Political science and theory Books

Book SynopsisPolitical Communication in Britain offers unique insights from various members of the party, media, and polling organizations that contested, reported, and analysed the 2019 British General Election, as well as leading academic experts who have researched the campaign. Following an essay by Sir John Curtice exploring how the critical issue of Brexit influenced the election, the opening part of this volume features insiders discussing their respective parties’ operations, including their successes and disappointments. This section also includes expert examinations of Boris Johnson’s ‘oven ready deal’ as well as the digital advertising and controversial public relations efforts that helped promote it. The middle part of the book considers the media, with chapters from the BBC, Sky News, and regulator Ofcom, along with analyses of the pro-Conservative press, digital-only plat[1]forms, and the more left-leaning alternative news sites. The closing section of the volume turns to public attitudes, with experts, including leading pollsters, exploring how these contributed to the Conservatives’ victory. Dedicated chapters also place opinion research in broader context through examining the historical role of the exit poll, and the changing reception and reporting of polls both online and in print. Political Communication in Britain provides readers with an indispensable guide to the 2019 General Election from several of those most intimately involved in the campaign.Table of Contents Introduction The Editors 1. The Brexit Election? John Curtice (University of Strathclyde) CAMPAIGNING The campaign including from the perspective of the major political parties. 2. Conservative Rob Hayward (Conservative, House of Lords) 3. Labour Rory MacQueen (Labour, former Chief Advisor to the Shadow Chancellor) 4. Scottish National Party Erik Geddes (SNP Head of News) 5. Liberal Democrats James Gurling (Communications Advisor) 6. Mobilizing Youth: Extinction Rebellion and other social movement causes Abi Rhodes (University of Nottingham) 7. The Victory of One Nation Conservatism in Perspective David Seawright (University of Leeds) 8. Strategic Lying Ivor Gaber (University of Sussex) 9. Political Advertising- case study of a three-way marginal seat James Dennis (University of Portsmouth) MEDIA This section will consider how the campaign was reported from the perspective of those who covered the election. Particular attention will be paid to the rise and role of new digitally based platforms that have come to challenge more established forms of traditional print and broadcast journalism. 10. Legacy Media Reporting David Deacon, David Smith and Dominic Wring (Loughborough University) 11. Digital News Emily Harmer and Rosalynd Southern (University of Liverpool) 12. Alternative News Declan McDowell-Naylor, Stephen Cushion and Richard Thomas Southern (Cardiff University) 13. Editorial Policy Ric Bailey (Chief Political Advisor, BBC) 14. Practitioner Perspective Isla Glaister (Politics team, Sky News) 15. Regulatory Issues Adam Baxter (Ofcom) 16. View from Europe Sonia Delesalle-Stolper (Liberation) VOTERS This section will provide detailed insights into the opinion polls at the 2019: their role in the campaign, how they were conducted and what they tell us about the mood of the electorate. 17. How Britain Voted Ben Page and Cameron Garrett (Ipsos MORI) 18. Social Media Tara Beard-Knowland (Ipsos MORI) 19. Exit Polling Nick Moon (Moonlight Research) 20. Polling Then and Now Anthony Wells (YouGov) 21. The Polls in Perspective Murray Goot (Macquarie University)

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis'One of the most perceptive and thought-provoking books …Essential reading for these turbulent times.' Amitav Ghosh, author of The Great Derangement 'Dougald Hine’s brilliant book demands we stare into that abyss and rethink our securest certainties about what is actually going on in the climate crisis. It’s lucidly unsettling and yet in the end empowering. There is something we can do, and it starts with where we look, how we see and what we choose to change.’ Brian Eno, Musician ‘[A] rich book, which like a poetic or religious text deserves multiple readings’ Richard Smith, British Medical Journal ‘I consider this book a must-read for all those activists feeling lost, desperate and perhaps subject to ‘press-on-itis'.’ Gail Bradbrook, cofounder, Extinction Rebellion Dougald Hine, world-renowned environmental thinker, has spent most of his life talking to people about climate change. And then one afternoon in the second year of the pandemic, he found he had nothing left to say. Why would someone who cares so deeply about ecological destruction want to stop talking about climate change now? At Work in the Ruins explores that question. ‘Climate change asks us questions that climate science cannot answer,’ Dougald says. Questions like, how did we end up in this mess? Is it just a piece of bad luck with atmospheric chemistry – or is it the result of a way of approaching the world that would always have brought us to such a pass? How we answer such questions also has consequences. Through our over-reliance on the single lens of science, Dougald writes that we are blinded to the nature of the crises around and ahead of us, leading to ‘solutions’ that can only make things worse. At Work in the Ruins is his reckoning with the strange years we have been living through and our long history of asking too much of science. He offers guidance by standing firmly forward and facing the depth of the trouble we are in, to ultimately, helps us find the work that is worth doing, even in the ruins.Trade Review'Drawing on decades of experience in climate journalism and activism, Dougald Hine’s At Work in the Ruins is one of the most perceptive and thought-provoking books yet written about the multiple intersecting crises that are now upending our once-familiar world. Of particular importance is Hine’s deeply respectful yet unsparing analysis of the strengths and limitations of science in reckoning with these crises. At Work in the Ruins is essential reading for these turbulent times.' Amitav Ghosh, author of The Great Derangement‘As it begins to dawn on us all that we won’t “stop” climate change or “solve” the climate crisis, we are left looking into something of an abyss. Dougald Hine’s brilliant book demands we stare into that abyss and rethink our securest certainties about what is actually going on in the climate crisis. It’s lucidly unsettling and yet in the end empowering. There is something we can do, and it starts with where we look, how we see and what we choose to change.’ Brian Eno, Musician'In this age of confusion and corruption, Dougald Hine has always had a great gift for asking the right questions. Here he makes a stab at some answers, too – and, more bravely, identifies the places where ‘answers’ are not available and that the real work is rebooting our entire way of seeing. There are far too many books about climate change around, but this book is about something more unsettling: what our response to climate change reveals about us – and what we can’t do about it, as well as what we can. You are certain to come away rethinking some of your own assumptions.' Paul Kingsnorth, author of Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist'Dougald Hine’s book At Work in the Ruins is a deep reflection on the foundations of the destructive path humanity has been pushed on, driven by colonialism, modernity and fossil fuel addiction, by its love for centralization, control, consumerism, certainty. By stopping to talk about climate change and the other problems we face, Dougald invites us to make deeper shifts by making a turn in our hearts and minds, seeking smaller paths, paths to be discovered and walked along by individuals and communities, paths of diversity and decentralization. And trust uncertainty.' Vandana Shiva, author of Terra Viva'I’ll get right to it: every time the world ends, it leaves a mark. Yes. Implicitly, the apocalypse is not new. There have been many before. But this mark I speak of...it is like a signature. A prophetic molecule of sorts. A sense of discomfort with the rush of the familiar. A taste for questions too slippery for the public imagination. A slant of the eye. An initiation that queers the flesh. Like fungal spores inseminating a zombie ant in the forest. A virus. Not to worry: Not everyone is so marked. But Dougald Hine clearly is. Dougald Hine is mad. And he has my full attention and trust. In this sonorous swoosh of earnest prose composed with the cadence of a fugitive journalist who has a news story that should end all other stories – as well as the unmistakable lilt of an elder who would have sat at the edge of my Nigerian village – Dougald ushers us into the Gordian knots of our strange times where ‘following the science’, ‘solving the climate challenge’ and ‘saving the world’ no longer hold much cartographical promise. Ironically, talking this way about a phenomenon that calls into question humanity’s claims to sovereignty is how the modern machine keeps reproducing the fires we want to extinguish. Pushing past popular tropes, Dougald helps us see that how we talk about and address this end-of-world crisis is the crisis. Something else is needed. Mutiny of some kind. An apostasy. Definitely more than a manifesto, a new solution or a new campaign. Let Dougald Hine’s masterful storytelling mark you; let his song of loss and longing, his call to fugitivity, dispossess you of your steady gait and poise. Perhaps then we, collectively infected, might together witness the incomprehensible.' Bayo Akomolafe, author of These Wilds Beyond our Fences'I’ve long felt Dougald Hine an elder to our environmental movements. In this timely book, he is asking us to pause and consider where we are now and how we got here – to think about the deeper causes of the polycrisis. I consider this book a must-read for all those activists feeling lost, desperate and perhaps subject to "press-on-itis". Let’s find our curiosity together, hold each other as we navigate the turbulence and face our lack of roadmap. For me, reading this book was like having a long and honest supper with an old friend around a warming fire. I finished it with a relieving sigh, feeling nourished, heart opened, humanity seen. Let our longings guide our actions. Thank you, Dougald.' Gail Bradbrook, cofounder Extinction Rebellion'I love reading Hine’s writing. Here is a work that began with a feeling that was sensed before it was thought. The result is a book of rare originality and depth – profound, far-reaching, mind-altering stuff.' Helen Jukes, author of A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings'There is great storytelling woven within Dougald’s timely and sometimes-disturbing book. Hine addresses the blessings and chaos of this moment without ever moving into relentless naysaying or vapid optimism, which makes it hugely refreshing. He seeks a third, truer position. A bigger one. At Work in the Ruins carries the weight of many years at the front line of thinking around climate emergency. This isn’t a weary, trotted-out mandate; it wonderingly tugs at what we think we know and points towards what we may not.' Martin Shaw, author of Courting the Wild Twin'Dougald Hine’s very personable book makes a persuasive and welcome case for a new view of science. He shows clearly how movements that live by science – in its current, institutionalized meaning – will also die by science. At Work in the Ruins speaks up for practical judgment, common sense and the wisdom of heart as guides on the ‘small and branching path’ that Hine contrasts with the big highway of surveillance and regulation by which scientized technocracy proposes to address climate change. The Covid years have revealed a stark choice, long foreseen by the prophetic thinkers, such as Ivan Illich, by whom Hine is inspired. I hope many will heed Hine’s invitation to friendship and intellectual modesty, and join him on the adventure of the small path.' David Cayley, author of Ivan Illich: An Intellectual Journey'If the hourglass has come to stand for the time of endings in which we find ourselves, Dougald Hine looks beyond it to recall the myriad encounters with thinkers and knowledges which have shaped his sense-making over the past two decades, and which shed light on our predicament. When our gaze returns to the hourglass, the reader might question its shape, the width of the opening, where the sand was taken from and who gets to turn it. What actually happens once the sand has drained? Or what happens if it doesn’t? What would happen if the glass cracked and the sand was allowed to spill out onto the table? Hine makes tentative maps with that spilt sand, tracing lines with his finger that are clear, compelling and cathartic; reverent to the unknown and unknowable.' Sarah Thomas, author of The Raven’s Nest'Here is a book that explores the public understanding of science around climate change, Covid and social movements. Asking if we demand too much of science, Hine points beyond the "dark hubris" of despair. With eloquence and honesty, he invites us to the hope of deeper mystery that life on Earth might yet unfold.' Alastair McIntosh, author of Soil and Soul and Riders on the Storm'We’ve tried browbeating people into saving the planet. It doesn’t work, both because most people don’t like to be told what to do and because it is pure folly to imagine that individual microchoices are sufficient to lift us out of this crisis. Why not try, instead, to invite people to think together with us in a spirit of honesty, not only about the crisis and possible ways out of it, but also about the deeper reasons why we cherish the world we have been told we must save? This is Dougald Hine’s approach, and it is timely indeed – a desperately needed change of register in contemporary environmental thinking.' Justin E.H. Smith, author of The Internet Is Not What You Think It Is'In this book, Dougald Hine invites us to repurpose the ruins of the modern structures of organisation and existence (within and around us) that have led us on the path of premature extinction. The end of the world as we know it is the end of a world that needs hospicing, and perhaps, through this hospicing, humanity can learn to be taught by the violence it has inflicted on itself and the rest of nature. It is pretentious to think we (humans) can ‘birth’ a new world; but since we are part of nature and not the centre of it, we can learn to trust the healing capacity of its metabolism to work through us, if we can decentre ourselves to allow it to happen.' Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, author of Hospicing Modernity'It’s hard to exaggerate the importance and sheer nerve of Hine’s prophetic call to face the facts. This is an elegant and acute examination of our personal and societal pathology, and a stirring but never polemical insistence that we must start the treatment. What’s wrong with us? Our storylessness, our pathetic clutching at polarities, and our ludicrous faith in progress rather than process. And the therapy? Stories that are worthy of us, because we’re huge and enduring – unlike politics or institutions or ideas. These are apocalyptic times. Hine reminds us that apocalypse means "unveiling" and prepares us for what we might see if we’ve still got eyes.' Charles Foster, author of Being a Human and Being a Beast"Without dismissing the importance of governments or science, Hine writes that an important first step is acknowledging that governments and science don't have ready solutions for all the problems people face. . . Looking ahead, he seeks options, not optimism, and works to advance the conversation around climate change and other global crises from a Western perspective, with the aim of encouraging dialogue beyond binary ideologies. VERDICT A thought-provoking suggestion for readers well versed in climate discourse." Library Journal‘[A] rich book, which like a poetic or religious text deserves multiple readings’ Richard Smith, British Medical Journal'(Hine's) powerful performance of this important message will make listeners question their unexamined assumptions about the planet's future and what they can do about it.' AudioFile Magazine

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The most important book in social science for many years'' Paul Collier, TLS Books of the YearThe Upswing is Robert D. Putnam''s brilliant analysis of economic, social, cultural and political trends from the Gilded Age to the present, showing how America went from an individualistic I' society to a more communitarian We' society and then back again, and how we can all learn from that experience.In the late nineteenth century, America was highly individualistic, starkly unequal, fiercely polarised and deeply fragmented, just as it is today. However, as the twentieth century dawned, America became - slowly, unevenly, but steadily - more egalitarian, more cooperative, more generous; a society ''on the upswing,'' more focused on responsibilities to each other and less focused on narrow self-interest. Over the course of the 1960s, however, these trends reversed once again, leading to today''s disarray.In a sweeping overview of more than a century of history, Putnam and Romney Garrett draw on inspiring lessons for our time from an earlier era, when a dedicated group of reformers righted the ship, creating once again a society based on community. Engaging, revelatory and timely, this is Putnam''s most ambitious work yet, with a relevance right across the anglophone world. It is an unmissable contribution to the debate about where we want society to go.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA critical analysis of Spivak's classic 1988 postcolonial studies essay, in which she argues that a core problem for the poorest and most marginalized in society (the subalterns) is that they have no platform to express their concerns and no voice to affect policy debates or demand a fairer share of society’s goods. A key theme of Gayatri Spivak's work is agency: the ability of the individual to make their own decisions. While Spivak's main aim is to consider ways in which "subalterns" – her term for the indigenous dispossessed in colonial societies – were able to achieve agency, this paper concentrates specifically on describing the ways in which western scholars inadvertently reproduce hegemonic structures in their work. Spivak is herself a scholar, and she remains acutely aware of the difficulty and dangers of presuming to "speak" for the subalterns she writes about. As such, her work can be seen as predominantly a delicate exercise in the critical thinking skill of interpretation; she looks in detail at issues of meaning, specifically at the real meaning of the available evidence, and her paper is an attempt not only to highlight problems of definition, but to clarify them. What makes this one of the key works of interpretation in the Macat library is, of course, the underlying significance of this work. Interpretation, in this case, is a matter of the difference between allowing subalterns to speak for themselves, and of imposing a mode of "speaking" on them that – however well-intentioned – can be as damaging in the postcolonial world as the agency-stifling political structures of the colonial world itself. By clearing away the detritus of scholarly attempts at interpretation, Spivak takes a stand against a specifically intellectual form of oppression and marginalization.Table of ContentsWays In to the Text Who is Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak? What does Can the Subaltern Speak Say? Why does Can the Subaltern Speak Matter? Section 1: Influences Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context Module 2: Academic Context Module 3: The Problem Module 4: The Author's Contribution Section 2: Ideas Module 5: Main Ideas Module 6: Secondary Ideas Module 7: Achievement Module 8: Place in the Author's Work Section 3: Impact Module 9: The First Responses Module 10: The Evolving Debate Module 11: Impact and Influence Today Module 12: Where Next? Glossary of Terms People Mentioned in the Text Works Cited

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Prisoners of Geography; We feel more divided than ever.; This riveting analysis tells you why.; Walls are going up. Nationalism and identity politics are on the rise once more. Thousands of miles of fences and barriers have been erected in the past ten years, and they are redefining our political landscape. ; There are many reasons why we erect walls, because we are divided in many ways: wealth, race, religion, politics. In Europe the ruptures of the past decade threaten not only European unity, but in some countries liberal democracy itself. In China, the Party's need to contain the divisions wrought by capitalism will define the nation's future. In the USA the rationale for the Mexican border wall taps into the fear that the USA will no longer be a white majority country in the course of this century.; Understanding what has divided us, past and present, is essential to understanding much of what's going on in the world today. Covering China; the USA; Israel and Palestine; the Middle East; the Indian Subcontinent; Africa; Europe and the UK, bestselling author Tim Marshall presents a gripping and unflinching analysis of the fault lines that will shape our world for years to come.Trade Review**** “Informative and timely … a readable primer on the world’s biggest problems” – Daily Express; `A timely and exhilarating clamber over the walls of history' - Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads; "Striking words ... Tim Marshall performs the daunting, yet highly pertinent, task of trying to make sense of one of the biggest issues of our times: in a world that is increasingly globalised, a backlash apparently grows ever stronger. By taking a global view, Divided successfully brings some much-needed perspective" - Northern SlantTable of ContentsCONTENTS; Introduction 1; 1 China 7; 2 USA 35; 3 Israel and Palestine 67; 4 The Middle East 95; 5 The Indian Subcontinent 119; 6 Africa 151; 7 Europe 179; 8 UK 213; Conclusion 243; Bibliography 253; Acknowledgements 258; Index 259

Read more less

Book SynopsisSuitable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students, this title introduces readers to the principal ideas and applications of game theory. It covers static and dynamic games, with complete and incomplete information and features a variety of examples, applications, and exercises.Trade Review"The book is enjoyable to read and truly an enrichment in game theory. It is widely well-structured and well-written and mathematically correct. The purpose is given perfectly. I recommend the book for researchers and graduate students who wants to get some insight in the area of game theory."--Sirma Zeynep, Zentralblatt MATH "The book aims to be precise and rigorous, yet accessible and reader-friendly, and, to a great extent, it does hit these apparently conflicting targets... The depth of the book is intermediate, with a conventional, yet clear, style of writing. It will please mainstream economists... It can help advanced undergraduates and also students at honors or master's levels. It can also be used by PhD students seeking a fast, not so mathematized introduction to the field."--Jose Rodriques-Neto, Economic RecordTable of ContentsPreface xi PART I Rational Decision Making Chapter 1 The Single-Person Decision Problem 3 *1.1 Actions, Outcomes, and Preferences 4 * 1.1.1 Preference Relations 5 * 1.1.2 Payoff Functions 7 *1.2 The Rational Choice Paradigm 9 *1.3 Summary 11 *1.4 Exercises 11 Chapter 2 Introducing Uncertainty and Time 14 *2.1 Risk, Nature, and Random Outcomes 14 2.1.1 Finite Outcomes and Simple Lotteries 15 2.1.2 Simple versus Compound Lotteries 16 2.1.3 Lotteries over Continuous Outcomes 17 *2.2 Evaluating Random Outcomes 18 2.2.1 Expected Payoff: The Finite Case 19 2.2.2 Expected Payoff: The Continuous Case 20 2.2.3 Caveat: It's Not Just the Order Anymore 21 2.2.4 Risk Attitudes 22 2.2.5 The St. Petersburg Paradox 23 *2.3 Rational Decision Making with Uncertainty 24 2.3.1 Rationality Revisited 24 2.3.2 Maximizing Expected Payoffs 24 *2.4 Decisions over Time 26 2.4.1 Backward Induction 26 2.4.2 Discounting Future Payoffs 28 *2.5 Applications 29 2.5.1 The Value of Information 29 2.5.2 Discounted Future Consumption 31 *2.6 Theory versus Practice 32 *2.7 Summary 33 *2.8 Exercises 33 PART II Static Games of Complete Information Chapter 3 Preliminaries 43 *3.1 Normal-Form Games with Pure Strategies 46 3.1.1 Example: The Prisoner's Dilemma 48 3.1.2 Example: Cournot Duopoly 49 3.1.3 Example: Voting on a New Agenda 49 *3.2 Matrix Representation: Two-Player Finite Game 50 3.2.1 Example: The Prisoner's Dilemma 51 3.2.2 Example: Rock-Paper-Scissors 52 *3.3 Solution Concepts 52 3.3.1 Assumptions and Setup 54 3.3.2 Evaluating Solution Concepts 55 3.3.3 Evaluating Outcomes 56 *3.4 Summary 57 *3.5 Exercises 58 Chapter 4 Rationality and Common Knowledge 59 *4.1 Dominance in Pure Strategies 59 4.1.1 Dominated Strategies 59 4.1.2 Dominant Strategy Equilibrium 61 4.1.3 Evaluating Dominant Strategy Equilibrium 62 *4.2 Iterated Elimination of Strictly Dominated Pure Strategies 63 4.2.1 Iterated Elimination and Common Knowledge of Rationality 63 4.2.2 Example: Cournot Duopoly 65 4.2.3 Evaluating IESDS 67 *4.3 Beliefs, Best Response, and Rationalizability 69 4.3.1 The Best Response 69 4.3.2 Beliefs and Best-Response Correspondences 71 4.3.3 Rationalizability 73 4.3.4 The Cournot Duopoly Revisited 73 4.3.5 The "p-Beauty Contest" 74 4.3.6 Evaluating Rationalizability 76 *4.4 Summary 76 *4.5 Exercises 76 Chapter 5 Pinning Down Beliefs: Nash Equilibrium 79 *5.1 Nash Equilibrium in Pure Strategies 80 5.1.1 Pure-Strategy Nash Equilibrium in a Matrix 81 5.1.2 Evaluating the Nash Equilibria Solution 83 *5.2 Nash Equilibrium: Some Classic Applications 83 5.2.1 Two Kinds of Societies 83 5.2.2 The Tragedy of the Commons 84 5.2.3 Cournot Duopoly 87 5.2.4 Bertrand Duopoly 88 5.2.5 Political Ideology and Electoral Competition 93 *5.3 Summary 95 *5.4 Exercises 95 Chapter 6 Mixed Strategies 101 *6.1 Strategies, Beliefs, and Expected Payoffs 102 6.1.1 Finite Strategy Sets 102 6.1.2 Continuous Strategy Sets 104 6.1.3 Beliefs and Mixed Strategies 105 6.1.4 Expected Payoffs 105 *6.2 Mixed-Strategy Nash Equilibrium 107 6.2.1 Example: Matching Pennies 108 6.2.2 Example: Rock-Paper-Scissors 111 6.2.3 Multiple Equilibria: Pure and Mixed 113 *6.3 IESDS and Rationalizability Revisited 114 *6.4 Nash's Existence Theorem 117 *6.5 Summary 123 *6.6 Exercises 123 PART III Dynamic Games of Complete Information Chapter 7 Preliminaries 129 *7.1 The Extensive-Form Game 130 7.1.1 Game Trees 132 7.1.2 Imperfect versus Perfect Information 136 *7.2 Strategies and Nash Equilibrium 137 7.2.1 Pure Strategies 137 7.2.2 Mixed versus Behavioral Strategies 139 7.2.3 Normal-Form Representation of Extensive-Form Games 143 *7.3 Nash Equilibrium and Paths of Play 145 *7.4 Summary 147 *7.5 Exercises 147 Chapter 8 Credibility and Sequential Rationality 151 *8.1 Sequential Rationality and Backward Induction 152 *8.2 Subgame-Perfect Nash Equilibrium: Concept 153 *8.3 Subgame-Perfect Nash Equilibrium: Examples 159 8.3.1 The Centipede Game 159 8.3.2 Stackelberg Competition 160 8.3.3 Mutually Assured Destruction 163 8.3.4 Time-Inconsistent Preferences 166 *8.4 Summary 169 *8.5 Exercises 170 Chapter 9 Multistage Games 175 *9.1 Preliminaries 176 *9.2 Payoffs 177 *9.3 Strategies and Conditional Play 178 *9.4 Subgame-Perfect Equilibria 180 *9.5 The One-Stage Deviation Principle 184 *9.6 Summary 186 *9.7 Exercises 186 Chapter 10 Repeated Games 190 *10.1 Finitely Repeated Games 190 *10.2 Infinitely Repeated Games 192 10.2.1 Payoffs 193 10.2.2 Strategies 195 *10.3 Subgame-Perfect Equilibria 196 *10.4 Application: Tacit Collusion 201 *10.5 Sequential Interaction and Reputation 204 10.5.1 Cooperation as Reputation 204 10.5.2 Third-Party Institutions as Reputation Mechanisms 205 10.5.3 Reputation Transfers without Third Parties 207 *10.6 The Folk Theorem: Almost Anything Goes 209 *10.7 Summary 214 *10.8 Exercises 215 Chapter 11 Strategic Bargaining 220 *11.1 One Round of Bargaining: The Ultimatum Game 222 *11.2 Finitely Many Rounds of Bargaining 224 *11.3 The Infinite-Horizon Game 228 *11.4 Application: Legislative Bargaining 229 11.4.1 Closed-Rule Bargaining 230 11.4.2 Open-Rule Bargaining 232 *11.5 Summary 235 *11.6 Exercises 236 PART IV Static Games of Incomplete Information Chapter 12 Bayesian Games 241 *12.1 Strategic Representation of Bayesian Games 246 12.1.1 Players, Actions, Information, and Preferences 246 12.1.2 Deriving Posteriors from a Common Prior: A Player's Beliefs 247 12.1.3 Strategies and Bayesian Nash Equilibrium 249 *12.2 Examples 252 12.2.1 Teenagers and the Game of Chicken 252 12.2.2 Study Groups 255 *12.3 Inefficient Trade and Adverse Selection 258 *12.4 Committee Voting 261 *12.5 Mixed Strategies Revisited: Harsanyi's Interpretation 264 *12.6 Summary 266 *12.7 Exercises 266 Chapter 13 Auctions and Competitive Bidding 270 *13.1 Independent Private Values 272 13.1.1 Second-Price Sealed-Bid Auctions 272 13.1.2 English Auctions 275 13.1.3 First-Price Sealed-Bid and Dutch Auctions 276 13.1.4 Revenue Equivalence 279 *13.2 Common Values and the Winner's Curse 282 *13.3 Summary 285 *13.4 Exercises 285 Chapter 14 Mechanism Design 288 *14.1 Setup: Mechanisms as Bayesian Games 288 14.1.1 The Players 288 14.1.2 The Mechanism Designer 289 14.1.3 The Mechanism Game 290 *14.2 The Revelation Principle 292 *14.3 Dominant Strategies and Vickrey-Clarke-Groves Mechanisms 295 14.3.1 Dominant Strategy Implementation 295 14.3.2 Vickrey-Clarke-Groves Mechanisms 295 *14.4 Summary 299 *14.5 Exercises 299 PART V Dynamic Games of Incomplete Information Chapter 15 Sequential Rationality with Incomplete Information 303 *15.1 The Problem with Subgame Perfection 303 *15.2 Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium 307 *15.3 Sequential Equilibrium 312 *15.4 Summary 314 *15.5 Exercises 314 Chapter 16 Signaling Games 318 *16.1 Education Signaling: The MBA Game 319 *16.2 Limit Pricing and Entry Deterrence 323 16.2.1 Separating Equilibria 324 16.2.2 Pooling Equilibria 330 *16.3 Refinements of Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium in Signaling Games 332 *16.4 Summary 335 *16.5 Exercises 335 Chapter 17 Building a Reputation 339 *17.1 Cooperation in a Finitely Repeated Prisoner's Dilemma 339 *17.2 Driving a Tough Bargain 342 *17.3 A Reputation for Being "Nice" 349 *17.4 Summary 354 *17.5 Exercises 354 Chapter 18 Information Transmission and Cheap Talk 357 *18.1 Information Transmission: A Finite Example 358 *18.2 Information Transmission: The Continuous Case 361 *18.3 Application: Information and Legislative Organization 365 *18.4 Summary 367 *18.5 Exercises 367 Chapter 19 Mathematical Appendix 369 *19.1 Sets and Sequences 369 19.1.1 Basic Definitions 369 19.1.2 Basic Set Operations 370 *19.2 Functions 371 19.2.1 Basic Definitions 371 19.2.2 Continuity 372 *19.3 Calculus and Optimization 373 19.3.1 Basic Definitions 373 19.3.2 Differentiation and Optimization 374 19.3.3 Integration 377 *19.4 Probability and Random Variables 378 19.4.1 Basic Definitions 378 19.4.2 Cumulative Distribution and Density Functions 379 19.4.3 Independence, Conditional Probability, and Bayes' Rule 380 19.4.4 Expected Values 382 References 385 Index 389

Read more less

Book SynopsisHuman Rights, now in its fourth edition, is an introductory text that is both innovative and challenging. Its unique interdisciplinary approach invites students to think imaginatively and rigorously about one of the most important and influential political concepts of our time. Tracing the history of the concept, the book shows that there are fundamental tensions between legal, philosophical and social-scientific approaches to human rights. This analysis throws light on some of the most controversial issues in the field: What are the causes of human-rights violations? Is the idea of universal human rights consistent with respect for cultural difference? Are we living in a ‘post-human rights’ world? Thoroughly revised and updated, the new edition engages with recent developments, including the Trump and Biden presidencies, colonial legacies, neoliberalism, conflict in Syria, Yemen and Myanmar, the Covid-19 pandemic, new technologies and the supposed crisis of liberal democracy. Widely admired and assigned for its clarity and comprehensiveness, this book remains a ‘go-to’ text for students in the social sciences, as well as students of human-rights law who want an introduction to the non-legal aspects of their subject.Trade Review“Freeman’s discussion of human rights spans a remarkable range of eras, concepts, and disciplines. Tying it all together are his consistent commitment to showcase multiple sides of debates and the clarity of his writing. Complex yet accessible – a rare combination.”Shareen Hertel, Professor of Political Science & Human Rights, University of Connecticut “Michael Freeman is one of the leading and most reliable theorists of human rights. In this latest edition of Human Rights, he offers a detailed and objective perspective upon contemporary human-rights challenges, whilst also proposing ways in which we might more effectively engage with these challenges in the years ahead. His book should be essential reading for students and established academics alike.”Andrew Fagan, Director, Human Rights Centre, University of Essex “Michael Freeman is a long-time and careful observer of internationally recognized human rights. Students and faculty alike always benefit from his insights into that subject covering both theory and practice. There are sound reasons for his being a well-known scholar on that important topic.”David Forsythe, University of Nebraska “As we strain to make human rights 'real' in a range of sectors, such as education, health and housing, we need educationalists, health professionals, housing experts, and those working in other disciplines. The watchword is interdisciplinarity. Freeman provides a top-notch interdisciplinary introduction to the foundations of human rights for everyone wanting to make human rights relevant in the everyday lives of everybody.”Paul Hunt, Chief Human Rights Commissioner, New Zealand Human Rights CommissionTable of ContentsPreface to the Fourth Edition 1 Introduction: Thinking about Human Rights 2 Origins: The Rise and Fall of Natural Rights 3 After 1945: The New Age of Rights 4 Theories of Human Rights 5 Human Rights and Social Science 6 The Politics of Human Rights 7 Globalization, Development and Poverty: Economics and Human Rights 8 Universality, Diversity and Difference: Culture and Human Rights9 Conclusion: Utopians, Endtimers, Slow BorersReferences

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe only introductory textbook to bring together theory, comparative politics, and international relations, to provide the most comprehensive and global introduction to politics available.Table of Contents1: Introduction: The Nature of Politics and Political Analysis Part 1: Concepts and Ideologies 2: Politics and the State 3: Political Power, Authority, and the State 4: Democracy and Political Obligation 5: Freedom and Justice 6: Traditional Ideologies 7: Challenges to the Dominant Ideologies Part 2: Comparative Politics 8: Institutions and States 9: Political Culture and Non-Western Political Ideas 10: Laws, Constitutions, and Federalism 11: Votes, Elections, Legislatures, and Legislators 12: Political Parties 13: Executives, Bureaucracies, Policy Studies, and Governance 14: Civil Society, Interest Groups, and the Media 15: Democracies, Democratization, and Authoritarian Regimes Part 3: Global Politics 16: Introducing Global Politics 17: Traditional Theories in Global Politics 18: Critical Approaches to Global Politics 19: Security and Insecurity 20: Diplomacy and Foreign Policy 21: International Organizations in Global Politics 22: Global Political Economy 23: Conclusion: Towards a Globalizing, Post-Western-Dominated World

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, warnings about a 'new Cold War' proliferated. In fact, argues Gilbert Achcar in this timely new study, the Cold War has been ongoing since the turn of the century. Racing to solidify its position in the 1990s as the last remaining superpower, the US alienated Russia and China, pushing them closer and rebooting the 'old' Cold War with disastrous implications. Vladimir Putin's consequent rise and imperialist reinvention, along with Xi Jinping's own ascendancy and increasingly autocratic tendencies, would, respectively, culminate in the murderous invasion of Ukraine and mounting tensions over Taiwan and trade. Was all this inevitable? Will these three world powers' permanent readiness to war write the story of the twenty-first century? What comes after Ukraine? What might the contours of a more peaceful world look like? These questions and many others are addressed in this essential book by one of the most astute and seasoned analysts of international relations.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of the 2017 PROSE Award in Government & Politics, Association of American Publishers One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 "The best book to understand the 2016 campaign."--Matthew Yglesias "For decades, political scientists have blasted away at electoral models based primarily on the idea of rational choice. In the most recent and sophisticated entry in the field, Democracy for Realists, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels argue that even well-informed and politically engaged voters mostly choose candidates based on their social identities and partisan loyalties. Judging from the 2016 polls, that theory looks pretty good."--E.J. Dionne, Washington Post "In an important recent book, Democracy for Realists, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels show that 'group attachments' and 'social identities' are key to understanding voting behavior."--Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post "It flies in the face of decades of political science conventional wisdom about 'the rational voter' and other such dicta, but it seems to me obviously true, particularly in our age."--Michael Tomasky, New York Review of Books "[A] provocative book."--Edward Luce, Financial Times "Democracy for Realists, by Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels, shows that however cynical you are about the democratic process, it's worse than you think. All the flaws in cognition that psychologists have been teaching for decades make a mockery of the folk theory that democracy produces responsive governments."--Steven Pinker, Harvard Crimson "Brutally depressing."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "One of the most bracing books of political science to arrive in a long time... An impressively comprehensive statement on the limits of electoral democracy, a book that can both explain the emergence of Trump and potentially charts a new course for the field."--Lee Drutman, Chronicle of Higher Education "It will confirm much that you may already have intuited--issues do not much matter--and it may make you want to jump out of a window, if you didn't already."--Kevin Williamson, National Review (Summer Reading Recommendation) "The folk theory of American democracy is that citizens deliberate on the issues and choose a candidate. That is false. The truth, as political scientists Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels describe in Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government, is that voters are tribalistic."--Jamelle Bouie, Slate "A comprehensive analysis that lays the foundation for a discussion of necessary reforms and how they can be achieved."--Kirkus (starred review) "Their writing is clear, concise, and appropriately whimsical on occasion. Certain to become a classic."--Choice "Democracy for Realists is essential reading for anyone interested in the problem of voter ignorance, and the future of democracy more generally. It illuminates a dangerous problem that may well bedevil democracy for a long time to come."--Ilya Somin, History News Network "Provocative, persuasive and unsettling, Democracy for Realists is a profoundly important--and timely--book."--Glenn Altschuler, Tulsa World "The most comprehensive recent study of the American voter."--Neal Miner, Honolulu Civil Beat "According to some conventional accounts of democracy, these systems work. Voters toss out incumbents in hard times and retain them in good times... The genius of Achen and Bartels' work--the depressing genius of it--is the breadth of evidence they marshal that this is simply not the case."--Peter Loewen, Ottawa Citizen "The book might make dreary reading about the failings of democracy. But by applying what Achen and Bartels say to what is happening in the elections... It is possible to make some sense."--Han Fook Kwang, Singapore Straits Times "An important book. The authors basically destroy our most cherished ideas about democracy."--Helio Schwartsman, Folha De S. Paolo "The 2016 election cycle has confounded a good deal of scholarship and punditry so far. But one book that's coming out smelling like a rose is Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels' new book Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government. This book's novel argument is that we've been thinking about democracy all wrong."--Seth Masket, Pacific Standard "This more than erudite book couldn't have been published at a more apt, if not fractious climate amid modern British and European political history... Democracy for Realists will set minds thinking and trigger an array of debate; which, at the end of the day, is what democracy is all about."--David Marx Book Reviews "Democracy for Realists is essential reading for 2016, an empirically and theoretically rigorous political science treatise that debunks traditional defenses of democracy as a way to reflect the 'will of the people' or allow well-informed and rational voters to guide the country. In their place, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels advance a theory of democracy grounded in group identities and social psychology."--Jason Furman, Bloomberg "The myth of the informed democratic voter is itself an example of long-ingrained, stubborn anti-knowledge. In their brilliant new Democracy for Realists, the political scientists Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels explain that laypeople and experts alike have developed a 'folk theory' holding that American democracy is built on an engaged electorate that casts its votes for rational policy reasons. Unfortunately, as Achen and Bartels demonstrate, decades of research have shredded this theory, stomped on it, and set the remains on fire."--Noah Berlatsky, Reason "One of last year's most-celebrated works of political science."--Eric Levitz, New York Magazine Daily Intelligencer

Read more less

Book SynopsisProfound and humane, Amartya Sen''s Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny examines some of the most explosive problems of our time and shows how we can move towards peace as firmly as we have spiralled towards war. In this penetrating book, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen argues that we are becoming increasingly divided along lines of religion and culture, ignoring the many other ways in which people see themselves, from class and profession to morals and politics. When we are put into narrow categories the importance of human life becomes lost. Through his lucid exploration of such subjects as multiculturalism, fundamentalism, terrorism and globalization, he brings out the need for a clear-headed understanding of human freedom and a constructive public voice in Global civil society. The hope of harmony in today''s world lies in a clearer understanding of our sheer diversity. ''Identity and Violence is a moving, powerful essay about tTrade Review'Identity and Violence is a moving, powerful essay about the mischief of bad ideas' Economist

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWinner of a 2008 Lannan Notable Book Award, Lannan Foundation "[A] comprehensive diagnosis of our failings as a democratic polity by one of our most seasoned and respected political philosophers... Democracy Incorporated is a devastating critique of the contemporary government of the United States--including what has happened to it in recent years and what must be done if it is not to disappear into history along with its classic totalitarian predecessors."--Chalmers Johnson, Truthdig "[Democracy Incorporated provides] a rare, chilling analysis of intellectual critics of democracy. If democracy means more than occasional elections and protection of those rights that are compatible with economic and political elites' interests, Wolin's analysis of our democratic predicament is shocking, solid, and fundamentally correct."--C. P. Waligorski, Choice "Sheldon Wolin has produced an ambitious and broad-ranging book that examines the current state of democracy in America... Wolin argues that the unquestioned faith in the virtues of free market capitalism has dramatically narrowed the range of policy options that are on the table when debate turns to resolving the US's ills...[T]his is a trenchant and powerful volume."--Alex Waddan, International Affairs "Of the many books I've read or skimmed in the past seven years that attempted to get inside the social and political debacles of the present, none has had the chilling clarity and historical discernment of Sheldon S. Wolin's Democracy Incorporated. Building on his fifty years as a political theorist and proponent of radical democracy, Wolin here extends his concern with the extinguishing of the political and its replacement by fraudulent simulations of democratic process."--Jonathan Crary, Artforum "[W]e need to understand the deep roots of our present troubles ourselves and Wolin's book is an excellent beginning."--Toby Grace, Out in Jersey "Democracy Incorporated acts as an antidote to unconstrained corporate power and an elitist obsession and should be widely read by all those who cherish democracy and civil liberty."--Shih-Yu Chou, Political Studies Review "[Wolin] provides a rich narrative of the struggle of elites and the demos from ancient Greece through the writing of the U.S. Constitution and into the present, and the corporate-managed politics that has emerged will survive no matter which party holds Congress or the presidency."--Coleman Fannin, Journal of Church and State "Despite being written shortly before both the financial crisis and the Obama victory, the main lineaments of his analysis are still alarmingly cogent."--Tom Angier, Marx & Philosophy Review of Books

Read more less

Book SynopsisDemocracy for Realists assails the romantic folk-theory at the heart of contemporary thinking about democratic politics and government, and offers a provocative alternative view grounded in the actual human nature of democratic citizens. Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels deploy a wealth of social-scientific evidence, including ingenious original analyses of topics ranging from abortion politics and budget deficits to the Great Depression and shark attacks, to show that the familiar ideal of thoughtful citizens steering the ship of state from the voting booth is fundamentally misguided. They demonstrate that voters--even those who are well informed and politically engaged--mostly choose parties and candidates on the basis of social identities and partisan loyalties, not political issues. They also show that voters adjust their policy views and even their perceptions of basic matters of fact to match those loyalties. When parties are roughly evenly matched, elections often turn on irrelevant or misleading considerations such as economic spurts or downturns beyond the incumbents' control; the outcomes are essentially random. Thus, voters do not control the course of public policy, even indirectly. Achen and Bartels argue that democratic theory needs to be founded on identity groups and political parties, not on the preferences of individual voters. Democracy for Realists provides a powerful challenge to conventional thinking, pointing the way toward a fundamentally different understanding of the realities and potential of democratic government.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2017 PROSE Award in Government & Politics, Association of American Publishers One of Bloomberg's Best Books of 2016 One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 "The best book to understand the 2016 campaign."--Matthew Yglesias "For decades, political scientists have blasted away at electoral models based primarily on the idea of rational choice. In the most recent and sophisticated entry in the field, Democracy for Realists, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels argue that even well-informed and politically engaged voters mostly choose candidates based on their social identities and partisan loyalties. Judging from the 2016 polls, that theory looks pretty good."--E.J. Dionne, Washington Post "In an important recent book, Democracy for Realists, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels show that 'group attachments' and 'social identities' are key to understanding voting behavior."--Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post "It flies in the face of decades of political science conventional wisdom about 'the rational voter' and other such dicta (what the authors call the 'folk theory' of democracy), but it seems to me obviously true, particularly in our age."--Michael Tomasky, New York Review of Books "[A] provocative book."--Edward Luce, Financial Times "Democracy for Realists, by Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels, shows that however cynical you are about the democratic process, it's worse than you think. All the flaws in cognition that psychologists have been teaching for decades make a mockery of the folk theory that democracy produces responsive governments."--Steven Pinker, Harvard Crimson "Brutally depressing."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "One of the most bracing books of political science to arrive in a long time... An impressively comprehensive statement on the limits of electoral democracy, a book that can both explain the emergence of Trump and potentially charts a new course for the field."--Lee Drutman, Chronicle of Higher Education "It will confirm much that you may already have intuited--issues do not much matter--and it may make you want to jump out of a window, if you didn't already."--Kevin Williamson, National Review (Summer Reading Recommendation) "The folk theory of American democracy is that citizens deliberate on the issues and choose a candidate. That is false. The truth, as political scientists Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels describe in Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government, is that voters are tribalistic."--Jamelle Bouie, Slate "A comprehensive analysis that lays the foundation for a discussion of necessary reforms and how they can be achieved."--Kirkus (starred review) "Their writing is clear, concise, and appropriately whimsical on occasion. Certain to become a classic."--Choice "Democracy for Realists is essential reading for anyone interested in the problem of voter ignorance, and the future of democracy more generally. It illuminates a dangerous problem that may well bedevil democracy for a long time to come."--Ilya Somin, History News Network "Provocative, persuasive and unsettling, Democracy for Realists is a profoundly important--and timely--book."--Glenn Altschuler, Tulsa World "The most comprehensive recent study of the American voter."--Neal Miner, Honolulu Civil Beat "According to some conventional accounts of democracy, these systems work. Voters toss out incumbents in hard times and retain them in good times... The genius of Achen and Bartels' work--the depressing genius of it--is the breadth of evidence they marshal that this is simply not the case."--Peter Loewen, Ottawa Citizen "The book might make dreary reading about the failings of democracy. But by applying what Achen and Bartels say to what is happening in the elections... It is possible to make some sense."--Han Fook Kwang, Singapore Straits Times "An important book. The authors basically destroy our most cherished ideas about democracy."--Helio Schwartsman, Folha De S. Paolo "The 2016 election cycle has confounded a good deal of scholarship and punditry so far. But one book that's coming out smelling like a rose is Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels' new book Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government. This book's novel argument is that we've been thinking about democracy all wrong."--Seth Masket, Pacific Standard "This more than erudite book couldn't have been published at a more apt, if not fractious climate amid modern British and European political history... Democracy for Realists will set minds thinking and trigger an array of debate; which, at the end of the day, is what democracy is all about."--David Marx Book Reviews "Democracy for Realists is essential reading for 2016, an empirically and theoretically rigorous political science treatise that debunks traditional defenses of democracy as a way to reflect the 'will of the people' or allow well-informed and rational voters to guide the country. In their place, Christopher Achen and Larry Bartels advance a theory of democracy grounded in group identities and social psychology."--Jason Furman, Bloomberg "The myth of the informed democratic voter is itself an example of long-ingrained, stubborn anti-knowledge. In their brilliant new Democracy for Realists, the political scientists Christopher H. Achen and Larry M. Bartels explain that laypeople and experts alike have developed a 'folk theory' holding that American democracy is built on an engaged electorate that casts its votes for rational policy reasons. Unfortunately, as Achen and Bartels demonstrate, decades of research have shredded this theory, stomped on it, and set the remains on fire."--Noah Berlatsky, Reason "One of last year's most-celebrated works of political science."--Eric Levitz, New York Magazine Daily IntelligencerTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Preface xiii 1 Democratic Ideals and Realities 1 2 The Elusive Mandate: Elections and the Mirage of Popular Control 21 3 Tumbling Down into a Democratical Republick: "Pure Democracy" and the Pitfalls of Popular Control 52 4 A Rational God of Vengeance and of Reward? The Logic of Retrospective Accountability 90 5 Blind Retrospection: Electoral Responses to Droughts, Floods, and Shark Attacks 116 6 Musical Chairs: Economic Voting and the Specious Present 146 7 A Chicken in Every Pot: Ideology and Retrospection in the Great Depression 177 8 The Very Basis of Reasons: Groups, Social Identities, and Political Psychology 213 9 Partisan Hearts and Spleens: Social Identities and Political Change 232 10 It Feels Like We're Th inking: Th e Rationalizing Voter 267 11 Groups and Power: Toward a Realist Th eory of Democracy 297 Appendix Retrospective Voting as Selection and Sanctioning 329 References 335 Index 371

Read more less

Book SynopsisScholars have long claimed that the Eastern Roman Empire, a Christian theocracy, bore little resemblance to ancient Rome. Here, Anthony Kaldellis reconnects Byzantium to its Roman roots, arguing that it was essentially a republic, with power exercised on behalf of, and sometimes by, Greek-speaking citizens who considered themselves fully Roman.Trade ReviewAny student of political science will find this study of interest because of its discussions of both theory and specific historical documents… Byzantine specialists will find intriguing the author’s remarks about continuity, and nonspecialists will appreciate his discussion about the legitimacy of power in a medieval context. -- J. W. Nesbitt * Choice *This is a path-breaking book that will change the discussion on the political structure of the later Roman Empire—Byzantium—and put it, finally, on a proper course. -- Dimitri Gutas, Yale UniversityThis is an important book that establishes beyond a doubt that the image we have of Byzantium, the Roman Empire in the East, is in need of revision. Kaldellis breaks down the artificial and damaging divide between Roman and Byzantine studies with his encyclopedic knowledge of the full run of Byzantine historiography. -- Paul Stephenson, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Read more less

Book SynopsisNobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz explains why we are experiencing such destructively high levels of inequality - and why this is not inevitable The top 1 percent have the best houses, the best educations, the best doctors, and the best lifestyles, but there is one thing that money doesn''t seem to have bought: an understanding that their fate is bound up with how the other 99 percent live. Throughout history, this is something that the top 1 percent eventually do learn - too late. In this timely book, Joseph Stiglitz identifies three major causes of our predicament: that markets don''t work the way they are supposed to (being neither efficient nor stable); how political systems fail to correct the shortcomings of the market; and how our current economic and political systems are fundamentally unfair. He focuses chiefly on the gross inequality to which these systems give rise, but also explains how inextricably interlinked they are. Providing evidence that investment - not austerity - is vital for productivity, and offering realistic solutions for levelling the playing field and increasing social mobility, Stiglitz argues that reform of our economic and political systems is not just fairer, but is the only way to make markets work as they really should. Joseph Stiglitz was Chief Economist at the World Bank until January 2000. He is currently University Professor of the Columbia Business School and Chair of the Management Board and Director of Graduate Summer Programs, Brooks World Poverty Institute, University of Manchester. He won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001 and is the best-selling author of Globalization and Its Discontents, The Roaring Nineties, Making Globalization Work and Freefall, all published by Penguin.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A New Statesman Book of the Year""A really fascinating read."---Justin Kempf, Democracy Paradox"A valuable contribution to the extensive, and growing, historiography concerning the origins of the modern state. While others have concentrated on non-Western or Western European countries to reach their conclusions about the evolution of modern politics, Wheatley’s case study breaks new ground in its analysis of an especially difficult case, the Austrian Empire after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867." * Choice *"A richly rewarding book. . . . Wheatley gracefully unpacks the complicated constitutional issues faced by inhabitants of the Habsburg monarchy." * History Today *"Monumental. . . . Wheatley’s narrative recovers a world where international law was not a dead letter but a blueprint for a multinational and pluralistic world."---Yosef Malka, BR!NK

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe US Constitution says nothing about a presidential cabinet, yet this institution has grown powerful. Lindsay M. Chervinsky tells the story of George Washington’s cabinet, an ad hoc panel that responded to emergencies of the day. It is supposed to be the Senate’s job to advise the president, but the first cabinet changed that expectation forever.Trade ReviewCogent, lucid, and concise, Lindsay Chervinsky’s book gives us an indispensable guide to the creation of the cabinet. With her groundbreaking study, we can now have a much greater appreciation of this essential American institution, one of the major legacies of George Washington’s enlightened statecraft. -- Ron Chernow, author of Washington: A LifeTracks the emergence of a body that the Constitution never mentions…Argues persuasively that focusing on its development helps us understand pivotal moments in the 1790s and the creation of an independent, effective executive. -- William Anthony Hay * Wall Street Journal *Fantastic…My admiration for America’s first and possibly finest president has grown further…Washington excelled more than many of his successors at harnessing the cabinet to exercise his political will…A compelling story. -- Clayton Trutor * New Criterion *A thorough and insightful account of how the federal government came to have a ‘cabinet’ resembling the British one. But it doubles as a poignant tale of how Washington’s unifying authority broke down over his time in office. -- Tom Cutterham * Early American Literature *Well-researched, thoughtful, and fascinating…Between 1789 and 1797, George Washington formulated the standards against which all subsequent presidents must be measured. -- Clay S. Jenkinson * Governing.com *A well written, deeply insightful examination of Washington’s presidency and his personal leadership style. -- Alec D. Rogers * Journal of the American Revolution *With smart analysis and lively writing, Chervinsky illuminates how Washington and his secretaries breathed life into an institution never directly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution. -- Tyson Reeder * Parliaments, Estates, and Representation *Traces the evolution of the cabinet from British history through George Washington’s presidency, explaining how experimentation, personalities, internal and international crises, loyalty and betrayal, and political partisanship impacted not only the development of Washington’s advisory body, but foreign and domestic policies as well. * Library Journal *In this important and illuminating study, Lindsay Chervinsky has given us an original angle of vision on the foundations and development of something we all take for granted: the president’s Cabinet. -- Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of AmericaA clear, concise, and lively study of a topic that has long needed such coverage. Chervinsky skillfully shows the Revolutionary roots of the early cabinet and explores how it juggled precedent, public opinion, partisanship, and the balance of power. Anyone interested in American politics will want to read this informative and timely book. -- Joanne B. Freeman, author of The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil WarChervinsky offers a new perspective on a crucial and enduring institution in American politics, persuasively showing the centrality of the cabinet in the founding era and beyond. With clear, crisp prose and a compelling story, this book is a must-read not only for historians, political scientists, and legal scholars, but also for anyone interested in learning about a foundation of the American republic. -- Gautham Rao, author of National Duties: Custom Houses and the Making of the American StateA riveting, beautifully written story of George Washington’s efforts to figure out how to achieve his goals in a fast-changing environment. By placing Washington’s cabinet meetings within the broader narratives of the Revolutionary War and the politics of the early republic, Chervinsky brings all the tensions of the big stories into Washington’s efforts to administer America’s new government. She makes reading about the evolution of institutions fun! -- Johann N. Neem, author of Democracy’s Schools: The Rise of Public Education in AmericaA well-written and much-needed addition to our understanding of the early American Republic. -- Kathryn Gehred * H-Net Reviews *Provides the reader with the first modern treatment of the Cabinet in decades. Chervinsky shows how the Cabinet came to be, and how it changed in the early days of the republic. -- Stephen Donnelly * Historical Journal of Massachusetts *

Read more less

Book SynopsisConventional Deterrence is a book about the origins of war. Why do nations faced with the prospect of large-scale conventional war opt for or against an offensive strategy? John J. Mearsheimer examines a number of crises that led to major conventional wars to explain why deterrence failed.Trade ReviewAn intelligent, well-researched, and organized study. * Foreign Affairs *John Mearsheimer has got his timing just right. There is much current talk about the need to this and do that to bolster NATO's conventional forces, but there is no conceptual framework for assessing all these proposals. This is a carefully argued and well-written study that should immediately raise the quality of the debate. Most importantly, it draws effectively on history to illuminate contemporary problems. -- Lawrence Freedman * New Republic *Mearsheimer offers a fine example of how defense policy analysis should be conducted. He demonstrates an excellent grasp of proportion and priority in concentrating on some of the most important yet understudied questions of deterrence and modern warfare. Why, he asks, are offensive strategies accepted or avoided by states facing the prospect of large-scale conventional war? In answering this question, Mearsheimer confronts other questions of politics and perceptions that the strategic nuclear deadlock has only accentuated. The historic and technical details are handled masterfully while lessons are drawn for assessing the pivotal military balance in central Europe. This is a sophisticated yet thoroughly lucid book worthy of careful attention by any student of U.S. national security policy. * Journal of Policy Analysis and Management *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the 20th century’s greatest physicists, in this collection of essays, shares his strongly-held opinions on everything from the Higgs boson to the state of theoretical physics and the problems of science and society. If you’re a big Steven Weinberg fan, you won’t want to miss his latest. -- Ethan Siegel * Forbes *Weinberg has a knack for capturing a complex concept in a succinct, unforgettable image…[He’s] one of the smartest and most diligent scientists around. -- Robert Crease * Nature *This book should be read not only for its insightful and illuminating explanations of a wide range of physical phenomena but also for the opportunity it affords to follow the wanderings of a brilliant mind through topics ranging from high-energy physics and the makeup of the cosmos to poetry, and from the history and philosophy of science to the dangers of economic inequality…[A] captivating book. -- Mario Livio * Science *This collection is an easily digestible glimpse into the mind of a thoughtful scientific communicator and shows the truly all-encompassing nature of theoretical physics. -- Andrea Gawrylewski * Scientific American *A stimulating and admirable book. -- N. David Mermin * Physics Today *Weinberg’s finest collection yet—chock-full of informative content, wise opinion, and intelligent comment. He is an extreme rarity—a great physicist whose writings are entertaining and accessible for both experts and non-specialists. Superb. -- Graham Farmelo, author of The Strangest ManSteve Weinberg’s essays are fascinating and thought-provoking as always. Readers will find a lot to think about on a wide range of topics. -- Edward Witten, Institute for Advanced StudyThe phrase ‘public intellectual’ is much bandied about. Just a few real heavyweights in the world merit the title, and Steven Weinberg is preeminent among them. His collection ranges from deep science on the very frontier of human comprehension, through his trenchant views on public policy, to history and the arts. Compelling reading. -- Richard Dawkins

Read more less

Book SynopsisBonnie Honig invigorates debate over the politics of refusal by insisting that withdrawal from unjust political systems be matched with collective action to change them. Historical and fictional characters from Muhammad Ali to the Bacchants of ancient Greek tragedy teach us how to turn rejection into transformative efforts toward self-governance.Trade ReviewA new and deeply compelling interpretation of Euripides’s Bacchae…Honig’s argument is brilliantly counterintuitive…She rereads the Bacchae to celebrate the women’s freedom and joy. -- Karen Bassi * Political Theory *Maneuvering through a complex theoretical web, Refusal displays Honig’s characteristic refusal of aridity…Most vital, though, is Honig’s encounter with the Bacchae itself. The tragedy’s devastation ‘illustrates, metaphorically speaking, the breadth and depth of patriarchy’s grasp, its imbrication in everything we love as well as in the structures and powers we resist’…Now that the United States has officially entered its post-Roe reality, Honig’s clarity about feminism’s normative and civic demands rings all the louder. Only in a world without patriarchs could feminist citizenship be claimed without so much bloody sacrifice. -- Katherine Bermingham * Review of Politics *Exudes a hopefulness for an anticipated future in which democracy is not always already over but readied, perhaps for the first time, to witness the joy and act on the knowledge of its marginalized subjects…Honig’s writing is elegant, economical, yet alive with a restrained but confident rhetorical flair. -- Victoria Hesford * Cultural Critique *Honig compellingly demonstrates the continued relevancy of ancient Greek tragedy for feminism, at a time when the role of the classics in higher education is increasingly under scrutiny. -- Rose A. Owen * Contemporary Political Theory *Give her glory! In her reading of and with the Bacchae, Bonnie Honig takes us through the text into critical theory, theater, and the agonistic political. Her sisterly feminism makes women fiercer, more violent, more political, more closely and willfully bound to one another, full of food and pleasure and joy in rebellion. In the arc of refusal that Honig makes visible, sexualities become iridescent acts of will, maternalism falls before an egalitarian sisterhood, and an ancient text opens to new forms of political struggle. -- Anne Norton, author of 95 Theses on Politics, Culture, and MethodWith a questing mind and an eye for the revealing detail, Honig finds unexpected meanings in Euripides’s Bacchae, showing how the play expands and renews feminist concepts of resistance. In their repeated refusals, sororal mutuality, and storytelling, the wild women who desert Thebes for the forest give us valuable hints about how power is sustained and how it may be opposed. For Honig, reading itself becomes a bold collaboration, an opportunity to place thinkers in surprising company and learn from the experiment. -- Joy Connolly, President, American Council of Learned SocietiesA profoundly relevant study of the three graces of refusal—inclination, inoperativity, and fabulation—and how, interwoven, they work to deepen its far-reaching agency. Honig encourages us all to stake a claim in the retelling of our histories, to push our narratives beyond the maddening limitations of patriarchal normativity. This is our civic and political duty, whether we succeed or fail. As Honig says, ‘we are in it together.’ -- Lisa Dwan, actor, writer, director, and star of Pale SisterIn Bonnie Honig’s stunning reinterpretation of the Bacchae, the concept of refusal—not an end in itself, but a necessary first step toward liberation and transformation—grounds an audacious and utterly persuasive feminist politics. Along the way, readers are treated to surprising and reciprocally illuminating pairings: Saidiya Hartman and Hannah Arendt, Greek tragedy and Black fabulation, Bartleby the Scrivener and Charlie Chaplin. This book blazes like a comet with intellectual sparks in its wake. -- Vaughn Rasberry, author of Race and the Totalitarian Century: Geopolitics in the Black Literary ImaginationExhilarating. With her vital reading of the Bacchae, Honig develops a fierce feminist politics that sees refusal not as passivity but as a violent transformative love. -- Catherine Conybeare, author of The Laughter of Sarah: Biblical Exegesis, Feminist Theory, and the Concept of Delight

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat constitutes Global Political Economy? In whose interest is GPE constructed, and by whom? How can injustices in GPE best be redressed? These are some of the key questions addressed in the 7th edition of this highly regarded highly regarded textbook.As an ever-evolving field subject to constant changes and developments, the new edition provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject written by leading experts in the field. Edited by Dr Erin Hannah,the 7th edition surveys major contemporary issues and debates in GPE while being attuned to the silences, marginalizations, and exclusions that predominate the field. By integrating a wide range of theoretical approaches, rich empirical material, non-western viewpoints and diversity of contributors, the 7th edition provides enhanced coverage of the central axes of inequality in GPE and centers topics such as colonialism, race, gender, North-South divides and everyday life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe United States has been engaged in what the great historian Charles A. Beard called "perpetual war for perpetual peace." The Federation of American Scientists has cataloged nearly 200 military incursions since 1945 in which the United States has been the aggressor. In a series of penetrating and alarming essays, whose centerpiece is a commentary on the events of September 11, 2001 (deemed too controversial to publish in this country until now) Gore Vidal challenges the comforting consensus following September 11th and goes back and draws connections to Timothy McVeigh's bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. He asks were these simply the acts of "evil-doers?" "Gore Vidal is the master essayist of our age." -- Washington Post "Our greatest living man of letters."--Boston Globe "Vidal's imagination of American politics is so powerful as to compel awe."--Harold Bloom, The New York Review of Books

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat are the imagined communities that compel men to kill or to die for an idea of a nation? This notion of nationhood had its origins in the founding of the Americas, but was then adopted and transformed by populist movements in nineteenth-century Europe. It became the rallying cry for anti-Imperialism as well as the abiding explanation for colonialism. In this scintillating, groundbreaking work of intellectual history Anderson explores how ideas are formed and reformulated at every level, from high politics to popular culture, and the way that they can make people do extraordinary things. In the twenty-first century, these debates on the nature of the nation state are even more urgent. As new nations rise, vying for influence, and old empires decline, we must understand who we are as a community in the face of history, and change.Trade ReviewSparkling, readable, densely packed. * Guardian *Anderson's knowledge of a vast range of relevant historical literature is most impressive; his presentation of the gist of it is both masterly and lucid. * New Statesman *A brilliant little book. * Neal Ascherson, The Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines the development of viable political institutions in nations and contributes to modern political analysis.Trade ReviewNamed one of the significant books of the last 75 years by Francis Fukuyama in Foreign Affairs"This book, which first appeared in 1968, was one of the classics of late twentieth-century social science, a work that had enormous influence on the way people thought about development, both in academia and in the policy world. The breadth of knowledge about developing countries, as well as the analytical insight that Political Order brought to bear, was astonishing, and cemented Samuel Huntington's reputation as one of the foremost political scientists of his generation."—Francis Fukuyama, from the Foreword

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"I very much recommend this book, not only to all that teach statistics to (under)graduate students, but also those that use statistics for their own research, that would like to value the work of others, or engage in debates using actual or perceived facts."---Gijs Dekkers, International Statsitical Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe classic book on the way American government agencies work and how they can be made to work better -- the masterwork of political scientist James Q. Wilson (The Economist)In Bureaucracy, the distinguished scholar James Q. Wilson examines a wide range of bureaucracies, including the US Army, the FBI, the CIA, the FCC, and the Social Security Administration, providing the first comprehensive, in-depth analysis of what government agencies do, why they operate the way they do, and how they might become more responsible and effective. It is the essential guide to understanding how American government works.Table of ContentsOrganizations * Armies, Prisons, Schools * Organization Matters Operators * Circumstances * Beliefs * Interests * Culture Managers * Constraints * People * Compliance Executives * Turf * Strategies * Innovation Context * Congress * Presidents * Courts * National Differences Change * Problems * Rules * Markets * Bureaucracy and the Public Interest

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow in its fifth edition, Politics: The Basics explores the systems, movements and issues at the cutting edge of modern politics. A highly successful introduction to the world of politics, it offers clear and concise coverage of a range of issues and addresses fundamental questions such as:â Why does politics matter?â Why obey the state?â What are the key approaches to power?â How are political decisions made?â What are the current issues affecting governments worldwide?Accessible in style and topical in content, the fifth edition has been fully restructured to reflect core issues, systems and movements that are at the centre of modern politics and international relations. Assuming no prior knowledge in politics, it is ideal reading for anyone approaching the study of politics for the first time.Table of ContentsIllustrations Preface Ackowledgements 1. Politics 2. Power 3. Systems 4. Ideologies 5. States 6. Global 7. Mechanisms 8. Policies 9. Challenges References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisTaxation is crucial to the functioning of the modern state. Tax revenues pay for public services - roads, the courts, defence, welfare assistance to the poor and elderly, and in many countries much of health care and education too. More than one third of national income in the industrialized (OECD) countries is on average taken in taxation. Taxes affect individuals in many ways. Taxes paid on income and spending directly reduce taxpayer disposable income, taxpayers face the hassle of tax returns and making payments, and they may be anxious about the possibility of investigation and enforcement action. People also adapt their activities in various ways to reduce the impact of taxation - putting money into tax-free savings accounts, or making shopping trips to other countries where taxes are lower. Taxation is therefore central to politics and public debate. Politicians that make reckless campaign promises about taxation then have to live with the uncomfortable consequences if elected. Businesses lobby for tax breaks that they claim will create jobs and prosperity. In this Very Short Introduction Stephen Smith shows how taxes have real effects on citizens and the economy that tax policy-makers have to balance. Although tax policy will always be a highly political issue, he argues that public decisions about taxation would be improved by a better understanding of the role of taxation, and of the nature and effects of different taxes.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade Reviewa very short book on taxation I wish were longer... a clever, detailed and entertaining guide to tax policy. * Prospect, Philip Collins *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. What are taxes, and why do we need them? ; 2. The structure of taxation ; 3. Who bears the tax burden? ; 4. Taxation and the economy ; 5. Tax evasion and enforcement ; 6. Issues in tax policy ; Further Reading ; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy efforts to moderate harmful content on social media fail to stop extremistsContent moderation on social media has become one of the most daunting challenges of our time. Nowhere is the need for action more urgent than in the fight against terrorism and extremism. Yet despite mass content takedowns, account suspensions, and mounting pressure on technology companies to do more, hate thrives online. Safe Havens for Hate looks at how content moderation shapes the tactics of harmful content producers on a wide range of social media platforms.Drawing on a wealth of original data on more than a hundred militant and hate organizations around the world, Tamar Mitts shows how differing moderation standards across platforms create safe havens that allow these actors to organize, launch campaigns, and mobilize supporters. She reveals how the structure of the information environment shapes the cross-platform activity of extremist organizations and movements such

Read more less

Book Synopsis* Carl Schmitt is widely recognized as one of the most important political theorists of the 20th century. This is the only remaining work by Carl Schmitt which has not yet been translated into English.Trade Review"At last Carl Schmitt's Dictatorship is available in English. His study and analysis of this concept is key to understanding the varieties of dictatorship." —George Schwab, National Committee on American Foreign Policy "Dictatorship is the first book ever entirely devoted to the topic of emergency powers. Written as Germany's fledgeling Weimar Republic resorted to emergency measures to confront insurrections from both the Left and the Right, Schmitt explored the historical origins and philosophical justifications of extraordinary executive action. Schmitt's Dictatorship is a fascinating historical document and a prescient, insightful resource for contemporary debates in political theory and constitutional law." —John P. McCormick, University of ChicagoTable of ContentsTranslator’s IntroductionForeword to the fourth edition (1978)Foreword to the third edition (1964)Foreword to the second edition (1928)Preliminary remarks to the first edition (1921)I Commissary Dictatorship and the theory of the stateII The praxis of royal commissars up to the 18th centuryIII The transition to sovereign dictatorship in the theory of the state of the 18th centuryIV The concept of sovereign dictatorshipV The praxis of the people’s commissars during the French RevolutionVI Dictatorship in the contemporary constitution (the state of besiegement)Appendix: The Dictatorship of the Reichspräsident according to Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution pp. 211-57I Common interpretation of Article 48, Paragraph 2 todayII The regulation of Article 48, Paragraph 2 as a provisoriumIII General limitation of competence based on Article 48, Paragraph 2IV The law of implementation [Ausfüngsgesetz] regarding Article 48 RVINDEX OF NAMESINDEX OF SUBJECTSGLOSSARY

Read more less

Book Synopsis'The capacity to affect and to be affected'. This simple definition opens a world of questions - by indicating an openness to the world. To affect and to be affected is to be in encounter, and to be in encounter is to have already ventured forth.Trade ReviewBrian Massumi wants to write a serious play of life by emphasizing the many different roles of affect. In these interviews, he sets out that project in compelling detail, adding yet more evidence that the enactive mapping of affect pays some remarkable conceptual dividends.Nigel Thrift, University of Warwick "A politics of affect – what might that mean, given that we are completely immersed in affects? Spinoza and Deleuze have pressed us too forcefully into that particular sea. Massumi teaches us carefully how to swim in it. Not only a politics but also a practice of affect – a form of life."Antonio NegriTable of ContentsPreface 1. Navigating Movements Mary Zournazi 2. Of Microperception and Micropolitics Joel McKim 3. Ideology and Escape Yubraj Aryal 4. Affective Attunement in the Field Of Catastrophe Erin Manning, Jonas Fritsch and Bodil Marie Stavning Thomsen 5. Immediation Erin Manning, Christoph Brunner 6. What a Body Can Do Arno Boehler In Lieu of a Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisOnce upon a time, a group of libertarians got together and hatched the Free Town Project, a plan to take over an American town and completely eliminate its government. In 2004, Grafton, NH, a barely populated settlement with one paved road, turned that plan into reality.Public funding for pretty much everything shrank: the fire department, the library, the schoolhouse. State and federal laws didn't disappear, but they got quieter: meek suggestions barely heard in the town's thick wilderness.The bears, on the other hand, were increasingly visible. Grafton's freedom-loving citizens ignored hunting laws and regulations on food disposal. They built a tent city, in an effort to get off the grid. And with a large and growing local bear population, conflict became inevitable.A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear is both a screwball comedy and the story of a radically American commitment to freedom. Full of colorful characters, puns and jokes, and one large social experiment, it is a quintessentially American story, a bearing of our national soul.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis major collection demonstrates the extent to which Thomas Paine was an inspiration to the Americans in their struggle for independence, a passionate supporter of the French Revolution and perhaps the outstanding English radical writer of his age. It contains all of Paine's major works including Rights of Man, his groundbreaking defence of the revolutionary cause in France; Common Sense, which won thousands over to the side of the American rebels; and the first part of The Age of Reason, a ferocious attack on Christianity. The shorter pieces—on capital punishment, social reform and the abolition of slavery—also confirm the great versatility and power of this master of democratic prose.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres Table of ContentsThe Thomas Paine Reader - Edited by Michael Foot and Isaac Kramnick Editors' Introduction: The Life, Ideology and Legacy of Thomas PainePaine's Writings:1. The Case of the Officers of Excise (1772)2. African Slavery in American (1775)3. Reflections on the Life and Death of Lord Clive (1775)4. Liberty Tree (1775)5. Common Sense (1776)6. The American Crisis (1776-83)7. Public Good (1780)8. Six Letters to Rhode Island (1782-3)9. Letter to the Abbé Raynal (1782)10. Dissertations on Government, the Affairs of the Bank, and Paper Money (1786)11. The Rights of Man (1791-2)12. Letter Addressed to the Addressers on the Late Proclamation (1792)13. An Essay for the Use of New Republicans in Their Opposition to Monarchy (1792)14. Reasons for Preserving the Life of Louis Capet (1793)15. The Age of Reason, Part One (1794)16. Dissertation on First Principles of Government (1795)17. Agrarian Justice (1795)18. Letter to George Washington (1795)19. To the Citizens of the United States (1802-3)20. The Construction of Iron Bridges (1803)21. Constitutional Reform (1805)

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritings on War collects three of Carl Schmitt's most important and controversial texts, here appearing in English for the first time: The Turn to the Discriminating Concept of War, The Grossraum Order of International Law, and The International Crime of the War of Aggression and the Principle Nullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege. Written between 1937 and 1945, these works articulate Schmitt's concerns throughout this period of war and crisis, addressing the major failings of the League of Nations, and presenting Schmitt's own conceptual history of these years of disaster for international jurisprudence. For Schmitt, the jurisprudence of Versailles and Nuremberg both fail to provide for a stable international system, insofar as they attempt to impose universal standards of 'humanity' on a heterogeneous world, and treat efforts to revise the status quo as 'criminal' acts of war. In place of these flawed systems, Schmitt argues for a new planetary order in which neither collective secTrade Review"Altogether a most useful addition to the body of Schmitt’s works." Survival An advanced piece of historical scholarship which continues to impact the often nuanced political and legal relationship between states and between states and individuals. Despite the author’s obvious intransient opinion about the Geneva League of Nations and Western liberal democratic values, this book offers sound criticisms of the international legal order of the times and is thus a pillar of knowledge for students and scholars of international law and relations." Central European Journal of International and Security Studies "Warning as it does against the pitfalls of arrogant erudition, the politicization of religion and the flight into elitist mysticism, this book contains lessons for the followers of all creeds." Muslim World "The translation of Carl Schmitt's Writings on War is a remarkable achievement. Timothy Nunan has introduced, translated and annotated the text with considerable skill and aplomb. Nunan's excellent introduction makes clear the painfully compelling relevance of these essays on sovereignty, enmity and empire for contemporary audiences--relevance that is not likely to diminish over the course of time." John McCormick, University of Chicago "Carl Schmitt's direct assault on liberal views of international law and politics generated massive controversy when they first appeared in German. Now available in an accessible translation, Anglophone readers finally get a chance to understand what the fuss was all about. Zeroing in on the Achilles' heel of liberal international law, Schmitt ultimately threw the baby out with the bath water by transforming his occasionally astute observations into a full-fledged attack. Despite his flawed normative and political aspirations, Schmitt's views provide a provocative challenge those of us committed to strengthening international law and global governance simply have to take up." William E. Scheuerman, Indiana UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments viii Translator’s Introduction 1 Note on the Translation 27 The Turn to the Discriminating Concept of War (1937) 30 The Großraum Order of International Law with a Ban on Intervention for Spatially Foreign Powers: A Contribution to the Concept of Reich in International Law (1939–1941) 75 The International Crime of the War of Aggression and the Principle "ullum crimen, nulla poena sine lege" 1945) 125 Further Reading 198 Notes 201 Index 232

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this blistering book, David Andress shows how the West has abandoned its history and lost its memory. The former great powers of the historic 'West' have abandoned themselves to senile daydreams of recovered youth. They have stirred up old hatreds given disturbing voice to destructive rage, and risked the collapse of their capacity for decisive, effective and just government. At the core of this is an abandonment of political attention to history, understood as a clear empirical grounding in how we reached our present condition. In Britain, France and the USA, historical stories are deployed in public debate as little more than dangerous fantasies.Trade ReviewTo understand our current political situation [...] this book is to be recommended as a handy primer - particularly on France's postwar political travails * Spectator *A stimulating look at the way in which history shapes events * History Revealed *[Andress] repudiates a collective failure to come to terms with the collapse of a historical bubble, when racist empire underwrote domestic achievement and granted international prestige * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe revised edition of Grube's classic translation follows and furthers Grube's noted success in combining fidelity to Plato's text with natural readability, while reflecting the fruits of new scholarship and insights into Plato's thought since publication of the first edition in 1974.Trade ReviewC.D.C. Reeve has taken the excellent Grube translation and, without sacrificing accuracy, rendered it into a vivid and contemporary style. It is intensity that is often lost in translation, but not here. This is not just a matter of style. The Republic is full of brilliant thoughts, and one needs to preserve brilliance to capture them. In the cave of translations, Reeve’s revision of Grube's Republic is closest to the sun. --Jonathan Lear, University of ChicagoReeve has reworked the Grube translation thoroughly, raising the level of philosophical accuracy and updating the language, all the while retaining--and indeed enhancing--the celebrated readability of the Grube original. For a long time to come, Grube-Reeve will deservedly be the first choice of scholars and students alike. --John Cooper, Princeton University

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBernard E. Harcourt calls for moving beyond the complacency of decades of philosophical detours and to harness critical thought to the need for action. Critique and Praxis advocates for a new path forward that constantly challenges each one of us to ask what more we can do to realize a society based on equality and justice.Trade ReviewCritique and Praxis is the work of a visionary revolutionary intellectual. -- Biodun Jeyifo * British Journal of Sociology *With his typical combination of erudition, eloquent argument, and theoretical clarity, Bernard Harcourt now gives us a complete account of his reading of contemporary critical philosophy, articulating it with immediate issues in the field of human rights and democratic politics. A tour de force which will give readers much to learn and much to think about. I will have it permanently on my desk, or not far. -- Étienne Balibar, author of Violence and Civility: On the Limits of Political PhilosophyHas critical philosophy completed its mission or has it renounced the task, which it posed in the 1920s, to link theory and praxis in order to change the world? Harcourt’s response is unequivocal: the critical theory that emerged from the Frankfurt School has lost its original orientation and separated theory from the passion for praxis. Many other philosophical tendencies have since occupied this terrain, reimagining the theoretical horizon and trying to construct practices adequate to contemporary society. Harcourt studies and critiques them attentively, be they liberal currents or socialist variants, European philosophies of the common or insurrectionalist approaches. For Harcourt, however, critique must return to its radical roots and be done ‘en situation.’ This book inaugurates a turn from Foucault-style genealogies to a critical thought that is rooted in praxis and critiques it politically. With this passage, Harcourt exclaims, with Haraway, that ‘the only scientific thing to do is to revolt!’ And he confesses that in his previous books he only scratched at the surface of this conversion. Today the paradigm has shifted and praxis must be posed as subjectivation. If before the problem consisted in responding to ‘What is to be done?,’ today the question is ‘What more am I to do?’ Harcourt thus transforms critical philosophy into a manifesto of ethical engagement. -- Antonio Negri, coauthor of EmpireA relentlessly honest and learned exploration of how critical theory can turn again to the task of changing the world. Learning from above but assiduously from below, activist legal scholar Bernard Harcourt utilizes illusion and value, makes theory and practice collide, and asks: 'What more am I to do?' Required reading. -- Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, author of Other AsiasBernard Harcourt's pragmatic and comprehensive dissection of philosophy and the quest for social justice is timely, provocative, and critically needed in this moment of global uncertainty, endless conflict, and pervasive inequality. -- Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and RedemptionHarcourt has produced a challenging book, which addresses many of our current predicaments, and he has the moral authority to command our attention. * Marx and Philosophy Review of Books *His mountainous text is a repetitive tool-box of notes and thoughts from his seminar series and own readings. Like lightning, brilliant ideas flash across the pages. * Counterpunch *By any measure, Critique & Praxis is an impressive contribution, passionate, lucid, deeply committed and nearly always generous in its disagreements. As a conversation between Foucauldian philosophy and radical-political engagement, it is a tour de force. * New Left Review *It’s lucidly written and relatively short on jargon. Which makes it an important book to pay attention to, even for those with no interest in abstruse political-social theories, because we urgently need new ways to critique the system we live in and develop new strategies to oppose and replace it. * History News Network *Critique & Praxis is one of the most provoking contributions to critical theory of the twenty-first century. * Foucault Studies *Bernard Harcourt's latest book is bold, brave, and too short. -- Frieder Vogelmann * British Journal of Sociology *A wide-ranging effort to take up the conundrum of critical theory, which has been with us since Marx wrote the eleventh thesis—that is, that we think and act in and on a damaged society. * Political Theory *Table of ContentsPreface: The Primacy of Critique and PraxisIntroduction: Toward a Critical Praxis TheoryPart I. Reconstructing Critical Theory1. The Original Foundations2. Challenging the Frankfurt Foundations3. Michel Foucault and the History of Truth-Making4. The Return to Foundations5. The Crux of the Problem6. Reconstructing Critical Theory7. A Radical Critical Philosophy of IllusionsPart II. Reimagining the Critical Horizon8. The Transformation of Critical Utopias9. The Problem of Liberalism10. A Radical Critical Theory of Values11. A Critical Horizon of Endless Struggle12. The Problem of Violence13. A Way ForwardPart III. Renewing Critical Praxis14. The Transformation of Praxis15. The Landscape of Contemporary Critical Praxis16. The New Space of Critical PraxisPart IV. Reformulating Critique17. Reframing the Praxis Imperative18. What More Am I To Do?19. Crisis, Critique, PraxisConclusionPostscriptNotesBibliographyAcknowledgmentsName IndexConcept Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA devastating critique of modern left-wing thinking from a leading political philosopher.In Fools, Frauds and Firebrands, philosopher Roger Scruton, one of the leading critics of leftist orientations in modern Western civilization, examines the thinkers who have been most influential on the attitudes of the New Left. What does the Left look like today, he asks, and how has it evolved? Is there any foundation for resistance to its agenda without religious faith?Scruton begins with a ruthless analysis of New Leftism and concludes with a critique of the key strands in its thinking. He conducts a reappraisal of such major left-wing thinkers as: E. P. Thompson, Ronald Dworkin, R. D. Laing, Jurgen Habermas, Gyorgy Lukacs, Jean-Paul Sartre, Jacques Derrida, Slavoj Zizek, Ralph Milliband and Eric Hobsbawm. Scruton''s exploration of these important issues is written with skill, perception and at all times with pellucid clarity. In addition to asseTrade ReviewEminent British philosopher and polymath Scruton gives a sharp-edged, provocative critique of leading leftist thinkers since the mid-twentieth century ... complex and erudite. * Publisher's Weekly US *Caustic, highly recherché, and simply great fun to read for the questing intellectual soul. * Kirkus Reviews *From the standpoint of a serious conservatism, it honestly assesses the political and philosophical contributions of the Left. The book also addresses what is likely our most pressing question: ‘Can there be any foundation for resistance to the leftist agenda without religious faith?' * Catholic World Report *Since he no longer has a university career to protect, Scruton can now tweak the nose of academic leftism to his heart’s content… Scruton is at his best, (and funniest) when trying to make sense of [Alain] Badiou’s weird confection historical materialism and Platonic mathematical theory. -- Jonathan Derbyshire * Prospect *The book is a masterpiece ... In crisp, sometimes brilliant prose, Mr. Scruton considers scores of works in three languages, giving the reader an understanding of each thinker’s overarching aim and his place within the multifaceted movement known as the New Left. He neither ridicules nor abuses the writers he considers; he patiently deconstructs them, first explaining their work in terms they themselves would recognize and then laying bare their warped assumptions and empty pretensions. -- Barton Swaim * Wall Street Journal *I enjoyed this immensely, both for Scruton's dry, British wit as well as for the sheer breadth of intellectuals covered in his survey. * Against the Grain Blog *Highly recommended * Powerline US Blog *Here Scruton thoroughly and fairly debunks the ostentation, obfuscation, and terrible writing and downright deceitfulness of much of postwar Marxist-inspired philosophy. For Scruton the culprits are mainly from France and Germany—beginning with Sartre and carrying through to Foucault, Habermas, Althusser, Lacan, Deleuze, Gramsci, and Said—and he carries the attack forward to Badiou and Žižek. Even Galbraith and Dworkin take a few hits. Scruton writes from the perspective of an old-school conservative. His sympathies are with the virtues of the countryside and historically rooted associations of every sort, from churches and the US Constitution to volunteer fire departments, brass bands, and the local Grange. His personal point of view could be called sentimental … but his arguments against his foes are substantial and deep. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 What is Left? 2 Resentment in Britain: Hobsbawm and Thompson 3 Disdain in America: Galbraith and Dworkin 4 Liberation in France: Sartre and Foucault 5 Tedium in Germany: Downhill to Habermas 6 Nonsense in Paris: Althusser, Lacan and Deleuze 7 Culture Wars Worldwide: The New Left from Gramsci to Said 8 The Kraken Wakes: Badiou and Žižek 9 What is Right? Index of names Index of subjects

Read more less

Book SynopsisCalls for an imaginative surge to fix our battered societies, fusing bold ideas and practical experiment. As the world confronts the fast catastrophe of Covid and the slow calamity of climate change, we also face a third, less visible emergency: a crisis of imagination. We can easily picture ecological disaster or futures dominated by technology. But we struggle to imagine a world in which people thrive and where we improve our democracy, welfare, neighbourhoods or education. Many are resigned to fatalism—yet they desperately want transformational social change. This book argues that, although the threats are real, we can use creative imagination to achieve a better future: visualising where we want to go and how to get there. Political and social thinker Geoff Mulgan offers lessons we can learn from the past, and methods we can use now to open up thinking about the future and spark action. Drawing on social sciences, the arts, philosophy and history, Mulgan shows how we can recharge our collective imagination. From Socrates to Star Wars, he provides a roadmap for the future.Trade Review'Mulgan has a sophisticated appreciation of the forces that create modern economic and social conditions…There is wisdom and insight in this book.' -- The Irish Times'A manifesto for creativity, and for thinking big.' -- New Statesman'[An] important contribution.' -- Financial Times'This book is the tonic the world needs, particularly the West. Read it!' -- Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America'We desperately need to renew our sense of what is possible, and imagine the future in ways that are simultaneously creative, open and practical. This wonderful, eclectic and deeply interesting book is crammed with ideas of just how we might do so. If you care about where we’re headed, you must read this.' -- Rebecca Henderson, Harvard Business School, author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire'A dizzying cornucopia of cases for imagination mattering more than rote learning and political orthodoxy. From deconstructing property rights and promoting universal basic income, to the sharing of intelligence by the state rather than its hoarding, this is an inspiring call for a more imaginative tomorrow.' -- Professor Danny Dorling, University of Oxford, author of 'Slowdown' and 'Peak Inequality''Geoff Mulgan reminds us that we can imagine and create change, not just fix what is broken. His book offers hope and the power of possibility.' -- Sonal Shah, former Director of Social Innovation & Civic Participation, Obama Administration, and Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation, Georgetown University

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew technologies are changing how we protect our citizens and wage our wars. Among militaries, everything taken for granted about the ability to maneuver and fight is now undermined by vulnerability to “weapons of mass disruption”: cutting-edge computer worms, viruses, and invasive robot networks. At home, billions of household appliances and other “smart” items that form the Internet of Things risk being taken over, then added to the ranks of massive, malicious “zombie” armies. The age of Bitskrieg is here, bringing vexing threats that range from the business sector to the battlefield. In this new book, world-renowned cybersecurity expert John Arquilla looks unflinchingly at the challenges posed by cyberwarfare – which he argues have been neither met nor mastered. He offers fresh solutions for protecting against enemies that are often anonymous, unpredictable, and capable of projecting force and influence vastly disproportionate to their size, strength, or wealth. The changes called for require radical rethinking of military and security affairs, diplomacy, and even the routines of our daily lives.Trade Review“A masterful treatise on a dauntingly complex subject, Bitskrieg is also a lively, engaging read that makes this frightening new concept something each of us can understand. Brilliant and intensely relevant.”Stan McChrystal, General, US Army (retired), Founder & CEO of McChrystal Group “Written by a true visionary in national security and technology, John Arquilla’s Bitskrieg is a call to arms to face the changes reshaping our world and war itself. Blending insights from history with the latest on cyber attacks, it hits that sweet spot of being both an easy and an interesting read. Enjoy and learn!”P. W. Singer, best-selling author of Ghost Fleet "There is no one better qualified than John Arquilla to describe – and guide the rest of us – through the digital wilderness of cyberwarfare, with its endlessly shifting and exponentially growing terrain. This book deserves wide attention, for the wisdom in it could well prevent a future disaster, and might just possibly prevent a future war."Paul Saffo, Silicon Valley Futurist “Bitskrieg is that rare combination of an authoritative and stylish read. It gives us a ringside seat to help us understand the disruptive innovations that have fundamentally redefined the nature of war and security. At its heart, it is a warning that we ignore at our peril.”John Kao, Chairman, Institute for Large Scale Innovation“[Bitskrieg] is striking for a number of reasons — the amount of expertise on display, the precise and unflinching language used to describe various situations and scenarios, and the perspectives of military power, national security, and social well-being at its heart.”The Geyser“Dr. Arquilla does an excellent job applying Bitskrieg’s relevancy to today’s military and civilian realities. This sets up Bitskrieg to make one of its most important contributions – what to do about it. Dr. Arquilla reinforces the need to constantly rethink cybersecurity, a necessary exercise that often gets overlooked.”OODA Loop“In Bitskrieg, John Arquilla distills much from his three decades of advocacy about networked warfare into a compact volume accessible to a wide audience. He displays a continuing ability to produce provocative arguments & engaging books.”The Strategy Bridge“Arquilla was one of the first analysts to appreciate how digital technologies were transforming the nature of conflict, and he remains one of the most perceptive.”Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs“Enlightening and thought-provoking”Diplomatic Courier“Impressively informed and informative, Bitskrieg is a groundbreaking volume.”The Midwest Review“Bitskrieg is a quick and enlightening read that will satisfy both technically and policy-focused readers.” The Cyber Defense ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword by Leon E. Panetta Preface 1. “Cool War” Rising 2. Pathways to Peril 3. The Next Face of Battle 4. (Arms) Ctrl+Alt+Esc 5. Through a Screen Darkly Notes Further Reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisPopulism is an expression of anger; its appeal stems from being presented as the solution to disorder in our times. The vision of democracy, society, and the economy it offers is coherent and attractive. At a time when the words and slogans of the left have lost much of their power to inspire, Pierre Rosanvallon takes populism for what it is: the rising ideology of the twenty-first century. In The Populist Century he develops a rigorous theoretical account of populism, distinguishing five key features that make up populist political culture; he retraces its history in modern democracies from the mid-nineteenth century to the present; and he offers a well-reasoned critique of populism, outlining a robust democratic alternative. This wide-ranging and insightful account of the theory and practice of populism will be of great interest to students and scholars in politics and the social sciences and to anyone concerned with the key political questions of our time.Trade Review“This is not just a book about populism, important though that is, but contains vital reflections on the nature of democracy. Rosanvallon views democracy as a permanent exploration, to be developed through multiple procedures and institutions – the opposite of the way it is understood by populism, which dangerously sees democracy as the politicization of all institutions under the centralized control of a leader.”Colin Crouch, Emeritus Professor at the University of Warwick"Multi-faceted and challenging, The Populist Century is important reading for scholars of populism and democracy alike."Journal of Populism StudiesTable of ContentsIntroduction: Conceptualizing populismI. Anatomy1. A Conception of “The People”: The People as One Body2. A Theory of Democracy: Direct, Polarized, Immediate3. A Mode of Representation: A Leader Embodying the People4. A Politics and a Philosophy of Economics: National Protectionism5. A Regime of Passions and Emotions6. The Unity and Diversity of PopulismsII. History1. History of Populist Moments (I): Caesarism and Illiberal Democracy in France2. History of Populist Moments (II): The Years 1890-19143. History of Populist Moments (III): The Latin American Laboratory4. Conceptual History: Populism as a Democratic FormIII. Critique1. Introduction2. Polarized Democracy vs. Pluralized Democracy3. From an Imaginary People to a Constructable Democratic Society4. The Horizon of Democratorship: The Issue of IrreversibilityConclusion: The Spirit of an AlternativeAnnex: History of the word “populism”Works CitedNotesIndex

Read more less

Book SynopsisJoan C. Tronto argues that we need to rethink American democracy, as well as our own fundamental values and commitments, from a caring perspective.Trade Review"The Institute chose to celebrate Joan C. Tronto's work because it forces people to rethink the obligations we have to one another in democratic societies. Modern rhetoric about democracy places due emphasis on personal freedom, but responsibilities can get overlooked. Tronto also stresses that caring for one another is less a burden than a fulfilling act, which reminds us all of how dependent we are on one another across the country and across the generations." -- John Gastil, Director, McCourtney Institute for DemocracyTable of ContentsIntroduction1. When We Understand Care, We'll Need to Redefine Democracy2. Care, Inc.3. Making the Caring-With Revolution HappenNotes Bibliography

Read more less