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Book SynopsisGet the inside scoop on the most powerful city on Earth Washington, D.C. : Capital of the Free World; the most powerful city on Earth. No other country, company, or international organization can compare with the reach and wealth of the federal government.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 2 Conventions Used in This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Chapter 1: A Brief History of Washington 5 Becoming the National Capital 5 Putting D.C on the map 6 Building Georgetown and Alexandria 6 Sitting far from the early seats of power 7 Meeting in Mount Vernon and Annapolis 8 Wheeling and dealing 9 Designing the national capital 11 Watching the City Develop 12 Growing the Government in the 20th Century 14 The Roosevelt Years: The New Deal and World War II 14 From the Cold War to the new millennium 15 Eyeing D.C Today 16 Charting a changing demographic 16 Touting a recession-proof economy 17 Respecting D.C.’s rankings 18 Identifying the Washington Establishment 19 Putting the President and Congress in their place 20 Focusing on federal bureaucrats 20 Spotting the lobbyists 21 Recognizing other voices in the debate 21 Trying to figure out who really runs the show 21 Ignoring the establishment at your own peril 22 Chapter 2: The People behind the Curtain: Federal Bureaucrats 23 Embracing the Bureaucracy 24 Filling Plum Positions: Career Officials versus Appointees 25 Appreciating the Power of the Executive Office of the President 26 Running the Nation’s Business in the Cabinet and Departments 30 Filling in the Gaps with Agencies from A–Z 31 What to Wear, or How to Spot Federal Workers 32 Chapter 3: Professional Persuaders: Lobbyists 35 Exercising the Right to Petition 36 Identifying Interest Groups 37 Large corporations 37 Trade associations 39 Labor unions 41 Issue-oriented organizations 41 Other interest groups 42 Realizing the Role Played by Lobbying and Consulting Firms 42 Bringing Legal Firms into the Lobbying Mix 43 Regulating the Lobbying Industry 44 Defining a lobbyist 44 Considering the case of foreign agents 46 Following the gifting rules 48 Lobbying via Social Media 50 Chapter 4: Other Voices in the Debate: Outsiders, Gatecrashers, and Wallflowers 51 Figuring Out What Think Tanks Do 52 Trying to influence policy debates 52 Representing a cause or agenda 53 Employing former public servants 54 Informing the public 54 Analyzing the Efforts of Activists and NGOs 55 Feeling the Influence of Foreign Governments 57 Interacting with International Organizations 59 All Press Is Good Press: The Media 61 Spotting the many players 61 National, local, and foreign media outlets 61 Specialist media outlets 62 24-hour outlets: Cable news and social media 63 Breaking news in a cutthroat environment 63 Influencing policy (for better or worse) 65 Chapter 5: Congress 67 Browsing the Basic Responsibilities of Congress 67 Wielding the power of the purse 68 Overseeing the executive branch 68 Carrying out other constitutional duties 69 Studying the Structure of Congress 70 Spotlighting the Senate 70 Homing in on the House 70 Spotting the legislative leaders 71 Appreciating the Committee Process 73 Helping legislators gain expertise 73 Serving as a source of power 74 Bringing a Bill — and Possibly a Law — to Life 76 Investigating the Importance of Money 78 Focusing on campaign fundraising 78 Playing with PACs and special interests 79 Becoming beholden to financial supporters 79 What do you get for your money? 80 Chapter 6: The Presidency 81 The Workings of the White House 81 Fulfilling the duties of office 82 Constitutional duties 82 Self-imposed duties 84 Knowing his limitations: Can one man change Washington? 84 Using the bully pulpit 85 Relying on his support team 86 Governing from the bubble 87 Campaigning and Policymaking 89 Donating money and influencing policy 89 Concentrating disproportionate power in swing states 90 Dealing with party politics 91 A Day in the Life 92 Chapter 7: Policymaking 95 Realizing That Anyone Can Think Up New Policy 95 Getting Ideas to the Policymakers 96 Recognizing the policy triangle 96 Putting the idea on the decision-makers’ agenda 97 Employing Advocacy to Influence Policy Decisions 98 Defining our terms: Advocacy and lobbying 98 Distinguishing indirect and direct advocacy 100 Building an advocacy message 101 Practicing a powerful delivery 101 Getting a reality check from Washington insiders 103 Turning Bills into Laws 103 Writing Regulations to Support the Laws 107 Wielding Influence beyond Laws and Regulations 108 Spotting Checks and Balances in Policy Implementation 108 Congressional oversight: Keeping the executive branch in check 109 The interagency process 110 Untangling the Policy Web: The Power of Washington Insiders 112 Chapter 8: Ten Ways to Participate in Washington Policymaking 113 Be Informed 113 Run for Congress (Or Join a Staff) 114 Join the Bureaucracy 115 Contact Your Member of Congress 115 Join an Interest Group 117 Be an Activist for a Day 117 Be a Lobbyist for a Day 118 Submit Public Comments 119 Be a Citizen Journalist 119 Join the Washington Establishment 120

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Book SynopsisTo understand Iraq, Charles Tripp's history is the book to read. Since its first appearance in 2000, it has become a classic in the field of Middle East studies, read and admired by students, soldiers, policymakers and journalists. The book is now updated to include the recent American invasion, the fall and capture of Saddam Hussein and the subsequent descent into civil strife. What is clear is that much that has happened since 2003 was foreshadowed in the account found in this book. Tripp's thesis is that the history of Iraq throughout the twentieth-century has made it what it is today, but also provides alternative futures. Unless this is properly understood, many of the themes explored in this book - patron-client relations, organized violence, sectarian, ethnic and tribal difference - will continue to exert a hold over the future of Iraq as they did over its past.Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The Ottoman provinces of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul; 2. The British Mandate; 3. The Hashemite monarchy 1932-41; 4. The Hashemite monarchy 1941-58; 5. The republic 1958-68; 6. The Ba`th and the rule of Saddam Husain 1968-2003; 7. The American occupation and the parliamentary republic; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Further reading and research.

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Book SynopsisTackles the question of race in West Africa through its postcolonial manifestations. Challenging the view of the African continent as a nonracialized space, the author envisions Africa, and in particular the nation of Ghana, as a place whose local relationships are deeply informed by global structures of race, economics, and politics.Trade Review"In The Predicament of Blackness, Jemima Pierre makes an important intervention in Africanist anthropology, which is in dire need of analyses, such as Pierre offers, that illuminate the workings of race. This book is in a class by itself. It is not only a welcome addition to the field, but will in fact inspire a new generation of African studies scholarship that is more attentive to the cultural practices of race." (Bayo Holsey, Duke University)"

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Book SynopsisNative women share their knowledge and insights about leadership at the community level.Trade ReviewThe research in this publication encourages us to rethink leadership, to give thought to the original philosophies and practices of our people, and to give voice to these invisible leaders. -- From the Foreword by Verna Kirkness, Fisher River Cree Nation, Professor Emerita, University of British ColumbiaA unique contribution to the field of American Indian leadership that brings together diverse voices and perspectives, this book is not only beneficial to scholars but, importantly, it provides useful ways for non-academics to think about leadership in their own communities. -- Michael D. Wilson, Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeTable of ContentsForeword / Verna J. KirknessPreface / Carolyn Kenny and Tina Ngaroimata Fraser1 Liberating Leadership Theory / Carolyn KennyPart 1: Leadership, Native Style2 Learning to Lead Kokum Style: An Intergenerational Study of Eight First Nation Women / Yvonne G. McLeod3 Elders’ Teachings on Leadership: Leadership as Gift / Alannah Young Leon4 Parental Involvement in First Nations Communities: Towards a Paradigm Shift / Evelyn Steinhauer5 Skilay: Portrait of a Haida Artist and Leader / Carolyn Kenny (Nangx’aadasa’iid)Part 2: Collaboration Is the Key6 Indigenous Grandmas and the Social Justice Movement / Raquel D. Gutiérrez7 Legacy of Leadership: From Grandmother’s Stories to Kapa Haka / Tina Ngaroimata Fraser8 The Four R’s of Leadership in Indigenous Language Revitalization / Stelómethet Ethel B. Gardner9 Transformation and Indigenous Interconnections: Indigeneity, Leadership, and Higher Education / Michelle Pidgeon10 Translating and Living Native Values in Current Business, Global, and Indigenous Contexts / Gail Cheney11 Approaching Leadership through Culture, Story, and Relationships / Michelle ArchuletaPart 3: Healing and Perseverance12 “We Want a Lifelong Commitment, Not Just Sweet Words”: Native Visions for Educational Healing / Michelle M. Jacob13 And So I Turn to Rita: Mi’kmaq Women, Community Action, Leadership, and Resilience / Patricia Doyle-Bedwell14The Graceful War Dance: Engendering American Indian Traditional Knowledge and Practice in Leadership / Annette Squetimkin-Anquoe15 Leaders Walking Backwards: Aboriginal Male Ex-Gang Members’ Perspectives and Experiences / Alanaise GoodwillContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable run of self-proclaimed "democratic socialist" Bernie Sanders for president of the United States has prompted-for the first time in decades and to the shock of many-a national conversation about socialism. A New York Times poll in late November found that a majority of Democrats had a favorable view of socialism, and in New Hampshire in February, more than half of Democratic voters under 35 told the Boston Globe they call themselves socialists. It's unclear exactly what socialism means to this generation, but couple with the ascendancy of longtime leftwinger Jeremy Corbyn to the leadership of the Labour Party in the UK, it's clear there's a historic, generational shift underway.This book steps into this moment to offer a clear, accessible, informative, and irreverent guide to socialism for the uninitiated. Written by young writers from the dynamic magazine Jacobin, alongside several distinguished scholars, The ABCs of Socialism answers basic questions, including ones that many want to know but might be afraid to ask ("Doesn't socialism always end up in dictatorship?", "Will socialists take my Kenny Loggins records?"). Disarming and pitched to a general readership without sacrificing intellectual depth, this will be the best introduction an idea whose time seems to have come again.Table of ContentsBhaskar Sunkara is the founding editor and publisher of Jacobin magazine.

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Book SynopsisThe great elder statesman of consumer rights shows how previous administrations allowed unchecked corporate power to lead us to the criminality of Trump.

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Book SynopsisNation of Outlaws, State of Violence is the first extensive history of Cameroonian nationalism to consider the global and local influences that shaped the movement within the French and British Cameroons and beyond.Trade Review“Meredith Terretta’s book constitutes a highly significant contribution to the historiography of Cameroon, West Africa, and African nationalism more generally.… In challenging conventional political and cultural understandings of Cameroonian nationalism and its chronological development, the [work] makes important theoretical contributions to the field … and serves as an important model for future studies of African nationalism.”“In following the paths of Cameroonian nationalists where they actually lead, Meredith Terretta’s study does a number of things that no previously published histories of Cameroon’s decolonization have done.” * African Studies Quarterly *“This book is a valuable contribution to the current effort to reframe and reinvigorate our understanding of the nationalist period in African history. … Scholars seeking to understand the character of African nationalism have in [it] a wealth of ideas about how better to capture its substance, complexity, and vitality.” * Histoire Sociale *“A well-researched addition to the growing literature on African nationalism(s)…. Terretta provides Cameroonians with a history that the country’s various postcolonial governments tried to hide.” * Africa Spectrum *“Terretta’s history of the anticolonial insurgency that bedeviled central Cameroon in the years immediately before and after independence in 1960 will likely become the standard English-language history of that important but obscure conflict.…Terretta indicates important parallels between the UPC and the Algerian Front de libération nationale while insisting on the significance of pan-African networks of freedom fighters…Highly recommended.” * Choice *“The subject matter of Nation of Outlaws, State of Violence is significant, the story movingly tragic and revealing of Cameroon’s postcolonial morass, and the research has an admirable depth and breadth.”

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Book Synopsis'Burnham has real intellectual courage, and writes about real issues.' - George Orwell Burnham's claim was that capitalism was dead, but that it was being replaced not by socialism, but a new economic system he called "managerialism"; rule by managers. Written in 1941, this is the book that theorised how the world was moving into the hands of the 'managers'. Burnham explains how Capitalism had virtually lost its control, and would be displaced not by labour, nor by socialism, but by the rule of administartors in business and in government. This revolution, he posited, is as broad as the world and as comprehensive as human society, asking "Why is 'totalitarianism' not the issue?" "Can civilization be destroyed?" And "Why is the New Deal something bigger than Roosevelt can handle?" In a volume extraordinary for its dispassionate handling of those and other fundamental questions, James Burnham explores fully the implications of the managerial revolution.Trade Review'The immense significance of Burnham's approach is potential. We can ignore it only at the risk of being disarmed by the future course of events.' - Irving Kristol

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Book SynopsisDrawing on political theory, comparative politics, international relations, psychology and classics, Ned Lebow offers insights into why social and political orders form, how they evolve, and why and how they decline. Following The Tragic Vision of Politics and A Cultural Theory of International Relations, this book thus completes Lebow''s trilogy with an original theory of political order. He identifies long- and short-term threats to political order that are associated respectively with shifts in the relative appeal of principles of justice and lack of self-restraint by elites. Two chapters explore the consequences of late-modernity for democracy in the United States, and another chapter, co-authored with Martin Dimitrov, the consequences for authoritarianism in China. The Rise and Fall of Political Orders forges new links between political theory and political science via the explicit connection it makes between normative goals and empirical research.Trade Review'A continuation of a well-established intellectual demonstration by one of the world's leading political theorists, this book strengthens the ties between its predecessors, Tragic Vision and Cultural Theory, to form a historically informed and complex tripartite theory of order as one main aspect of human political strife. Lebow's understanding dwells on his decades of study on the relationship between classical wisdom and modern social science – erudition and playfulness thus come together to constitute a strong and original statement for political understanding and action. Thought-provoking, challenging, and important.' Christian Wendt, Freie Universität Berlin'The Rise and Fall of Political Orders is an excellent book in its own right and a fine conclusion to the trilogy of works Lebow began with 2003's The Tragic Vision.The book is wide ranging in breadth and depth, powerfully written, and well served by its sustained focus on the animating tensions that propel but also threaten modern political orders. Lebow argues a convincing and timely case in favour of an all too fragile and imperfect liberal-democratic order that has evolved to support human flourishing.' Seán Molloy, University of KentTable of Contents1. Political order; 2. Justice, solidarity, and order; 3. Why do order form?; 4. Why do order breakdown? 5. The United States: self-interest; 6. The United States: fairness vs. equality; 7. Britain; 8. China with Martin Dimitrov; 9. Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisPower & Choice offers an in-depth look into the nuances of politics through the analysis of collective choices for a group or state through the use of power. Organized topically and using extended case examples from around the world, Power & Choice provides undergraduate students with a clear and engaging introduction to political science and comparative politics. The 16th Edition has been updated to address the issues raised by the covid-19 pandemic, as well as the impact the Trump and Biden presidencies have had so far upon the world and its democracies, including challenges in states such as Hungary where illiberal democracy and nationalism are on the rise. The authors have also included discussion of the impact of the death of George Floyd upon race relations in America, and how issues such as growing inequality are impacting politics. This edition adds examination of women’s economic development and the rising importance of LGBTQ issues globally.Table of ContentsList of Tables, Figures, and PhotosList of ExamplesPreface Part I The Idea of Politics1Politics: Setting the Stage2Modern Ideologies and Political PhilosophyPart II The State and Public Policy3The Modern State4Policies of the State5Economic Policy of the State6What Lies Behind Policy: Questions of Justice and EffectivenessPart III The Citizen and the Regime7 Democracies and Authoritarian Systems8Political Culture and Political SocializationPart IV The Apparatus of Governance9Constitutions and the Design of Government10Elections11 Parties: A Linking and Leading Mechanism in Politics12Structured Conflict: Interest Groups and Politics13Social Movements and Contentious Politics14National Decision-Making Institutions: Parliamentary Government15National Decision-Making Institutions: Presidential Government16Bureaucracy and the Public Sector17Law and the CourtsPart V International Politics18Global Politics: Politics among States (and Others)Appendix: Principles of Political AnalysisGlossaryNotesIndex

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

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Book SynopsisIf farce follows tragedy, what follows farce? Where does the double predicament of a post-truth and post-shame politics leave artists and critics on the left? How to demystify a hegemonic order that dismisses its own contradictions? How to belittle a political elite that cannot be embarrassed, or to mock party leaders who thrive on the absurd? How to out-dada President Ubu? And, in any event, why add outrage to a media economy that thrives on the same? What Comes After Farce? comments on shifts in art, criticism, and fiction in the face of the current regime of war, surveillance, extreme inequality, and media disruption. A first section focuses on the cultural politics of emergency since 9/11, including the use and abuse of trauma, paranoia, and kitsch. A second reviews the neoliberal makeover of art institutions during the same period. Finally, a third section surveys transformations in media as reflected in recent art, film, and fiction. Among the phenomena explored here are "machine vision" (images produced by machines for other machines without a human interface),"operational images" (images that do not represent the world so much as intervene in it), and the algorithmic scripting of information so pervasive in our everyday lives.Trade ReviewEvery word cuts to the quick in this extraordinary book. Foster shows that true criticism must be swift and surgical, but it must also hurt. He casts his relentless and unflinching gaze on the crises of our time, from new fundamentalisms to alternative facts, from cultural imperialism to perpetual war. And yet these essays do not pose the twenty-first century as a cycle of tragedy and farce, doomed to repeat itself, but as a threshold-through which art can, and perhaps must, take us * Michelle Kuo *What Comes After Farce confirms what many have known for a long time: Hal Foster is indisputably the most important cultural critic writing in English today. No one else consistently offers such nuanced and cogent analyses of the tangled trajectories of the arts and media in this era of globalized financial capitalism. At the same time, few come close to Foster's discerning familiarity with the work of the most venturesome artists, novelists, filmmakers, and architects or to his critical understanding of the difficulties and challenges now facing them in our current state of emergency. -- Jonathan Crary, author of 24/7These essays, mostly on art (and culture and politics and violence and technology), read as one seamless and disturbing account of a catastrophic historical epoch: our own. Hal Foster offers no solace but instead his deft and trenchant wisdom on how we got here. -- Rachel KushnerIlluminating, theoretically informed criticism of contemporary art. -- Kevin Brazil * art-agenda *The rapid pace of Foster's prose captures the frenzied historical moment he is exploring, and his reluctance to offer simple answers acknowledges that multiple possibilities for reshaping our culture are currently ranged against each other. ... [this] lively and eloquent book convinces us that provocative artistic interventions remain possible. -- Oliver Eagleton * Guardian *Foster traces how artists have responded to the political situation, while also asking how art criticism should respond to artworks and, through them, the broader moment ... The title [What Comes After Farce?] is apt, not only because it invokes a great problem facing the left-how to imagine a future amid this mess-but also because it reflects the interrogative quality of the book's texts. -- Erika Balsom * Art in America *The clarity of his prose is satisfying in itself ... While I was reading What Comes After Farce? I felt that I was in the hands of one of the most skillful critics at work today. -- Barry Schwabsky * The Nation *Foster's various texts move smartly and broadly across spheres ranging from sculpture and painting to cinema and literature, but most consistently he choreographs a dance between art and the larger culture that is its cradle. The articulation of one always imprints the other. Time and again in this respect, Foster is a pleasure to read for his sweeping statements that are still earned in their matter-of-factness, as when he makes short work of the contemporary art world's spiraling expansion in tandem with shifting economic structures. -- Tim Griffin * Artforum *Magisterial ... [Foster possesses] a breathtaking erudition that he wears lightly. -- PopMatters * Vince Carducci *

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth exploration of social media and emergent technology that details the inner workings of modern propagandaTrade Review“A century ago, Walter Lippmann recognized that ‘manufacture of consent’ is a new art in the practice of democracy. By now an outgrowth, ‘manufacturing consensus’ has become a science, a way to ‘leverage computational propaganda to spin information flows over social media.’ We are introduced here to a dazzling array of systems of manufacturing consensus in the digital communication age, with an astonishing variety of actors—and ominous implications.”—Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology“This timely, well-written, and impactful book reintroduces the term propaganda to readers in a relatable and contemporary way. It is exceptionally modern in its approach, and places the term propaganda at center stage of any conversation on politics, democracy, and technology.”—Zizi Papacharissi, University of Illinois Chicago“I always turn to Samuel Woolley’s work in order to understand computational propaganda. This lucid, eye-opening book illuminates the many (sometimes sinister) ways that bot-based influence campaigns operate in the digital world.”—Meredith Broussard, author of More Than a Glitch: Confronting Race, Gender, and Ability Bias in Tech“This book is for anyone wanting to understand the complex landscape of online propaganda, including the role of states, algorithmic tools, and social media companies.”—Kate Crawford, author of Atlas of AI“A thoughtful and often humorous primer on computational propaganda, drawing from cases that crisscross continents. If you want to learn about the intersection of politics and the internet, start here.”—Emerson Brooking, coauthor of Likewar: The Weaponization of Social Media

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Book SynopsisVolume II considers the history of the European Union from an inside-out perspective, focusing on the internal developments that shaped the European integration process. Taking an innovative, thematic approach, this volume will be of interest to students and researchers of European integration.Table of ContentsReflections on the history and historiography of European integration Mathieu Segers and Steven Van Hecke; Part I. Milestones: Treaties and Treaty Changes: 1. Early forms of European unity Gérard Bossuat; 2. From Messina and Rome to the single European act Michael Gehler; 3. The making of the European Union Sophie Vanhoonacker; 4. From Maastricht and Copenhagen to Amsterdam and Nice Desmond Dinan; 5. The constitution project, Lisbon and beyond Jörg Monar; 6. Moving beyond British exceptionalism N. Piers Ludlow; Part II. Instruments of Integration: 7. In the name of social stability: the European payments union Jorrit Steehouder; 8. Competition versus planning: a battle that shaped European integration Laurent Warlouzet; 9. Commercial Banks, the Eurodollar market and the beginnings of monetary integration Carlo Edoardo Altamura; 10. From the Werner report to the start of EMU Hubert Zimmermann; 11. The euro area crisis: from pre-history to aftermath Amy Verdun; 12. The institutional and legal culture of European integration Philip Bajon; 13. The formation of the migration regime of the EU Emmanuel Comte; 14. The constitutional dimension: centralisation, democratisation and the rule of law András Jakab and Lando Kirchmair; 15. EU enlargement: origins and practice Marc Maresceau; Part III. Narratives and Outcomes: 16. A global perspective on European cooperation and integration since 1918 Anne-Isabelle Richard; 17. War, peace and memory: Franco-German reconciliation Carine Germond; 18. The 'saints' of European integration: from visionaries to architects Michael Gehler; 19. The EU and the narrative of prosperity Claudia Hiepel; 20. Changing Europe's economic history Ivan T. Berend; 21. The EU and the narrative of solidarity Malcolm Ross; 22. European solidarity: the difficult art of managing interdependence Amandine Crespy and Nicolas Verschueren; 23. Ideologies of EU democracy since 1950 Claudia Sternberg; 24. Democratic challenges since Maastricht Wouter Wolfs; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book compares Trump and Hitler as political performance artists. In addition, the book addresses seemingly peripheral issues like the reasons behind Hitler's toothbrush moustache and Trump's hairstyle. By demystifying Hitler and Trump, the author throws new light on both of them.

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Book SynopsisAn examination of what algorithmic polarization means for society and how conservative elites use media literacy tactics to spread propagandaTrade Review“The Propagandists’ Playbook offers a frightening description of how some very bad actors radicalize people of good will into beliefs that are contrary to their own interests and that harm America and democracy. U​nderstanding such methods is key to protecting the country and to offering hope to those who might be de-radicalized.”—Craig Newmark, Founder of Craigslist“The Propagandists’ Playbook brilliantly and empathetically illuminates the interplay between religious communities, political conservatism, hate groups, and technology to explain our contemporary struggle with disinformation and polarization. Informative and grounding, Tripodi’s book provides a framework for going beyond quick-fix thinking. This is essential reading for anyone anxious about partisan politics, social media, or information disorder.”—danah boyd, author of It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens“The Propagandists’ Playbook takes readers down the rabbit hole of the conservative media disinformation complex, showing lies are a path to power. This is a vital, meticulously researched warning on the threat posed by conservative media manipulation.”—Victor Ray, The University of Iowa "Tripodi provides a Rosetta stone for understanding how conservative voters interpret news, legislation and politicians' pronouncements. Through her guidance, much of what’s so baffling about contemporary US political discourse becomes disturbingly clear."—Ethan Zuckerman, author of Mistrust: Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A clear and cogent exposition."---Colin Woodard, Washington Post"The situation, Mr. Kettl concludes, ‘is serious, perhaps even bleak.’ He chooses to believe that it ‘need not be fatal to the nation’s grand democratic vision.’ In these perilous times, made worse by a pandemic, one can only hope he is right."---Glenn C. Altschuler, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"The book sets the stage for a more informed inquiry into the quintessential public administration problem – can we use historical knowledge to design better institutions and incentives to address socioeconomic inequalities of the future."---Meril Antony, Journal of Public Affairs Education

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Book SynopsisHow can we transform society in a way that unleashes its positive, creative potentials, instead of its violent, destructive ones? Unlearn shows how we can tackle today’s systemic crisis by acknowledging its deep roots. By going on a journey of unlearning, as individuals and collectively, we have the potential to become someone else – a process that redefines how we see ourselves, and thus reshapes our common future. Hanno Burmester works at the intersection of societal, organisational and individual transformation. With his company Unlearn, he helps companies transform towards cultures of self-organisation. As Policy Fellow at the Berlin-based think tank Das Progressive Zentrum, Hanno designs, writes and facilitates around the future of democracy. Hanno is host of the Unlearning Journey. You can learn more about his work at unlearn-book.com. hannoburmester.com

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Book SynopsisFlips the script on communication disability, positioning the unruly, disabled speaker at the centre of analysis to challenge the belief that more communication is unquestionably good. Joshua St Pierre brings together the dysfluent speaker, the talking head, and the troll to show how speech is made cheap to meet the inhuman needs of capital.Trade Review“St. Pierre has produced a work that is philosophically and theoretically rich while remaining accessible to a wide range of readers. The book’s careful attention to non-normative modes of communication and exchange works to push past the boundaries of liberal humanist understandings of intelligibility and inclusion towards radically new spaces of political belonging.”— Anne McGuire, University of TorontoTable of Contents Acknowledgements Introduction. Stuttering, Trolls, and Talking Heads One. Putting Fluency to Work Two. Controlling Communication Three. Becoming Talking Heads Four. Stuttering Parrhesia Coda. Rehabilitation Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis vibrant, illustrated guide to the ins and outs of United States politics provides a clearer understanding of the current events and regular processes that shape this nation and the world.Decipher the American political system with this clear, easy-to-understand guide to the basics of the United States political system, from the founding of the thirteen colonies, to the foundations of the constitution, to how elections work. You’ll also find information about the history and context of current issues, like how Supreme Court justices are appointed; the electoral college and the popular vote; and how to get involved in the political process. Perfect for anyone looking for information on basic political processes, The Infographic Guide to American Government includes graphics that help simplify a range of topics from the Revolutionary War to all about a free press.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A clear and cogent exposition."---Colin Woodard, Washington Post"The situation, Mr. Kettl concludes, ‘is serious, perhaps even bleak.’ He chooses to believe that it ‘need not be fatal to the nation’s grand democratic vision.’ In these perilous times, made worse by a pandemic, one can only hope he is right."---Glenn C. Altschuler, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"The book sets the stage for a more informed inquiry into the quintessential public administration problem – can we use historical knowledge to design better institutions and incentives to address socioeconomic inequalities of the future."---Meril Antony, Journal of Public Affairs Education

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

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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

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

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Book SynopsisAn exciting English-language edition which for the first time presents Thomas Hobbes''s masterpiece Leviathan alongside two earlier works, The Elements of Law and De Cive. By arranging the three texts side by side, Baumgold offers readers an enhanced understanding of Hobbes''s political theory and addresses an important need within Hobbes scholarship. The parallel presentation highlights substantive connections between the texts and makes it easy to trace the development of Hobbes''s thinking. Readers can follow developments both at the ''micro'' level of specific arguments and at the ''macro'' level of the overall scope and organization of the theory. The volume also includes parallel presentations of Hobbes''s chapter outlines, which serve as a key to the texts and are collected in a précis appendix.Trade Review'This edition constitutes a remarkable undertaking. It has been executed with precision and astute judgement throughout and will prove invaluable for anyone doing serious research on the development of Hobbes's political theory.' Robin Douglass, King's College London'Baumgold's arrangement of Hobbes's three major political treatises in parallel columns greatly facilitates our study of the changes in his views over a decade and also the evaluation of claims that those changes were significant. For Hobbes scholars, Baumgold's book is the equivalent of 'Gospel Parallels'.' Al Martinich, Vaughan Centennial Professor in Philosophy, University of Texas, Austin'Deborah Baumgold's brilliantly executed parallel-text edition demonstrates her thesis that Hobbes wrote his political theory three times over as the English civil war unfolded, in Elements, De Cive and Leviathan, each for different audiences.' Patricia Springborg, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin'How did Hobbes compose, think, and rethink his political philosophy? Deborah Baumgold's edition offers new insights and will spur fruitful contributions to our debates for year to come.' Ted H. Miller, University of Alabama'That Hobbes wrote three versions of his political theory is widely recognized; that no one has yet published his three key theoretical texts together is remarkable. Baumgold's text thus fills a very important gap in Hobbes scholarship, bringing together The Elements, De Cive, and Leviathan in an accessible, elegant, and precise form. The Three-Text Edition of Thomas Hobbes's Political Theory will be an essential resource for scholars and readers.' Daniel Kapust, University of Wisconsin, Madison'Hobbes scholars and students owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Deborah Baumgold for this work, which by mapping the three main versions of Hobbes's political theory onto each other provides an unparalleled resource for comparative study. Three Text Edition of Thomas Hobbes's Political Theory greatly simplifies the challenging task of discerning the evolution of Hobbes's thinking on key topics in his political theory.' S. A. Lloyd, University of Southern California'Baumgold (Univ. of Oregon) has done all serious students of Hobbes a great service in editing the Three-Text Edition of Thomas Hobbes's Political Theory … All in all, it is difficult to imagine a more useful resource for the student of Hobbes. Highly Recommended.' M. Harding, ChoiceTable of ContentsEditor's introduction; Note on the texts; The texts; 1. The Elements of Law, chapter 1; 2. The Elements of Law, chapter 2/Leviathan, chapter 1; 3. The Elements of Law, chapter 3/Leviathan, chapter 2; 4. The Elements of Law, chapter 4/Leviathan, chapter 3; 5. The Elements of Law, chapter 5/Leviathan, chapters 4, 5 (part); 6. The Elements of Law, chapter 6/Leviathan, chapters 9, 5 (part), 7; 7. The Elements of Law, chapters 7, 9, 12/Leviathan, chapter 6; 8. The Elements of Law, chapter 8/Leviathan, chapter 10; 9. The Elements of Law, chapter 10/Leviathan, chapter 8; 10. The Elements of Law, chapter 11/De Cive, chapter 15 (part)/Leviathan, chapters 11 (part), 12, 34 (part), 33 (part), 31 (part); 11. The Elements of Law, chapter 13; 12. The Elements of Law, chapter 14/De Cive, chapter 1/Leviathan, chapter 13; 13. The Elements of Law, chapter 15/De Cive, chapter 2/Leviathan, chapter 14; 14. The Elements of Law, chapters 16, 17/De Cive, chapter 3/Leviathan, chapter 15; 15. The Elements of Law, chapter 18/De Cive, chapter 4; 16. The Elements of Law, chapter 19/De Cive, chapter 5/Leviathan, chapter 17; 17. The Elements of Law, chapter 20/De Cive, chapter 6/Leviathan, chapter 18; 18. The Elements of Law, chapters 21, 24/De Cive, chapters 7, 10/Leviathan, chapters 19 (part), 21 (part); 19. The Elements of Law, chapters 22, 23/De Cive, chapters 8, 9, 11/Leviathan, chapters 20, 21 (part), 19 (part); 20. The Elements of Law, chapter 27/De Cive, chapter 12/Leviathan, chapter 29; 21. The Elements of Law, chapter 28/De Cive, chapter 13/Leviathan, chapters 30, 21 (part); 22. The Elements of Law, chapter 29/De Cive, chapter 14/Leviathan, chapter 26; 23. De Cive, chapter 15 (part)/Leviathan, chapter 31 (part); 24. De Cive, chapter 16 (part)/Leviathan, chapters 35 (part), 40 (part), 42 (part), 36 (part); 25. The Elements of Law, chapter 26/De Cive, chapters 16 (part), 17/Leviathan, chapters 40 (part), 41, 36 (part), 39, 42 (part); 26. The Elements of Law, chapter 25/De Cive, chapter 18/Leviathan, chapter 43; Précis appendix.

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Book SynopsisDespite being central to the development of Saharan regional connectivity, northern Chad has been closed to researchers since the late 1960s and thus remains virtually unknown to scholarship. Based on long-term fieldwork, The Value of Disorder is an original and in-depth account of the area and its Tubu majority inhabitants. Julien Brachet and Judith Scheele examine trans-border connectivity and trade; civil war and rebellion; wealth creation and dispersal; labour and gender relations; and aspirations to moral autonomy in northern Chad from an internal point of view - a point of view that in turn participates in a dynamic process of regional interdependence. Vividly ethnographic, the book gives precedence to local categories of value, while asking broader questions about the nature of non-state regional political organisation. Questions that inform current political developments in the Sahara more widely, and have the potential to challenge key concepts in Saharan studies and the sociaTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. A never-ending conquest: settlement and the making of a Saharan town; 2. Fifty shades of Khaki: armed conflict and other entanglements; 3. Trouble in the Palm-Grove: labour, status, ownership; 4. Tricks of trade: production, protection and predation; 5. Great ploys and small expectations: accumulation and dispersal in a half-world; 6. The state encompassed: everyday disorder, the aesthetics of violence, and the political imagination; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisGender quotas are a controversial policy measure. However, over the past twenty years they have been widely adopted around the world and especially in Europe. They are now used in politics, corporate boards, state and local public administration and even in civil society organizations. This book explores this unprecedented phenomenon, providing a unique comparative perspective on gender quotas'' adoption across thirteen European countries. It also studies resistance to gender quotas by political parties and supreme courts. Providing up-to-date comprehensive data on gender quotas regulations, Transforming Gender Citizenship proposes a typology of countries, from those which have embraced gender quotas as a new way to promote gender equality in all spheres of social life, to those who have consistently refused gender quotas as a tool for gender equality. Reflecting on divergences and commonalities across Europe, the authors analyze how gender quotas may transform dominant conception of Table of ContentsIntroduction: completing the unfinished task? Gender quotas and the ongoing struggle for women's empowerment in Europe Éléonore Lépinard and Ruth Rubio Marín; Part I. Gender Quotas as Transformative Equality Remedies: 1. Gender quotas in Belgium: consolidating the citizenship model while challenging the conception of gender equality Petra Meier; 2. The French parity reform: the never-ending quest for a new gender equality principle Eléonore Lépinard; 3. The role of gender quotas in establishing the Slovene citizenship model: from gender blind to gender sensitive Milica Antić Gaber and Irena Selišnik; 4. Gender quotas in Spain: broad coverage, uneven treatment Tània Verge and Emanuela Lombardo; Part II. Gender Quotas as Symbolic Equality Remedies: 5. The protracted struggle for gender quotas in Greek politics: constitutional reform and feminist mobilization in the EU context Dia Anagnostou; 6. Eppur si muove: the tortuous adoption and implementation of gender quotas in conservative Italy Alessia Donà; 7. From electoral to corporate board quotas: the case of Portugal Ana Espírito-Santo; 8. Gender quotas and women's solidarity as a challenge to the gender regime in Poland Anna Śledzińska-Simon; Part III. Gender Quotas as Corrective Equality Remedies: 9. Quota contagion in Germany: diffusion, derailment, and the quest for parity democracy Sabine Lang; 10. The Austrian paradox: the challenges to transform a conservative gender regime Nora Gresch and Birgit Sauer; Part IV. Gender Quotas as Accessory Equality Measures: 11. The 'natural' prolongation of the Norwegian gender equality policy institution Mari Teigen; 12. Gender equality without legislated quotas in Sweden Lenita Freidenvall; 13. Gender equality without gender quotas: dilemmas in the Danish approach to gender equality and citizenship Lise Rolandsen Agustín, Birte Siim and Anette Borchorst; Conclusion. Assessing the transformative potential of gender quotas for gender equality and democratic citizenship Éléonore Lépinard and Ruth Rubio Marín.

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Book SynopsisThe US Constitution did not establish a clear division of responsibilities between the national government and state governments, so the distribution of policymaking authority is subject to constant renegotiation and debate. When national lawmakers introduce policy initiatives that implicate the states in important ways, why do state leaders sometimes respond with strong support and other times with indifference or outright hostility? Moving beyond the conventional story that state officials simply want money and autonomy from their national counterparts, this book explains how the states'' responses over the short, medium, and long term are shaped by policy design, timing, and the interaction between the two. Reaching across different historical eras with in-depth case studies of policies such as Superfund, the No Child Left Behind Act, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the book shows how federalism has influenced, and continues to influence, the evolution of AmericaTrade Review'This engaging and innovative book puts forward a significant theoretical innovation backed up by extensive research.' C. Shortell, ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction: states as stakeholders; 1. Federalism and policy feedback; 2. The surprising persistence of unemployment insurance; 3. The brief life of the Sheppard-Towner Act; 4. Medicaid's remarkable expansion; 5. The rise and demise of general revenue sharing; 6. How Superfund sowed the seeds of its own instability; 7. No Child Left Behind and the politics of state resistance; 8. Policy design, polarization, and the Affordable Care Act; Conclusion: responsive states.

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Book SynopsisVolume I considers the history of the European Union from an outside-in perspective, evaluating which outside forces shaped and guided the process of European integration. Taking an innovative, thematic approach, this volume will be of interest to students and researchers of European integration.Table of ContentsReflections on the history and historiography of European integration Mathieu Segers and Steven Van Hecke; Part I. Critical Junctures: 1. The emergence of a divided world and a divisible west Kenneth Weisbrode; 2. European integration and the temporary division of Germany Henning Türk; 3. Europe, decolonisation and the challenge of developing countries Guia Migani; 4. European integration and globalisation since the 1970s Emmanuel Mourlon-Druol; 5. A Europe of reunification? Stefania Bernini and Jan Zielonka; 6. Moderately failing forward: the EU in the years 2004–2019 Ferenc Laczó; Part II. Multilateralism and Geopolitics: 7. A pillar of the golden age? European integration and the Trente Glorieuses Antonio Varsori and Lorenzo Mechi; 8. The end of Bretton Woods: origins and European consequences Martin Daunton; 9. The vicissitudes of market Europe Gilles Grin; 10. European integration and the challenges of free movement Mathilde Unger; 11. The EU as a global trade power Kolja Raube; 12. The enduring relationship between NATO and European integration Luca Ratti; 13. European integration and the United Nations Edith Drieskens; 14. The European nuclear dimension: from Cold War to post-Cold War Leopoldo Nuti; 15. From 'Helsinki' and development aid to multipolar hard ball Angela Romano; 16. European integration, the environment and climate change Katja Biedenkopf and Tom Delreux; 17. The space policy of the European Union Emmanuel Sigalas; Part III. Perspectives and Ideas: 18. Researching the Eurocrats Cris Shore and Renita Thedvall; 19. Elite networks of allegiance Giles Scott-Smith; 20. The multi-dimensional nature of public EU attitudes Claes H. de Vreese, Andreas C. Goldberg and Anna Brosius; 21. Ideas of Europe: a view from inside-out, the 1880s to the 1910s (and beyond) Matthew D'Auria; 22. Beginning with culture: a certain idea of Europe Joep Leerssen; 23. The European union and memory Ana Milosevic; 24. European culture(s) Markus Thiel; 25. The catholic narrative of European integration Madalena Meyer Resende; 26. European integration and the churches Sergei A. Mudrov; Index.

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Book SynopsisDrawing upon unique and unprecedented survey data, this book shows how and why Brexit has changed British politics. Recommended reading for anyone wanting to better understand the political reality of Britain in the age of Brexit.Table of ContentsPart I. The Short Term: 1. Welcome to Brexit Britain; 2. Getting Brexit done; 3. Political paralysis – The 2017 general election; 4. The collapsing party system – The 2019 European elections; 5. The Johnson break through – The 2019 general election; Part II. The Long Term: 6. Time and the fragmenting party system; 7. Space and the fragmenting party system; 8. Who is responsible? The dynamics of accountability; Part III. The Future: 9. A disaster or a damp squib? The economic effects of Brexit; 10. Brexit Britain, Covid Britain – The political fallout.

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Book SynopsisCan America Govern Itself? brings together a diverse group of distinguished scholars to analyze how rising party polarization and economic inequality have affected the performance of American governing institutions. It is organized around two themes: the changing nature of representation in the United States; and how changes in the political environment have affected the internal processes of institutions, overall government performance, and policy outcomes. The chapters in this volume analyze concerns about power, influence and representation in American politics, the quality of deliberation and political communications, the management and implementation of public policy, and the performance of an eighteenth century constitution in today''s polarized political environment. These renowned scholars provide a deeper and more systematic grasp of what is new, and what is perennial in challenges to democracy at a fraught moment.Trade Review'Lee and McCarty have put together a stellar team of authors to address one of the most critical questions facing Americans: can our governing institutions cope with intense partisan polarization? The resulting chapters offer valuable insights into how representation, lawmaking, and policy implementation work - and fail to work - in our political system.' Eric Schickler, University of California, Berkeley'America's democratic institutions - in Washington and beyond - are under stress. This robust volume brings together an all-star cast of scholars to probe the nation's governing capacity and to consider the prospects for significant reform.' Sarah Binder, George Washington University, Washington DC and The Brookings Institution'With public trust in political institutions plummeting, parties growing ever more divided, and our elected leaders failing to attend to pressing national problems, we are right to wonder whether our political system is up to the most basic tasks of governance. In this fine volume, Frances E. Lee and Nolan McCarty assemble a terrific group of scholars who offer a range of answers - some reassuring, some not - that reformers would do well to heed in this age of anxiety.' William Howell, University of ChicagoTable of Contents1. Anxieties of American democracy Frances E. Lee and Nolan McCarty; Part I. Anxieties of Power, Influence, and Representation: 2. In the private interest? Business influence and American democracy Anthony S. Chen; 3. The interest group top tier: lobbying inequality and American governance Lee Drutman, Matt Grossmann and Timothy LaPira; 4. Developments in Congressional responsiveness to donor opinion Brandice Canes-Wrone and Nathan Gibson; 5. Minority protest and the early stages of governmental responsiveness in the electoral process Daniel Gillion and Patricia Posey; 6. The hollow parties Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld; Part II. Procedural Anxieties: 7. Does regular order produce a more deliberative Congress? Evidence from the annual appropriations process Lee Drutman and Peter Hanson; 8. Congress at work: legislative capacity and entrepreneurship in the contemporary Congress James Curry and Frances Lee; 9. Dumbing down? Trends in the complexity of political communication Kenneth Benoit, Kevin Munger and Arthur Spirling; Part III. Anxieties of Governance: 10. Public policy and political dysfunction: the policyscape, policy maintenance, and oversight Suzanne Mettler and Claire Leavitt; 11. The effects of partisan polarization on the bureaucracy David Spence; 12. Polarization and the changing American constitutional system Nolan McCarty.

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Book SynopsisThe politics of the twenty-first century is marked by dissent, tumult and calls for radical change, whether through food riots, anti-war protests, anti-government tirades, anti-blasphemy marches, anti-austerity demonstrations, anti-authoritarian movements and anti-capitalist occupations. Interestingly, contemporary political protests are borne of both the Right and Left and are staged in both the Global North and South. Globally, different instances of protest have drawn attention to the deep fissures which challenge the idea of globalisation as a force for peace. Given the diversity of these protests, it is necessary to examine the particular nature of grievances, the sort of change which is sought and the extent to which localised protest can have global implications. The contributions in this book draw on the theoretical work of Hardt and Negri, David Graeber and Judith Butler, among others, in order explore the nature of hegemony, the Occupy movement, the Arab Spring, the responTable of Contents1. Introduction: Protest 2. Counter-hegemonic networks and the transformation of global climate politics: rethinking movement-state relations Jackie Smith Reply by Ronaldo Munck 3. Occupy Dame Street as slow-motion general strike? Justifying optimism in the wake of Ireland’s failed multitudinal moment Nicholas Kiersey Reply by Simon Springer 4. The multitude and localized protest: the example of the Quebec student strike Philippe Fournier Reply by Keir Milburn 5. The Global Justice Movement and OccupyWall Street: spillover, spillout, or coalescence? Helma G. E. de Vries-Jordan Reply by Gilberto Algar-Faria 6. Transnational feminist solidarity and lessons from the 2011 protests in Tahrir Square Sally J. Scholz Reply by Wendy Harcourt 7. Who is speaking? The Indignados as political subjects Emmy Eklundh Reply by Ernesto Castañeda 8. Recruitment, counter-recruitment and critical military studies Matthew F. Rech Reply by Ben Wadham 9. The containment of Occupy: militarized police forces and social control in America Matthew Morgan Reply by Victor E. Kappeler 10. Protests, emotions and democracy: theoretical insights from the Indignados movement Paolo Cossarini Reply by Lasse Thomassen 11. Being the change: protest as performative discourse in the Occupy Portland encampment Lois Ruskai Melina Reply by Sanford F. Schram 12. Digital image politics: the networked rhetoric of Anonymous Jason L. Jarvis Reply by Roger Stahl 13. Global days of action, global public transcripts and democracy Catia Gregoratti Reply by Mark Chou 14. Book Review Symposium: The Democracy Project, By David Graeber Reviews by Lasse Thomassen, Gemma Bone, Jonathan Dean Response by David Graeber Book Review Symposium on Rethinking Latin America: Development, Hegemony, and Social Transformation, By Ronaldo Munck 15. Toward a 21st Century reading of Latin America: a sympathetic critique of Ronaldo Munck’s Rethinking Latin America: Development, Hegemony, and Social Transformation William I. Robinson Rethinking political economy from Latin America Ronaldo Munck

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Book SynopsisComparativist scholarship conventionally gives unbridled primacy to external, material interestschiefly votes and rentsas proximately shaping political behaviour. These logics tend to explicate elite decision-making around elections and pork barrel politics but fall short in explaining political conduct during credibility crises, such as democratic governments facing anti-corruption movements. In these instances, Baloch shows, elite ideas, for example concepts of the nation or technical diagnoses of socioeconomic development, dominate policymaking. Scholars leverage these arguments in the fields of international relations, American politics, and the political economy of development. But an account of ideas activating or constraining executive action in developing democracies, where material pressures are high, is found wanting.Resting on fresh archival research and over 120 original elite interviews, When Ideas Matter traces where ideas come from, how they are chosen, and when they areTrade Review'In this detailed account of government responses to credibility crises, Baloch sheds new light on a key element of decision-making, the cohesion of elite ideas. Focusing on corruption allegations in India, he shows how leaders' perceptions of the status and appropriate role of the state can have important implications for the ability of those elites to respond to external critiques. Through the use of elite interview and archival research-based process tracing on two key moments in India's contemporary political history, Baloch offers a compelling perspective that goes well beyond theories of material interests.' Jennifer Bussell, University of California, Berkeley, author of Corruption and Reform in India: Public Services in the Digital Age'When Ideas Matter is a deeply researched and engagingly written book. It addresses an unusual but vital question: How do the ideas of elites actually shape politics and policy and their ability to negotiate the contradictions of society? It is also a wonderful contribution to contemporary history, by smartly putting into comparative perspective the anti-corruption movement against Indira Gandhi's Congress with the movement against UPA-II. In doing so Bilal Baloch sheds new light on how ideas work in politics, the nature of political elites, the shape of party structures and the future of populism.' Pratap Bhanu Mehta, co-editor of Rethinking Public Institutions in India'Bilal Baloch makes a powerful constructivist case for the importance of ideas in explaining key outcomes and crises in post-independence Indian history, from the secular nationalist era of the 1970s, to the Hindu Nationalist present.' Steven Wilkinson, Yale University, author of Votes and Violence: Electoral Competition and Ethnic Riots in IndiaTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; Abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. A constructivist approach to political behavior in India; 3. The Emergency and the Jayaprakash Narayan Movement; 4. India under Gandhi: Populism and partisans; 5. Checks and balances and the India against Corruption Movement; 6. United Progressive Alliance: Technocrats and transformations; 7. The politics of ideas in India and developing democracies; Appendices; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisAs the rules of global Internet develop and evolve, digital trade has risen in prominence on the global trade and economic agenda, but multilateral trade agreements have not kept pace with the complexities of the digital economy. The economic impact of the Internet is estimated to be $4.2 trillion in 2016, making it the equivalent of the fifth-largest national economy. According to one source, the volume of global data flows grew 45-fold from 2005 to 2014, faster than international trade or financial flows. Congress has an important role to play in shaping global digital trade policy, from oversight of agencies charged with regulating cross-border data flows to shaping and considering legislation to implement new trade rules and disciplines through ongoing trade negotiations, and also working with the executive branch to identify the right balance between digital trade and other policy objectives, including privacy and national security. This book discusses the role of digital trade in the U.S. economy, barriers to digital trade, digital trade agreement provisions, and other selected policy issues. It also discusses the digital economy and cross-border trade, and U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.

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Book SynopsisThe first report included herein describes action taken by the Administration and Congress to provide FY2018 funding for Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) accounts. It also provides an overview of enacted FY2017 appropriations for agencies and bureaus funded as part of annual CJS appropriations. It also includes an overview of the consideration of FY2018 legislative branch appropriations, and an overview of the FY2018 budget requests of individual legislative branch agencies and entities. Other chapters provide a visual comparison between the size of budget authority recommended or provided to DHS (Department of Homeland Security) components; examines the SBA OIGs (US Small Business Administration OIG) statutory authorities; programs and funding authorized by the Corporation for National and Community Service; information about the FY2019 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services and an overview on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

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Book SynopsisSince the founding of the Liberian state in 1847, the country has faced several frontier issues, such as ethnic pluralism and inclusion, the elusive quest for democracy, decentralization, and socio-economic development. Cumulatively, the failure by the various state managers to address these and other major challenges occasioned an enduring civil conflict that imploded into mass insurrection on 14 April 1979, a military coup d'état on 12 April 1980, and two civil wars from 1989-1997, and 1999-2003, respectively. Significantly, these major conflict events had profound ramifications, including the deaths of thousands of people, massive internal displacement, refugee crises, the destruction of the already underdeveloped physical infrastructure and the productive sectors of the economy, and the collapse of governance. Against this background, this book explores some of these frontier issues-the travails of the peripheral state, ethnic pluralism and inclusion, the quest for democracy, decentralization and governance, the monocrop economy and its resulting implications for the crises of underdevelopment, public health, security sector reform, and post-conflict reconstruction-that have and continue to face Liberia in the twenty-first century. This book then makes policy-relevant recommendations for addressing these challenges, as the country strives to address its seemingly unending cycle of "missed opportunities" and "false starts".Table of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/liberia-in-the-twenty-first-century-issues-and-perspectives/

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Book SynopsisThe United States has maintained significant interest in Mexico, an ally and top trade partner. In recent decades, U.S.-Mexican relations have grown closer through cooperative management of the 2,000-mile border, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and security and rule of law cooperation under the Mérida Initiative. Relations have been tested, however, by President Donald J. Trumps shifts in U.S. immigration and trade policies. This book provides an overview of political and economic conditions in Mexico, followed by assessments of selected issues of congressional interest in Mexico: security and foreign aid, trade, immigration, organized crime, violence and water issues.

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Book SynopsisPuerto Rico lies approximately 1,000 miles southeast of Miami and 1,500 miles from Washington, DC. Despite being far outside the continental United States, the island has played a significant role in American politics and policy since the United States acquired Puerto Rico from Spain in 1898. On 20 September 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm with sustained wind speeds of over 155 miles per hour. At that time, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was already in recovery mode following the glancing blow struck by Hurricane Irma on 6 September 2017, which left 70% of electricity customers without power. Chapter 1 deals with the challenges to recovery in Puerto Rico and the role of the Financial Oversight and Management Board. Even before the 2017 hurricane season, Puerto Ricos electric power infrastructure was known to be in poor condition, due largely to underinvestment and the perceived poor maintenance practices of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA).Chapter 2 focuses on the recovery of Puerto Rico from the hurricanes, and the restoration of power. The two hurricanes that hit may have been historic, but they exposed a state of affairs in Puerto Rico that existed well before any of the hurricanes made landfall. Decades of mismanagement led to a paralyzing debt burden. Chapter 3 describes the factors that contributed to Puerto Ricos financial condition and levels of debt and federal actions that could address these factors. Chapter 4 examines the economic conditions in Puerto Rico as of the end of 2016, and (2) assesses the potential effects of applying the 2016 Overtime Rule to Puerto Rico. Chapter 5 provides policy and historical background about Puerto Ricos political status -- referring to the relationship between the federal government and a territorial one. Congress has not altered the islands status since 1952, when it approved a territorial constitution.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a compilation of significant reports and testimonies issued in January 2019.Table of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/top-10-reports-and-testimonies-in-january-2019-2-volume-set/

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Book SynopsisThis book is a compilation of significant reports and testimonies issued in October 2018.Table of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/top-5-reports-and-testimonies-in-october-2018/

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