic governance that meets thTrade ReviewEurope as Empire is an ambitious and an important book which presents a radical case for a Europe perpetually enlarging, perpetually decentralizing and finding new ways to bring accountability and legitimacy...Zielonka brings a passion for Europe along with a refreshing scepticism of its ambitions...and an ability to write clearly and elegantly, eschewing overly complex theory while also demonstrating considerable academic erudition. * EUROPEAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS REVIEW *Within elegant prose, through a careful balancing act of theoretical analysis and empirical data, Zielonka offers a persuasive new way of approaching issues which have become the focus of lively debate. Indeed, the care and sophistication with which the author approaches complex issues is enough to recommend this book to anyone interested in the nature - and future - of Europe. * Andrea Ott *Table of ContentsPreface ; Introduction: The Neo-Medieval Paradigm ; 1. Return to Europe ; 2. European Power Politics ; 3. Diversity and Adaptation ; 4. Economic Governance ; 5. Democratic Governance ; 6. Governance Beyond Borders ; 7. Implications of Neo-Medievalism ; Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the historical configuration of the territorial borders and functional boundaries of the European nation state. It presents integration as a process of boundary transcendence, redefinition, shift, and change that fundamentally alters the nature of the European states. Its core concern lies in the relationship between the specific institutional design of the new Brussels centre, the boundary redefinitions that result from its political production, and, finally, the consequences of these two elements on established and developing national European political structures. Integration is examined as a new historical phase in the development of Europe, characterized by a powerful trend toward legal, economic, and cultural de-differentiation after the five-century process of differentiation that led to the European system of nation states. Considering the EU as the formation of an enlarged territorial system, this work recovers some of the classic issues of political moderTrade ReviewReview from previous edition 'It is fascinating because Bartolini shares with us his broad and extensive knowledge of European history and politics. The parts where he cuts through disciplinary boundaries and decades, if not centuries, of history and politics are a pleasure to read. One cannot but admire scholars that have the gift of both perusing and condensing such a broad field of knowledge.' * EUSA review *Table of Contents1. A Theory of Exit Options, Boundary Building, and Political Structuring ; 2. Structuring Europe: The Experience of the 'Nation State' ; 3. Centre Formation in the European Union ; 4. The Political Production of the EU: Boundary Building and Boundary Removing ; 5. Political Structuring in Loosely Bounded Territories: Territorial and Corporate Structures ; 6. Electoral Representation in Loosely Bounded Territories: Mass Politics in the EU? ; 7. Restructuring Europe

Read more less

Book SynopsisEurope Undivided analyzes how an enlarging EU has facilitated a convergence toward liberal democracy among credible future members of the EU in Central and Eastern Europe. It reveals how variations in domestic competition put democratizing states on different political trajectories after 1989, and how the EU''s leverage eventually influenced domestic politics in liberal and particularly illiberal democracies. In doing so, Europe Undivided illuminates the changing dynamics of the relationship between the EU and candidate states from 1989 to 2004, and challenges policymakers to manage and improve EU leverage to support democracy, ethnic tolerance, and economic reform in other candidates and proto-candidates such as the Western Balkan states, Turkey, and Ukraine. Albeit not by design, the most powerful and successful tool of EU foreign policy has turned out to be EU enlargement - and this book helps us understand why, and how, it works.Trade ReviewEurope Undivided is an exemplary work of the new comparative-international politics. It is a subtle and substantial analysis of how asymmetric interdependence and meritocratic European Union membership criteria combined to enhance the influence of the EU on domestic political reforms in Eastern Europe. * Robert O. Keohane, Professor of International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School *In this important study, Vachudova develops an original and compelling analysis of how variations in domestic competition and changes in EU leverage combined to shape postcommunist political and economic pathways in East Central Europe. * Valerie Bunce, Professor and Chair of Government, Aaron Binenkorb Chair of International Studies, Cornell University *A scrupulous, clearly organized, and highly informative _ analysis of one of the great success stories of our time. _ Vachudova combines the methods of comparative politics and_ international relations to explore the very direct _ connections between political change in Central and Eastern Europe and the influence of the European Union over the _ fifteen years from the velvet revolutions of 1989 to the _ eastward enlargement of the EU in 2004. * Timothy Garton _ Ash, Professor of European Studies, University of Oxford, _ and Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University_ *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Political Competition and the Reform Trajectories of Postcommunist States ; 2. Liberal and Illiberal Democracy After Communism ; 3. The Passive Leverage of the European Union ; 4. The Impact of Passive Leverage: EU Relations with Liberal and Illiberal States 1989-1994 ; 5. The Active Leverage of the European Union ; 6. The Impact of Active Leverage I: Making Political Systems More Competitive 1994-1998 ; 7. The Impact of Active Leverage II: Shaping Reform of the State and the Economy 1994-2004 ; 8. The Enlargement Endgame and the Future of an Enlarged EU ; Conclusion ; Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisHighly respected and international contributors examine the development of democratic government in Latin America and Europe, and the role that world politics play in shaping it in this revised edition of a highly acclaimed volume.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition Whitehead gathers an impressive group of scholars to examine the range of ways international actors, institutions, structures, and norms have influenced democratization in Latin America and Southern Europe...important contribution. * - Katherine Hite. Political Science Quarterly. Summer 1998. *Table of ContentsI: COMPARATIVE ; II: THE AMERICAS ; III: EUROPE

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis two-volume work continues the series of election data handbooks published by OUP. It presents a compendium of electoral data for all the 62 states in Asia, Australia and Oceania from their independence to the beginning of the 21st century.Trade Review... editors, contributors and publisher should be congratulated on a magnificent achievement. * Democratization *... indispensable to anyone researching elections and political trends in any of the regions covered in the two volumes. * Democratization *This major reference work offers a systematic and highly reliable presentation ... This authoritative publication will greatly facilitate the comparative study of elections and electoral systems in these regions - as well as studies of individual countries - and it should therefore be acquired by all serious academic libraries serving all sorts of students of elections and electoral systems. The publication of this handbook is a major event and of lasting value for the serious study of elections and election systems. * Political Studies *Table of ContentsMIDDLE EAST ; Bahrain ; Iran ; Iraq ; Israel ; Jordan ; Kuwait ; Lebanon ; Oman ; Palestinian ; Qatar ; Saudia-Arabia ; Syria ; Turkey ; United Arab Emirates ; Yemen ; CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA ; Armenia ; Azerbaijan ; Georgia ; Kazakhstan ; Kyrgyzstan ; Tajikistan ; Turkmenistan ; Uzbeckistan ; SOUTH ASIA ; Afganistan ; Bangladesh ; Bhutan ; India ; Maldives ; Myanmar (Burma) ; Nepal ; Pakistan ; Sri Lanka

Read more less

Book SynopsisDemocracy in Europe is about the impact of European integration on national democracies. It argues that the oft-cited democratic deficit is indeed a problem, but not so much at the level of the European Union per se as at the national level. This is because national leaders and publics have yet to come to terms with the institutional impact of the EU on the traditional workings of their national democracies. The book begins with a discussion of what the EU is-a new form of ''regional state'' in which sovereignty is shared, boundaries are variable, identity composite, and democracy fragmented. It then goes on to examine the effects of this on EU member-states'' institutions and ideas about democracy, finding that institutional ''fit'' matters. The ''compound'' EU, in which governing activity is highly dispersed among multiple authorities, is more disruptive to ''simple'' polities like Britain and France, where governing activity has traditionally been more concentrated in a single authoTrade ReviewSchmidt's book is a valuable and well-written contribution to the analysis of the impact of European integration on national democracy Stanislaw Konopacki, University of Lodz Vivien A. Schmidt has written an important book for academics and sudents of the European Union James Caporaso in Political Science Quarterly Vivien Schmidt has now produced an excellent truly comparative analysis, grounded on an extensive bibliography and on a massive amount of public opinion data Vivien Schmidt has written an important book Ben Crum inEuropean Law JournalTable of ContentsIntroduction: Democracy in Europe ; 1. The European Union as Regional State ; 2. The European Union and National Institutions ; 3. The European Union and National Policymaking ; 4. The European Union and National Polities ; 5. Theorizing Democracy in Europe ; Conclusion: The Prospects for Democracy in Europe

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere have been remarkable developments in the field of human rights in the past few decades. Still, millions of asylum-seekers, refugees, and undocumented immigrants continue to find it challenging to access human rights. In this book, Ayten Gündogdu builds on Hannah Arendt''s analysis of statelessness and argues that these challenges reveal the perplexities of human rights. Human rights promise equal personhood regardless of citizenship status, yet their existing formulations are tied to the principle of territorial sovereignty. This situation leaves various categories of migrants in a condition of rightlessness, with a very precarious legal, political, and human standing. Gündogdu examines this problem in the context of immigration detention, deportation, and refugee camps. Critical of the existing system of human rights without seeing it as a dead end, she argues for the need to pay closer attention to the political practices of migrants who challenge their condition of rightlessneTrade ReviewIn her bold and erudite book on human rights, Ayten Gundogdu has achieved two results: a critical reading of Hannah Arendt, using her 'perplexities' to reveal her thought about statelessness and the right to have rights, and a deconstruction of paradoxes affecting 'universal rights' in our post-totalitarian age, as illustrated by the situation of migrants. The 'undecided struggle' that she describes is grim, but also an eloquent plea for the capacity of victims to become agents of their own history. * Etienne Balibar, author of Equaliberty *Ayten Gundogdu knows she cannot rest content with asking what Hannah Arendt would say about human rights now, which have risen and transformed so substantially over the past half-century. In this marvelous book, Gundogdu reinterprets Arendt's critique, and revises it where necessary, in order to vindicate a promising new approach for the field. Rejecting their deployment as a rhetoric of compassionate aid or even military intervention, Gundogdu shows a truly political vision of human rights will engage the social realm and prompt the reinvention of claims and movements beyond their contemporary limitations. The result is an exemplary lesson in how to connect past thinking with present realities. * Samuel Moyn, Harvard University *Bristling with insights into the plight of migrants in today's global economy, Gundogdu's book offers a creative rereading of Hannah Arendt's controversial critique of human rights. She perceptively grasps that the key insight in Arendt's difficult notion of a 'right to have rights' is not to ground rights in a normative foundation but to reanimate them as quotidian political practices of founding. In this way, Gundogdu offers a fresh response to the tenacious problems of rightlessness which at once includes and goes well beyond juridical appeals to the sovereign state. * Linda Zerilli, University of Chicago *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Human Rights across Borders ; Chapter 1: Perplexities of Human Rights ; Chapter 2: Human Rights as Politics and Anti-politics ; Chapter 3: Borders of Personhood ; Chapter 4: Expulsion from Politics and Humanity ; Chapter 5: Declarations of A Right to Have Rights ; Conclusion: The Struggle Remains Undecided ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Origins of the English Parliament is a magisterial account of the evolution of parliament, from its earliest beginnings in the late Anglo-Saxon period. Starting with the national assemblies which began to meet in the reign of King Æthelstan, it carries the story through to the fully fledged parliament of lords and commons of the early fourteenth century, which came to be seen as representative of the whole nation and which eventually sanctioned the deposition of the king himself in 1327. Throughout, J. R. Maddicott emphasizes parliament''s evolution as a continuous process, underpinned by some important common themes. Over the four hundred years covered by the book the chief business of the assembly was always the discussion of national affairs, together with other matters central to the running of the state, such as legislation and justice. It was always a resolutely political body. But its development was also shaped by a series of unforeseen events and episodes. Chief among thesTrade ReviewOne of the masterpieces of historical writing of our time. * Nigel Saul, History Today *One of the most important recent books on English history...a magisterial account * Michael Wood, BBC History Magazine *Enormously impressive...a powerful and passionate piece of work * Keith Richmond, Government Gazette *J.R. Maddicott brings to his task a depth of analysis which is both rare and impressive. He argues his points by reference to a far wider range of sources than any of his predecessors. And he has a better understanding of the European context of English politics than any English writer on the subject since Maurice Powicke. * Jonathan Sumption, Literary Review *Its wide and profound scholarship has much to teach us about the roots and functions of an institution now subjected to so much unhistorical criticism. * Blair Worden, The Spectator *J.R. Maddicott has long been recognised as one of the outstanding historians of thirteenth- and fourteenth-century English political history... The Origins of the English Parliament 924-1327 will stand out as a notable text for parliamentary history. * Andrew Broertjes, LIMINA *thorough, compelling, and persuasive ... Maddicott makes a compelling case for English exceptionalism and in the process frames the terms in which the medieval parliament will be discussed and debated for generations. * Scott L. Waugh, English Historical Review *Table of Contents1. . Genesis: 'The Witan of the English People, c.920-1066 ; 2. Confluence: English Council, Feudal Counsel, 1066-1189 ; 3. Transformation: The Making of the Community of the Realm, 1189-1327 ; 4. Establishment: The First Age of Parliamentary Politics, 1227-58 ; 5. Consolidation: Parliament and Baronial Reform, 1258-72 ; 6. Expansion: Parliament and Nation, 1272-1327 ; 7. English Exceptionalism? The Peculiarities of the English Parliament. Conclusion ; Appendix: A List of Parliaments, 1235-57 ; Bibliography ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe ''sequel'' to his best-selling Classes and Cultures, Ross McKibbin''s latest book is a powerful reinterpretation of British politics in the first decades of universal suffrage. What did it mean to be a ''democratic society''? To what extent did voters make up their own minds on politics or allow elites to do it for them? Exploring the political culture of these extraordinary years, Parties and People shows that class became one of the principal determinants of political behaviour, although its influence was often surprisingly weak. McKibbin argues that the kind of democracy that emerged in Britain was far from inevitable-as much historical accident as design-and was in many ways highly flawed.Trade ReviewThe distillation of a lifetime's reflection, and as compelling as it is engaging. The historian's art at its most disciplined and distinguished. * Times Higher Education *[A] subtly argued study. * Paul Smith, Times Literary Supplement *A model of careful scholarship * Vernon Bogdanor, New Statesman *The political history so readably, as well as convincingly, analysed by McKibbin has plenty of dramatic surprises and unexpected reversals of fortune. * W. G. Runciman, London Review of Books *This is a book that is certainly well written and offers a beguiling explanation of the events that created England's present, but far from inevitable, system of democracy. It deserves to be widely read. * Keith Laybourn, History *An elegant and engaging addition to the history of English democracy. * Laura Beers, Reviews in History *An excellent guide to current thinking on these issues, and should be very useful for students as well as faculty concerned with the social basis of British politics. Highly recommended. * H.L. Smith, CHOICE *offer[s] a fascinating discussion ... This book can be read and enjoyed by the general reader as we ll as the academic specialist * Iain Sharpe, Journal of Liberal History *an outstanding piece of scholarship: it is a major original contribution to the field ... a path-breaking work that will demand attention of all those working on the period. * Andrew Thorpe, English Historical Review *Ross McKibbin has encouraged a rich and complex approach to British history. We are all in his debt. * Rohan McWilliam, Tribune Magazine *Table of Contents1. Edwardian Equipoise and the First World War ; 2. Unstable Equilibrium, 1918-1929 ; 3. The Crisis of Labour and the Conservative Hegemony, 1929-39 ; 4. The Party System Thrown Off Course ; 5. The English Road to Socialism ; 6. England: Social Change, Historical Accident and Democracy

Read more less

Book SynopsisDeliberative democracy now dominates the theory, reform, and study of democracy. Working at its cutting edges, Foundations and Frontiers of Deliberative Governance reaches from conceptual underpinnings to the key challenges faced in applications to ever-increasing ranges of problems and issues. Following a survey of the life and times of deliberative democracy, the turns it has taken, and the logic of deliberative systems, contentious foundational issues receive attention. How can deliberative legitimacy be achieved in large-scale societies where face-to-face deliberation is implausible? What can and should representation mean in such systems? What kinds of communication should be valued, and why? How can competing appeals of pluralism and consensus in democratic politics be reconciled? New concepts are developed along the way: discursive legitimacy, discursive representation, systemic tests for rhetoric in democratic communication, and several forms of meta-consensus. Particular forumTrade ReviewDryzek has again provided eloquent, powerful and provocative arguments which are sure to stimulate additonal interest and new thinking about the task of establishing and maintaining effective deliberative democratic governance in environments characterised by significant political, cultural, religious, moral and philosophical diversity. * Shaun P. Young, Political Studies Review *Table of ContentsPART I INTRODUCTION; PART II FOUNDATIONS; PART IV CONCLUSION

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Local and Regional Democracy in Europe analyses the state of play of democracy at the subnational level in the 27 member states of the EU plus Norway and Switzerland. It places subnational democracy in the context of the distinctive Anglo, the French, the German, and Scandinavian state traditions in Europe asking to what extent these are still relevant today. The Handbook adapts Lijphart''s theory of democracy and applies it to the subnational levels in all the country chapters. A key theoretical issue is whether subnational (regional and local) democracy is derived from national democracy or whether it is legitimate in its own right. Besides these theoretical concerns it focuses on the practice of democracy: the roles of political parties and interest groups and also how subnational political institutions relate to the ordinary citizen. This can take the form of local referendums or other mechanisms of participation. The Handbook reveals a wide variety of practiTable of ContentsPART I THE BRITISH ISLES; PART II THE RHINELANDIC STATES; PART III THE NORDIC STATES; PART IV THE SOUTHERN EUROPEAN STATES; PART V THE NEW DEMOCRACIES; PART VI CONCLUSIONS

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the last twenty or so years, it has become standard to require policy makers to base their recommendations on evidence. That is now uncontroversial to the point of triviality--of course, policy should be based on the facts. But are the methods that policy makers rely on to gather and analyze evidence the right ones? In Evidence-Based Policy, Nancy Cartwright, an eminent scholar, and Jeremy Hardie, who has had a long and successful career in both business and the economy, explain that the dominant methods which are in use now--broadly speaking, methods that imitate standard practices in medicine like randomized control trials--do not work. They fail, Cartwright and Hardie contend, because they do not enhance our ability to predict if policies will be effective.The prevailing methods fall short not just because social science, which operates within the domain of real-world politics and deals with people, differs so much from the natural science milieu of the lab. Rather, there are principled reasons why the advice for crafting and implementing policy now on offer will lead to bad results. Current guides in use tend to rank scientific methods according to the degree of trustworthiness of the evidence they produce. That is valuable in certain respects, but such approaches offer little advice about how to think about putting such evidence to use. Evidence-Based Policy focuses on showing policymakers how to effectively use evidence. It also explains what types of information are most necessary for making reliable policy, and offers lessons on how to organize that information.Trade ReviewCartwright and Hardie make a well-meaning and serious attempt to speak to a nonacademic audience, share their expertise, and help solve real and practical policy problems * Health Affairs *Refreshing and insightful, this book should be read by all those who inhabit the boundaries between policy, evidence and uncertainty. * James Wilsdon, Times Higher Education *Cartwright and Hardie have produced an admirably clear and immensely practical guide on the use of evidence in policy making. * Ray Pawson, Journal of Social Policy *Using evidence to inform public policy seems like the natural, smart, and effective thing to do. But acting on this intuition can be fraught with complexity and can lead to decisions that are neither smart nor effective. Evidence-Based Policy is the primer we have been waiting for, and with its marvelous blend of theory and examples provides compelling evidence that improved decision making is possible. * Michael Feuer, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University, and author of Moderating the Debate: Rationality and the Promise of American Education *Evidence-based policy is an enormously serious step in the long, steady improvement of bringing scientific knowledge to bear on public policy. But EBP is not as simple as it is often presented. This is a guide-unprecedented in its rigor and accessibility-to why it is easy to get EBP wrong and why it matters to get it right. * Kenneth Prewitt, Former Director of the U.S. Census Bureau, and Chair of the National Research Council Committee on The Use of Social Science Knowledge in Public Policy *This books sparkles with intelligence. It develops a subtle argument lucidly and accessibly about the role of evidence in policy. It is a powerful antidote to the simplistic idea that policy simply needs to listen to the 'facts' about' what works.' It explains what is really involved in injecting evidence effectively into the formation of social policy. Essential reading for anyone who aspires to rational policy-making. * Mike Hough, Professor of Criminal Policy, Birkbeck, University of London *Chock full of accessible examples, this book explains clearly and cogently what's involved in making intelligent use of evidence in developing social policy. It should be essential reading for all wanting to contribute to effective evidence-based policy. * Nick Tilley, author of Crime Prevention and co-author of Realistic Evaluation *This well-written book reflects many of the central ideas that underlie my Reports on Child Protection in England. It combines rigorous theory with a valuable profusion of tips and case studies to give practical advice on how to think about what evidence you really need. * Eileen Munro, author of the U.K. Government commissioned 2011 independent review of child protection in England *the reader will discover an exacting and mathematically precise critique of the explanatory credentials of randomised controlled trials combined with a mass of worldly wise illustrations of the evidence actually needed to support practical policy decisions. * Ray Pawson, Journal of Social Policy *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ; Preface: Do You Want to Read this Book? Putting our Conclusions First ; Part I: Getting Started: From 'It Worked There' to 'It Will Work Here'. ; Chapter I.A: What's in This Book and Why ; Chapter I.B: The Theory that Backs up What We Say ; Part II: Paving the Road from 'There' to 'Here' ; Chapter II.A: Support Factors: Causal Cakes and their Ingredients ; Chapter II.B: Causal Roles: Shared and Unshared ; Part III: Strategies for Finding What You Need to Know ; Chapter III.A: Where We are and Where We are Going ; Chapter III.B: Four Strategies ; Part IV: RCTs, Evidence-Ranking Schemes, and Fidelity ; Chapter IV.A: Where We are and Where We are Going ; Chapter IV.B: What are RCTs Good For? ; Chapter IV.C: Evidence-Ranking Schemes, Advice Guides, and Choosing Effective Policies ; Chapter IV.D: Fidelity ; Part V: Deliberation is not Second Best ; Chapter V.A: Where We are and Where We are Going ; Chapter V.B: Centralization and Discretion ; Part VI: Conclusion ; Appendix I: Representing Causal Processes ; Appendix II: The Munro Review ; Appendix III: CCTV and Car Theft ; Notes ; References ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Performance of Politics develops a new way of looking at democratic struggles for big time power by explaining and analysing the 2008 Presidential campaign in the United States.Trade ReviewIn an extraordinary analysis of real breadth and depth, Jeffrey Alexander challenges us to re-think Barack Obama's election as president. Political observers have focused too much on the plain demographic facts of 2008, and too little about how and why those facts came to be. Reflect on the performance that takes place on a grand stage, Alexander advises, and we'll see the big picture. * Larry J. Sabato, author of The Year of Obama, and Director, Center for Politics, University of Virginia *Table of ContentsPreface ; Prologue ; Power, Performance and Representation ; Chapter 1 Civil Sphere and Public Drama ; Chapter 2 Becoming a Collective Representation ; Chapter 3 Spirit of the Ground Game ; Heroes, Binaries and Boundaries ; Chapter 4 Imagining Heroes ; Chapter 5 Working the Binaries ; Chapter 6 Walking the Boundaries ; Victory and Defeat ; Chapter 7 Celebrity Metaphor ; Chapter 8 Palin Effect ; Chapter 9 Financial Crisis ; Epilogue ; Note on Concept and Method ; Appendix ; Endnotes ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis lucid and original work argues for a new style of political leadership, one which pays deliberate and sophisticated attention to the emotional dynamics of the public. A case study of terrorism, as a highly emotional topic and as a key political issue in many liberal democracies, grounds the book's ideas in today's political landscape.Trade Review'This is a rich book and its strengths lie in its capacity to provoke further work on both contemporary political debates and policy: asylum and immigration, international terrorism, possession of economic resources, climate change and environmental risk would all benefit from Richards' approach.' War and MediaTable of ContentsIntroduction PART I: A DEMOCRACY OF FEELINGS Shaping the Public Mind The Rise of Therapeutic Culture Global Passions PART II: THE BIAS AGAINST HOPE Journalism as Emotional Labour Rottweilers Savage Democracy Challenging the Media Bias PART III: THE SEARCH FOR CONNECTION Politics as Emotional Labour Poor Emotional Governance PART IV: TERROR IN THE PUBLIC MIND The Four Factors of Fear Terrorism and the Emotional Public From Emotional Audit to Communication Strategy PART V: REPAIRING LEADERSHIP Market Failures Deferring to Reality

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Frontiers of Democracy offers a comprehensive examination of restrictions on the vote in democracies today. For the first time, the reasons for excluding people (prisoners, children, intellectually disabled, non-citizens) from the suffrage in contemporary societies is critically examined from the point of view of democratic theory.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Universal Suffrage on Trial Democracy and Inclusion Alienated from the Vote: The Case of Non-Citizens Too Young to Vote? Children's Suffrage Jailhouse Vote? Felon Disenfranchisement and Democractic Inclusion Disability, Dependence and Democracy The Vote of Unborn Generations Conclusions: Reasonable Inclusion and Exclusion

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe nine essays in this collection represent the first book-length treatment of one of the major changes that have shaped Latin America since independence: decentralization of the state. Contributors argue that though the assignment of political, fiscal, and administrative duties to subnational governments has been one of the most important political developments in Latin America, it is also one of the most overlooked. This volume is divided into three sections. Part one presents an overview of the topic by the editors; part two considers the political origins of decentralization; and part three examines decentralization and economic reforms.Decentralization and Democracy in Latin America explores the causes of decentralization in six significant case studies: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela. Shorter analyses of Uruguay and Peru are also included. The essays in this volume find substantial common ground across regime types, historical periodsTrade Review"The book... adopts a predominantly political focus in its analysis of decentralization. The concentration is on process rather than outcome—and what outcomes are discussed are those at the level of intergovernmental relations, rather than the results on the ground. This approach has the virtue of concentrating the analytical focus, and the editors have done a splendid job in ensuring that the various contributors not only focus on the same issues and adopt broadly but not entirely the same approach, but even engage in a certain level of interchange—occasionally a mild disagreement—between the chapters. The book also has a strong sense of history—something often lacking among the more committed advocates of decentralization." —Perspectives on Politics“The authors of Decentralization and Democracy in Latin America are primarily concerned with understanding the dynamics of state reform and decentralization in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, and Venezuela." —Latin American Research Review"Montero, Samuels, and the contributors are to be congratulated for producing a volume that is coherent, integrated, and timely. Graduate students and professionals will not only find it useful empirically and analytically but also will consider it a mine for endless propositions and hypotheses for testing and investigating. Overall, Decentralization and Democracy in Latin America is a valuable and solid volume." —Perspectives on Political Science"This edited volume brings together some of the finest works on decentralization in Latin America produced in the U.S. in recent years. The book is sound, both theoretically and empirically, and the different chapters nicely complement each other. ...this book is likely to become part of the reading lists of Latin American politics seminars." —The Americas"This book deals with an interesting topic, but at the same time offers the reader an excellent starting point for understanding the phenomenon in its contextual and comparative dimension without losing the particular development of each individual country. It is without doubt a well-written book." —Political Studies Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis edited collection brings together experts from Europe and the United States to examine how the foundering of the autocracies of Central and Eastern Europe brought about important changes in civil-military relations.Table of ContentsPreface: Manfred W orner's Legacy and NATO by Michael Ruhle Introduction by Anton Bebler International Organizations and Central-East Europe The Partnership for Peace and Civil-Military Relations in a Democracy by Allen L. Keiswetter The Security Dimensions of European Integration and the Central-East European States by Willem van Eekelen Security Policy and Democratic Control by Heinz Vetschera General Developments and Relevant Experiences Elsewhere Civil-Military Relations after the Cold War by Charles Moskos and John Allen Williams Military Reform and the Innere Fuhrung in Germany by Detlef Bald The Italian Military: Between Fascist Dictatorship and Democracy by Giuseppe Caforio The Portuguese Military in Democratic Transition by Maria Carrilho The Problems of Transition in Central-East Europe The Regionwide Perspective on Post-Communist Civil-Military Relations by Anton Bebler Military Politics and Society in Poland during the Democratic Transition by Jerzy J. Wiatr A Dispirited Army by Sandor Agocs From the Totalitarian to the Post-Totalitarian Military by %Stefan %Sarvas and Marie Vlachowa Civil-Military Relations in Slovenia by Anton Grizold The Role of the Military in Post-Totalitarian Albania by Constantine Danopoulos and Adem Copani Central European Civil-Military Relations and the Question of NATO Expansion by Jeff Simon Postscript by Anton Bebler Selected Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe author proposes a new kind of democracy for the modern era, one which gives citizens more power and more opportunities to exercise this power thoughtfully. He suggests a solution to the problem of inadequate deliberation, in particular within the American presidential nomination system.

Read more less

Book SynopsisArgues that the most important divide in American politics is not between left and right but rather between citizens who are politically engaged and those who are not. This book also argues that it is the engaged members of the public, who closely reflect the ideals of democratic citizenship - but this is also the group that is most polarized.Trade Review“Alan Abramowitz has produced a definitive work on the consequences of a divided electorate in elections, in policy making, and in the capacity for winners to govern. The Disappearing Center is a major contribution to the study of contemporary American politics.”—Thomas Edsall, author of Building Red America and Chain Reaction -- Thomas Byrne Edsall“No one is better at analyzing the American voter than Alan Abramowitz. In this exceptionally revealing volume, Professor Abramowitz convincingly explains one of the most discussed phenomena of our time, political polarization.”—Larry J. Sabato, author of A More Perfect Constitution -- Larry J. Sabato"Alan Abramowitz explains the most pressing political problem of the day—how Americans have grown so politically divided that they barely speak the same language."—Bill Bishop, author of The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing Us Apart -- Bill Bishop"If you’re interested in getting beyond the standard handwringing and calls for bipartisanship, read this exceptionally clear and well-argued book.”—Ruy Teixeira, co-author of The Emerging Democratic Majority -- Ruy Teixeira"Among all the academics who write on American politics, Abramowitz is one of the most original, interesting, and convincing, and one of the smartest....[he] has new things to say about polarization. His focus here on the engaged versus the unengaged is a nice move. Also, he organizes recognized material about the subject in a way that beats the competition.”—David Mayhew, Yale University -- David Mayhew“Thought-provoking.”--Publishers Weekly * Publishers Weekly *"[An] important and persuasive new book."--Ethan Porter, Wilson Quarterly -- Ethan Porter * Wilson Quarterly *"Abramowitz admirably tackles many dimensions of a complex debate. . . . the book is an important text for both new and old students of polarization in American politics."—Hahrie Han, Public Opinion Quarterly -- Hahrie Han * Public Opinion Quarterly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisArgues that democracy is not synonymous with good government. This book explores the labyrinthine reality behind the basic concept of democracy, demonstrating how the political system that people in the West generally view as straightforward and obvious is, in fact, deeply unclear and, in many cases, dysfunctional.Trade Review“Of the many excellent philosophers of democracy working today, John Dunn of Cambridge University is the one best attuned to its paradoxes.” —Christopher Caldwell, Financial Times -- Christopher Caldwell * Fiancial Times *“Intellectually bracing . . . Dunn—who has been for decades one of the most articulate critics in the face of democratic triumphalism—now seeks to clear a path out of the maze of our ill-founded aspirations and confusions. In Breaking Democracy’s Spell, he has concentrated on how, despite all appearances, we have never really known what democratic rule is in the first place.”—Thomas Meaney, Nation -- Thomas Meaney * Nation *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this study Mr. Pool has shown what is meant by the word democracy on each side of the iron curtain. He has shown the different connotations of democracy; He has devised some new techniques involving a general theory of communication to measure the ways by which people in the East and West use the word.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNative scholars offer clearly written coverage of the relationship between political parties and democracy in Africa and Oceania.Political Parties and Democracy: Volume IV: Africa and Oceania is the fourth volume in this five-volume set.

Read more less