Political parties and party platforms Books

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Book SynopsisHow safe is Turkey's liberal democracy? The rise to power in 2002 of the right-leaning Islamic Justice and Development Party ignited fears in the West that Turkey could no longer be relied upon to provide a buffer against the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East. Once hailed by the West as a model of secularism and moderation in the Muslim world, Turkey is now seen to be under the influence of the 'creeping Islamisation' of the JDP (or AKP as it is known in Turkey). Yet to what extent has this affected the lives of Turkish citizens? Evangelia Axiarlis here explores the contribution of the JDP to civil liberties and basic freedoms, long suppressed by secular and statist Kemalist ideology, and how this has remained unexamined despite more than a decade in government. In this - the first detailed study of the policies and ideology of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's government - the author examines the extent to which the JDP has worked to improve civil life in Turkey and critically addresses whether a government built on Islamic principles can champion political reform. Exploring how Islam and democracy are neither monoliths nor mutually exclusive, this is a timely contribution to the wider understanding of political Islam.Trade Review"A detailed and thoughtful study of the Justice and Development Party (JDP) in Turkey and the repercussions for Turkish 'secularism' over the decade that it has been in power. Drawing on an impressive variety of sources, this study fills in a gap in the literature by focusing on debates over the meaning of Kemalism and the challenges that the current government poses. Providing a wealth of information on the specific policies of the JDP, such as with regard to constitutional reform, elections, veiling, the Kurdish problem, and relations with Europe, this book illuminates the evolutionary potential of a political movement and the multi-dimensional nature of self-identity." Prof James Piscatori, University of Durham, UK "This book provides a thoughtful and insightful perspective of the tension between the Islamic movement represented by JDP and the secular state in Turkey. It is a timely examination of political Islam and its compatibility with democracy which reflects on sensitive and significant issues in Turkey's policies towards controlling religious institutions and the problematic issues such as the role of military, the Kurdish question, human rights and the ban on using 'scarf' by women in official space. Presenting findings on how both secularism and political Islam can work in favour of progress and development in the Muslim World and offering a unique opportunity for understanding the internal dynamics of Turkish politics, this is an invaluable contribution to the study of political Islam in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey." - Dr Muhammad Kamal, The University of Melbourne, AustraliaTable of ContentsPreface CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2: A CRITIQUE OF TURKISH SECULARISM CHAPTER 3: THE JDP’s CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRACY CHAPTER 4: THE JDP’s EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP BID CHAPTER 5: THE JDP AND THE TURKISH MILITARY CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES

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Book SynopsisTwenty years after the demise of the Communist Party of Great Britain, eight former members, all of whom who stayed in the party until the bitter end, reflect here on some of the personal, political and cultural changes of the last twenty years. The paths of Dave Cope, Andy Croft, Alistair Findlay, Stuart Hill, Kate Hudson, Andy Pearmain, Mark Perryman and Lorna Reith have followed very different political trajectories since 1991 - taking them into the Green Party, the Labour Party, the CPB, SLP, Respect and no party at all. But most have remained politically active. Combining personal and political history, analysis and autobiography, anecdote and argument, the contributors consider the consequences of the CP's dissolution for British political and intellectual life.Table of ContentsContents Andy Croft Introduction Mark Perryman The Revolution is Just a T-shirt Away Kate Hudson A Political Error of Vast Proportions Andrew Pearmain Towards a Marxist Theory of Love Alistair Findlay No Future without Marx Lorna Reith We Will Rebuild our Country Ten Times More Beautiful Stuart Hill The Situation is Still as it Was Dave Cope The Party is Dead - Long Live the Party! Andy Croft The Democratisation of Everything

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Book SynopsisThis collection brings together some of the most significant and influential work by leading comparativist Peter Mair (1951â2011).

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe Syrian Social Nationalist Party devoted itself to reviving and unifying the Syrian nation and establishing this nation’s complete independence over its historical homeland, Greater Syria. It continues its struggle today, influencing and shaping Lebanese and Syrian society and politics. Yet, the party remains largely unknown and misunderstood, a condition that stems from the lack of any comprehensive study of it. This book fills this gap. Syrian nationalism and nationalist movements, generally speaking, have been largely neglected and ignored by historians, scholars, and observers of the Middle East. So, too, has the SSNP. The lack of detailed and nuanced analyses has left significant gaps in the party’s rich history unaddressed and enabled the perpetuation of inaccuracies and misperceptions regarding its past. Given this and the party’s ongoing relevance in Lebanon and Syria, a thorough examination of the early history of the SSNP, the political organization and movement that embodied Syrian nationalism’s most explicit, most cogent expression is even more necessary. Based on an extensive and thorough examination of Arabic, French, and English primary sources, the monograph is the first comprehensive, systematic history of the SSNP to date, detailing its struggle to fulfill its nationalist vision and establish a secular, independent state in Greater Syria through a thorough analysis of its formation, evolution, and political activities in Lebanon and Syria. Table of ContentsThe book is divided into four parts, each with three chapters. The Introduction provides a general historical overview of the development of Syrian nationalism and the idea of Greater Syria, contextualizing the formation of Saʿadeh’s political thought and the establishment of the SSNP within this discourse. It also addresses the popular discourse on the SSNP in Lebanon and Syria during the period studied and, briefly, the book’s sources, methodology, and structure. Part One, A New Generation (Chapters 1-3), examines Saʿadeh’s first attempts at political organization and activism in the South American mahjar until his return to Lebanon in 1930, the party’s pre-history. It then analyzes the first six years of the SSNP’s existence, from its inception as a clandestine movement in 1932 through its discovery by French authorities in 1935 and its open political activities until Saʿadeh’s exile in 1938. Significantly, it details the party’s growth, shedding light on its recruitment methods, ideological and organizational development, and its geographic expansion in the urban and rural centers of Lebanon and Syria. Part Two, The War Years (Chapters 4-6), details the party’s activity in the mahjar and Syria and Lebanon from the beginning of Saʿadeh’s de facto exile in 1938 until the end of World War II. The first five years of this period were characterized by an intense confrontation with the French that would take a heavy toll on the party. The beleaguered party would find respite in an alliance forged with leading Lebanese politicians in 1943, but it came at a price: shunning the party’s ideological commitment to Greater Syria. The decision of the party leadership to shun Syrian nationalism would bring it into conflict with Saʿadeh and others who viewed it as a deviation that needed to be corrected and put to an end. Part Three, The Road to a Failed Revolution and Its Aftermath (Chapters 7-9), analyzes the tumultuous period in the party’s history that preceded and then intensified Saʿadeh’s return to Lebanon in March 1947. This period was characterized by internal party strife and renewed confrontation with Lebanese authorities as the party under Saʿadeh reasserted its Syrian nationalist creed, which directly challenged the idea of Lebanese independence. The confrontation reached its apogee in the SSNP’s failed “social nationalist revolution” and Saʿadeh’s subsequent execution in the summer of 1949, after which the party was outlawed in Lebanon and forced to move the center of its activities to Damascus and bide its time in Lebanon. Part Four, Advance and Retreat (Chapters 10-12), examines the ways in which the SSNP acted to shape the emerging regional and domestic orders in accordance with its ideological vision in the 1950s. Its good relations with Chamoun and his government in Lebanon and Shishakli and his regime in Syria enabled the party to develop its strength and expand its influence in both countries. However, a lack of broad popular appeal and poor decision making would lead the SSNP into open conflict with its increasingly powerful rivals the Baʿth and the communists, who succeeded in defeating the party and forcing it to retreat from the Syrian public sphere. In Lebanon, the party would fight to preserve Lebanon’s independence against Communist and Arab nationalist designs but would reap little reward for its efforts following the events of 1958. The Epilogue, The Rise of Factionalism, examines the party’s journey to its present, fractured state, demonstrating how the seeds of factionalism planted in the party’s early years bore their bitter fruit over time. It addresses the party’s activities during the Lebanese Civil War and the Syrian Civil War, its alliance with Hezbollah, and the party’s major splits and their sources. Finally, it provides an assessment of why the SSNP has failed to transform into a mass political movement and obtain significant, lasting political power, and will likely never do so.

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Book SynopsisAs a consequence of Sinn FÃin's connection with the IRA, the military side of the republican movement has tended to overshadow the political, both in terms of its internal operation and strategic choices and in terms of the attention that it has attracted from scholars, writers and journalists. However, since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, Sinn FÃin has experienced substantial growth, in terms of electoral results and party support, both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland.This book assesses the importance and relevance of Sinn FÃin within the changing configurations of Irish politics, studying it as a political party on both sides of the Irish border. It investigates whether Sinn FÃin can sustain the progress made over the last decade, retain its identity as the voice of radical republicanism, and ultimately, whether its vision of a united Ireland can prevail.Trade Review''A through account of the recent progress ofthe controversial Irish political party perhaps best known as the political wing of the IRA.' Simon Lyle, Newbury Weekly News 7.12.2004Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Historical Overview, 1905 - 1981 3. The Story of the Hunger Strikes 4. New Image, New Language, New Style 5. Role of Sinn Féin in the Republic of Ireland 6. Role of Sinn Féin in the North 7. Logistics 8. International Dimension 9. New Issues 10. Future Prospects 11. The Legacy of the IRA

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Book SynopsisSince the 1990s, there has been a growing concern about the resurgence of extremist and radical movements in the Western world. Although a variety of challenges to the liberal democratic order have emerged, the main focus of concern among academics, policy-makers and practitioners within Europe and beyond has been on the growth and activities of Islamists and to a lesser extent the extreme right. However, these forms of extremism are seldom placed alongside each other, and in a manner that is sensitive to both the causes and consequences of extremist mobilization. This book presents new empirical research on the causes of these two new' extremisms in 21st Century Britain and the appropriate responses to it by both the state and civil society. Both forms of extremism pose vital questions for those concerned with the development of a more cohesive and stable society. Unlike many studies, this volume adopts a holistic approach, bringing together experts from a variety of Trade Review'[The New Extremism in 21st Century Britain] offers a fresh approach to understanding extremism, which other works in recent years have missed. The anthology is a timely contribution after the BNP sending its first elected members to European Parliament in 2009. The book is an excellent contribution to the study of extremism and radical British politics.' - Ryan Shaffer, Journal of British Studies, Vol. 51, 1, January 2012‘This work is an ambitious attempt to examine in detail the causes and impacts of far right extremism alongside Islamist inspired extremism. Many may be uneasy about such comparisons but this volume lays to rest such concerns. Above all, it contains choice articles by a strong team of experienced researchers and commentators. There are superb contributions on state-group relations, policing issues and public attitudes. It should be consulted by all those interested in extremism in modern Britain.’ - Shamit Saggar, Professor of Political Science, University of Sussex‘The New Extremism in 21st Century Britain is by far the most important consideration yet of the two principal extremist challenges to the existing political order, namely militant Islamism and far right politics. Eatwell and Goodwin have assembled an expert range of contributors to explore the causes, challenges and coping strategies associated with the rise of extremism in a hitherto largely benign polity. Chapters draw upon a range of attitudinal and electoral evidence to assess the levels of potential and actual support for the British National Party amongst the white working class and for Islamic militancy among British Muslims. Measured, informed and well-researched throughout, The New Extremism needs to be read by any student interested in the ongoing challenges to consensus in British politics.’ - Professor Jon Tonge President, Political Studies Association of the UK, University of Liverpool.‘This book provides some real academic rigour to support the growing development and practice of community cohesion. It will help academics, policy makers and practitioners to understand how this agenda fits together and how national and local interventions in this complex but crucial area can be underpinned by empirical research.’ - Ted Cantle CBE, Executive Chair, Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo)‘This book sheds considerable light on the causes and consequences of extremism in society. The evidence and argument presented by an expert set of authors is convincing and compelling. This book deserves a wide readership in academia and also among practitioners and policy-makers.’ - Professor Gerry Stoker, Centre for Citizenship, Globalization and Governance, University of Southampton. ‘For too long politicians have failed to understand, or chosen to ignore, the reasons for the rise of the BNP. It might make uncomfortable reading but Britain, and Britain’s politicians, need to wake up to the realities of the rise of Nick Griffin’s racist party. This book provides one of the most challenging and in-depth studies of the BNP. The authors lifted up the stone and peered beneath. It may be an unpleasant picture, but it must not be ignored.’ - Eric Pickles, Chairman of the Conservative PartyTable of ContentsIntroduction: The 'New' Extremism Roger Eatwell and Matthew J. Goodwin Part 1 1. Religious Extremism in Britain and British Muslims: Threatened Citizenship and the Role of Religion Maria Sobolewska 2. Mobilization, Recruitment, Violence and the Street: Radical Violent takfiri Islamism in Early 21st Century Britain Jonathan Githens-Mazer 3. Faith and State: British Policy Responses to ‘Islamist’ Extremism Erik Bleich 4. Policing the ‘New Extremism’ in 21st Century Britain Frank Gregory 5. Policing within a Counter-Terrorism Context Post 7/7: The Importance of Partnership, Dialogue and Support when Engaging with Muslim Communities Basia Spalek and Robert Lambert 6. Preventing Violent Extremism: Why Local Context Matters Vivien Lowndes and Leila Thorpe Part 2 7. Who Might Vote for the BNP? Survey Evidence on the Electoral Potential of the Extreme Right in Britain Robert Ford 8. In Search of the Winning Formula: Nick Griffin and the ‘Modernization’ of the British National Party Matthew J. Goodwin 9. Who Votes Extreme Right in Twenty-First Century Britain? The Social Bases of Support for the National Front and British National Party Matthew J. Goodwin, Robert Ford, Bobby Duffy and Rea Robey 10. Responses to the Extreme Right in Britain Roger Eatwell. Conclusion Roger Eatwell and Matthew J. Goodwin

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Book SynopsisWhen citizens take to the streets or pack assembly halls or share their ideas through the minority press, they often give voice to truths and logic that have otherwise been given little or no airing through the available institutional channels offered by democratic states. Such discourses offer new rhetorical strategies for the expression of citizen desires, needs and emotions that otherwise go unrecognized and unaddressed. They also offer impetus for new forms of deliberation and informed action that can result in real political change. This collection explores the tensions between democratic states and the dynamics of citizen voice. In so doing, the collection addresses such questions as: What role do oppositional discourses play in increased democratization? Can oppositional discourses be sustained over time? How do states resist pressures to democratize? This volume will be of interest to students and scholars in Politics, Sociology, and Communication.Table of ContentsIntroduction Michael Huspek Section 1: The Limits of Imperfect Democracies and How They Are Contested 1. State Ideology and Oppositional Discourses: Conceptual and Methodological Issues Peter Jones and Chik Collins 2. Ideology, Discourse and Moral Economy: Consulting the People of North Manchester Colin Barker 3. Where State Power and Opposition Collide: Discourses of Labor Protest in a New Market Economy Charles Woolfson Section 2: State Responses to Oppositional Discourses and Democratization from Below 4. Challenging New Laws with Old Values: Indigenous Resistance to State "Enforcement" of Children’s Rights in Ghana Janice Windborne 5. State Power and the Reconstitution of Parental Rights in U.S. Child Custody Mediation Lynn Comerford 6. Weaving and Unweaving the Rights of Public Woman: The Case of Telephone Operators at the Turn of the Twentieth Century J.S. Sutton Section 3: Sustained Forces of Democratization and the Effectiveness of Oppositional Discourses 7. Vigilance and Solidarity in the Rhetoric of the Black Press: The Tulsa Star, Olga Idriss Davis 8. "From the Standpoint of the White Man’s World:" The Black Press and Contemporary White Media Scholarship Michael Huspek 9. Exposing the Hypocrisies of State Power: The African-American Press and the Holocaust Felecia G. Jones Ross and Sakile Kai Camara Section 4: Normative Contours of State and Oppositional Discourses 10. The Philosophical Foundations of the Discourse Society Darryl Gunson 11. Habermas and Oppositional Public Spheres: A Stereoscopic Analysis of Competing Discourses Michael Huspek 12. The Rational Bases of Transgressive Rhetoric Michael Huspek

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Book SynopsisA prize-winning political scientist untangles the deep roots of tribalism in America

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to political parties in Britain which offers an examination of the main parties' individual characteristics (including policy, organisation and support) and explains the impact of smaller parties.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part One: The Main Parties; 1. Origins and Development; 2. Ideology and Policy; 3. Support; Part Two: The Minor Parties; 4. Origins and Structure; 5. Ideology and Support; Part Three: The Peripheral Parties; 6. The Rise of Peripheral Parties; 7. Peripheral Parties after 2005.

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Book SynopsisThe Scottish National Party has played a significant role in the politics of Scotland in the last forty years. In particular it has contributed to and shaped the impact and dynamics of devolution. This collection brings together academics, writers, commentators and analysts of Scottish politics to address the nature of the SNP: its position in Scotland, its influence on devolution, its role as a minority administration and its relationship with other institutions in Scotland, the UK and Europe.Table of Contents1. The Coming of the Modern SNP: From Protest to Power, Gerry Hassan; 2. The Early Years: From the Inter-War Period to the Mid-1960s, Richard Finlay (University of Strathclyde); 3. The Westminster Years, James Mitchell (University of Strathclyde); 4. Gender Politics and the SNP, Fiona MacKay (University of Edinburgh); 5. Devolution, The SNP and the Electorate, John Curtice (University of Strathclyde); 6. The State of the Party, James Mitchell, Robert Johns (both University of Strathclyde) and Lynn Bennie (University of Aberdeen); 7. The SNP and the Scottish Parliament, Colin MacKay (Radio Forth); 8. The SNP and Westminster, Isobel Lindsay (retired academic and writer); 9. Economic Agendas and Policies of the SNP, Jim and Margaret Cuthbert (independent economic analysts); 10. A Fairer, More Just Scotland?, Stephen Maxwell (Assistant Director, SCVO); 11. The Nationalists, Scottish Culture and 'the Creativity Industry', Philip Schlesinger (University of Glasgow); 12. The Auld Enemies: Labour and the Nationalists, Gerry Hassan; 13. The Journey from the '79 Group to the Modern SNP, David Torrance (STV Political Reporter); 14. The SNP's Relations with the UK, Alex Wright (University of Dundee); 15. Degrees of independence: SNP demands in an international context, Eve Hepburn (University of Edinburgh); 16. Nationalist Movements in Comparative Perspective, Michael Keating (Universities of Aberdeen and Florence).

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