Political structure and processes Books

Book SynopsisThis history of Athenian democracy covers the period 403-322 BC, and focuses in particular on the crucial last thirty years which coincided with the political career of Demosthenes and ended with his suicide in 322. It examines Athenian democracy both as a political system and as an ideology. In describing the former it distinguishes between the three major decision-making organs (the Assembly,the Legislators and the People's Courts) and the magistrates who were responsible for preparing the agenda for the legislature and also for carrying its decisions into effect. In discussing Athenian democratic ideology, the book also makes the important distinction between the ideals held by the democrats themselves and those imputed to them by the critics of democracy. The Athenians conceived of liberty both as the ability to participate in the decision-making process, and as the privilege to live without oppression from state or other citizens. Equality was not considered as an equality of nature, but as one of opportunity.

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Book SynopsisIn the post Cold War era does the withdrawal of armies from direct rule in most countries herald an end to their role as actors in domestic politics? Is it indeed sensible to assume that political intervention by the military has been more or less permanently superceded? Drawing on the 20th century experience of a dozen important countries this book examines a number of closely related issues: What generalizations can be made about the causes and enduring consequences of military rule for nation building and economic development? How have the passing of the Cold War, the rise of globalization and other changes in the 1990s affected the political role of the military? How can we assess the role of political armies in relation to the problems of consolidating civil politics and democratic governance? Are there lessons for policy makers to be learned from a comparative analysis of political armies in such fields as global governance and post-conflict reconstruction? This stimulating set of explorations and investigations builds on previous theories about the role of the military in politics and looks to the future - the possible proliferation of armed actors, new perversions in the domestic roles of the armed forces, and the much more prominent emergence of privatized forces of law and order.Trade Review'A provocative and wide-ranging collection of first-rate case studies on the political roles armies have played and still play around the world. The choice of countries included is very original and the wide ambit of issues it covers makes it the most comprehensive book existing today on this ongoing debate. This timely volume is essential for understanding the importance of the military factor in current processes of democratization as it gives a cautionary sign about the ever-existing prospects of authoritarian regression.' Patricio Silva, editor of The Soldier and the State in South America 'Political Armies lays bare the important truth about civil-military relations in the post-cold war world.' Johanna Mendelson Forman, American University, Washington, DC 'This timely volume raises hugely important issues for the aftermath of political armies which cannot be ignored. The particular forte of the contributors lies in their ability to penetrate the thinking of the military and to highlight their capacity for "strategic" responses to the dilemmas resulting from the dismantling of the Cold War and the surge of democracy ... Quite probably the most important and sophisticated comparative volume on the subject of the military and politics to emerge in recent years.' Eboe Hutchful, Wayne State UniversityTable of Contents Introduction 1. Military Politics and the Mission of Nation Building - Kees Koonings and Dirk Kruijt 2. From Military Reformists to Civilian Dictatorship: Peruvian Military Politics since 1960s - Dirk Kruijt & Maria Del Pilar Tello 3. The Guatemalan Politico-Military Project: Whose Ship of State? - Jennifer Schirmer 4. The Military and Politics in Brazil, 1964-2000 - Celso Castro 5. A Political Army in Chile: Historical Assessment and Prospects for the New Democracy - Felipe Aguëro 6. The Janus Face of the Indonesian Armed Forces - Nico Schulte Nordholt 7. The Military, Politics and Post-Cold War Dilemma's in Turkey - Aylin Güney 8. The Algerian Army and the State - Lahouari Addi 9. Entrenched Militarism and the Future of Democratic Transition in Nigeria - J'kayode Fayemi 10. Political Armies and the Nation State in Ethiopia and Eritrea - Robin Luckham 11. Army Politics as a Historical Legacy: The Experience of Burma - Martin Smith 12. Serbia and the Politics of the Yugoslav Armies: Communism, Federalism and Democracy - James Gow 13. The Military Politics: Old Wine in New Bottles? An Attempt at Stock-Taking - Emanuel De Kadt Epilogue: Political Armies between Continuity and Demise - Kees Koonings and Dirk Kruijt

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Book SynopsisRegeneration focuses on the question of intergenerational justice. Defining the world's young people as those born after 1979 - a hugely symbolic moment in the history of globalisation - it reflects on the massive growth in generational protest across the globe thirty years later. At its heart is an analysis of politics though the prism of generation. The incapacity of the major political parties in Britain to think beyond their short-term electoral interests is, by definition, particularly harmful for those at the beginning of their lives. It has led to a failure to act on climate change, savage cutbacks in education and training, an acute shortage of housing, big cuts in youth services, and, for many, the prospect of an old age without pensions. Things have deteriorated to the point where many young people are finding it impossible to find the wherewithal to settle down and have families - the classic marks of adulthood. But, as Shiv Malik argues in his preface, a diagnosis of the problem does not absolve the young from taking responsibility for developing solutions. We need more than 'a whinge of epic proportions'. And, as he also points out, the young are well placed to develop alternatives: 'we are the most well-educated, innovative, dynamic and open generation in human history'. This means that this book also has plenty of ideas for changing the future.Table of ContentsContributors: Patrick Ainley, Guy Aitchison, Christo Albor, Martin Allen, Jamie Audsley, Craig Berry, Guppi Bola, Matthew Cheeseman, Clare Coatman, Chris Coltrane, Ray Filar, David Floyd, George Gabriel, Tim Gee, Richard George, Paolo Gerbaudo, Jeremy Gilbert, Deborah Grayson, Noel Hatch, Tim Holmes, Rina Kuusipalo, Ben Little, Becky Luff, Shiv Malik, Peter McColl, John Miers, Jim O'Connell, Adam Ramsay, Kirsty Schneeberger, Guy Shrubsole, Charlie Young.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents the main findings of a comparative qualitative survey conducted in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland.

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Book SynopsisWe are now living in a world where Brexit and Trump are daily realities. But how did this come about? And what does it mean for the future? Populism and ultra-nationalism brought about the rise of Hitler and Mussolini in the 1930s. Now, as Trump sits in the White House, Britain negotiates its way out of the EU, and countries across Europe see substantial gains in support for the extreme Right, award-winning journalist, author, and historian Gwynne Dyer asks how we got here, and where we go next. Dyer examines the global challenges facing us all today and explains how they have contributed to a world of inequality, poverty, and joblessness — conditions which he argues inevitably lead to the rise of populism. The greatest threat to social and political stability, he argues, lies in the rise of automation, which will continue to eliminate jobs, whether politicians admit that it is happening or not. To avoid a social and political catastrophe, we will have to find ways of putting real money into the pockets of those who have no work. But this is not a book without hope. Our capacity for overcoming the worst has been tested again and again throughout history, and we have always survived. To do so now, Dyer argues, we must embrace radical solutions to the real difficulties facing individuals, or find ourselves back in the 1930s with no way out.Trade Review‘Dyer writes with a racy style and provokes as much as he informs.’ * The Independent *‘Dyer writes with easy fluency, with gentle, teasing wit.’ * The Irish Times *‘Thoughtful and thought-provoking.’ * Weekend Herald, Auckland *

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Book SynopsisFrom the acclaimed author of Listen, Liberal and What’s the Matter with Kansas, a scathing collection of interlocking essays perfect for this political moment. With his trademark sardonic wit and lacerating logic, New York Times–bestselling author Thomas Frank takes us on a tour through present-day America, showing us a society in the late stages of disintegration. Holding nothing back, Frank skewers both the right and left, and rages about the systematic inequality that led, in 2016, to millions of anxious, ordinary people rallying to the presidential campaign of a billionaire who meant them no good. For those who despair of the future of America and of reason itself, Rendezvous with Oblivion is a booster shot of energy, reality, and moral outrage.Trade Review‘Frank’s combination of insightful analysis, moral passion, and keen satirical wit make these essays both entertaining and an important commentary on the times.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘These essays are sharp-tongued snippets of the history of the last seven years, with reference to those that preceded them … Well done, Mr. Frank. May we please have some more?’ * Liz Burton, Portable Soup *‘The collected essays in Rendezvous show Frank’s commentary to not only be insightful, but more importantly eminently readable. He has a distinctive, sardonic style, that somehow makes even the discussion of the calamities of recent times engaging and entertaining.’ * The AU Review *

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Book SynopsisAn in-depth look at the partnership between Barack Obama and Joe Biden that changed the face of American politics. The ‘bromance’ between Obama and Biden has been much discussed, but this is the first time the full story of their relationship has been told: from their joint victory in 2008 to their disagreements over policy, and from the rift that formed after Obama supported Clinton’s 2015 presidential run to the present day with President Biden in the White House. The Long Alliance examines the past, present, and future of the Obama–Biden legacy — its twists and turns, ruptures and reunions, and how it has shaped and will continue to shape US politics.Trade Review‘[A] careful chronicling and insightful examination … [Debenedetti] is an excellent reporter and he provides a satisfyingly detailed account of the 2020 presidential campaign from both leaders’ perspectives.’ -- Jason Zengerle * The New York Times Book Review *‘[A] treat … readers interested in behind-the-scenes details and vividly depicted moments from the past two decades of American politics, starring some of its most pivotal players, will be riveted.’ * The Washington Post *‘Gabriel Debenedetti is simultaneously one of the smartest and most dogged reporters in Washington, and he has pieced together a master narrative of the complex relationship between two presidents whose partnership held together through a series of economic and political crises. The Obama-Biden dynasty has won three of the last four presidential elections, and Debenedetti’s story reveals the whole scope of its birth, growth, and struggle to save democracy.’ -- Jonathan Chait, New York Times bestselling author of Audacity: how Barack Obama defied his critics and created a legacy that will prevail‘Gabriel Debenedetti’s reporting on the Biden-Obama relationship is a tour-de-force, weaving together the political and personal dynamics that have bonded these two presidents and, at times, led to significant tension. It is a gripping tale of power in modern America and how it really works, told by someone who knows the players and inside stories better than anyone.’ -- Robert Costa, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of Peril‘What progress is possible in a country defined by partisan stalemate? This is the immersive, indelible account of a twenty-year working friendship almost precisely coincident with the emergence of a new and often maddening American politics. Barack Obama and Joe Biden assumed their presidencies with different political strengths, instincts, and ideals, but though each believed he could outmanoeuvre opposition and achieve lasting generational change, each also quickly found himself contemplating legacies which, though historic, could seem painfully piecemeal — including to the presidents themselves.’ -- David Wallace-Wells, New York Times bestselling author of The Uninhabitable Earth‘Just when you thought there was nothing else to say about Biden and Obama, Washington’s most thoughtful observer, Gabriel Debenedetti, sheds new light on the friendship, alliance and differences between the two men who helped shape modern America. The Long Alliance delivers illuminating insights and intimate, riveting, sometimes unsparing details, and takes you inside the corridors of power and the struggle for America's future.’ -- Kim Ghattas, author of New York Times bestselling The Secretary and New York Times 2020 Notable Book Black Wave‘Gabriel Debenedetti has written the definitive account of one of the most important — and, until now, poorly understood — relationships in 21st Century American politics. With rich new reporting, Debenedetti details the machinations that helped Joe Biden to parlay a hopeless presidential bid into a spot on Barack Obama’s 2008 ticket and a level of national prominence he’d never before known. More importantly, he illustrates the rocky and uneven evolution of their partnership during the Obama presidency. We see a genuine personal bond develop and deepen even as the president remains skeptical, dismissive even, of his handpicked vice president’s actual political talent — arguably leading to the twist of history that makes Donald Trump president and leaves it to Biden, four years later, to prove to the world — and to his former boss — just what he is capable of.’ -- Steve Kornacki, NBC News National Political Correspondent and author of The Red and the Blue‘Gabriel Debenedetti masters the crosscurrents of the Democratic party as well as relations between two presidents.’ * The Guardian *‘[A]n engrossing study of the political and personal relationship between Joe Biden and Barack Obama … Doggedly reported and clear-eyed about its subjects’ strengths and weaknesses, this is an illuminating portrait of a consequential political partnership.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Carefully constructed … A readable portrait of a political partnership that may be seen as one of the most productive in US history.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Debenedetti has written an engaging and thorough book about the Obama–Biden bond – an underexplored but fascinating subject. By delving into the relationship between two presidents, and suggesting reasons for its success, The Long Alliance also offers insights into how political power may be managed and shared. It is a thought-provoking book.’ -- Varun Ghosh * Australian Book Review *

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThere has been increased attention to the topics of disaster recovery and disaster resilience over the past several years, particularly as catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy have brought to light the increasing vulnerability of so many communities. This manuscript brings together existing research, along with policy analysis, in order to look at disaster recovery through the lens of justice. This includes understanding the mechanisms through which vulnerability is exacerbated, and the extent to which the regulations and agency cultures drive this outcome. While existing analyses have sought to understand the particular characteristics of both resilient and vulnerable communities, there have been few attempts to understand the systemic inequities and injustice that is built into United States disaster policies, programs, and legislation. This manuscript thus begins from the understanding that social and economic structures, including land use policies and historic practices such as redlining, have concentrated hazard risk into vulnerable zones whose inhabitants do not benefit from the very policies that create and increase their risk. Table of ContentsCONTENTS 1. Chapter 1 Introduction1.1 Applying a Justice Paradigm1.2 Conceptualizing Justice1.3 Disaster Vulnerability and Resilience1.4 Deserving Victims and Post-Disaster Fraud1.5 Survivor Agency1.6 Social Capital and Collective Efficacy1.7 Public Policy and Legislation1.8 Implementation Challenges1.9 Disaster Risk Reduction and Creation1.10 Disparate Outcomes1.11 Resilience for Whom?1.12 Defining Just Recovery 2. Chapter 2 Deserving Victims and Post-Disaster Fraud2.1 Deserving Victims2.2 Duplication of Benefits and Appeals2.3 Fraud, and the Corrosive Community2.4 Deserving Corporations2.5 Government Corruption2.6 Deserving Victims, Post-Disaster Fraud and Justice 3. Chapter 3 Survivor Agency3.1 Survivor Agency3.2 Collective Efficacy and Social Capital3.3 Reclaiming Agency3.4 Survivor Agency and Justice 4. Chapter 4 Public Policy and Legislation4.1 U.S. Disaster Policy4.2 Federalism4.3 Federal Disaster Programs4.4 Human Rights and Disaster Recovery4.5 Public Policy, Legislation and Justice 5. Chapter 5 Implementation Challenges5.1 Program Implementation5.2 Implementation of Existing Policies and Programs5.3 Using Current Policies and Regulations to Promote Just Outcomes5.4 Implementation Challenges and Justice 6. Chapter 6 Disaster Risk Reduction and Creation6.1 Disaster Risk Creation6.2 The Safety Premium6.3 Considering Justice in Resilience 7. Chapter 7 Disparate Outcomes7.1 Poverty and Economic Hardship7.2 Impacts to Public Housing7.3 Renters7.4 Displacement7.5 Just Recovery 8. Chapter 8 Conclusion: Resilience for Whom?8.1 Revisiting Just Recovery8.2 Person and Community Centered Recovery  

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Book SynopsisSwiss citizens approve of their government and the way democracy is practiced; they trust the authorities and are satisfied with the range of services Swiss governments provide. This is quite unusual when compared to other countries. This open access book provides insight into the organization and the functioning of the Swiss state. It claims that, beyond politics, institutions and public administration, there are other factors which make a country successful. The authors argue that Switzerland is an interesting case, from a theoretical, scientific and a more practice-oriented perspective. While confronted with the same challenges as other countries, Switzerland offers different solutions, some of which work astonishingly well.Trade Review“The book is of interest to novice and experienced scholars as well as practitioners and has the potential to address a wide audience inside and outside Switzerland. … the book is inspiring, informative and well-structured, it is reader-friendly and up-to-date and closes a relevant gap on the book market. I am sure that this format will soon be followed by similar introductions to other countries, as the format as well as the elaboration are persuasive.” (Nathalie Behnke, Swiss Political Science Review, Vol. 25 (2), 2019)Table of ContentsIntroductionSociety, Government, and the Political System Andreas LadnerThe Organization and Provision of Public Services Andreas LadnerThe Characteristics of Public Administration in Switzerland Andreas LadnerThe concept of Law and the principe of legality Sophie WeertsThe preparliamentary phase in law-drafting : the power issues at stake Christine Guy-EcabertThe Federal Administration as an actor in the domestic integration of international law Sophie Weerts / Amalia SophiaSoft Law Instruments in Public Law Alexandre FlückigerJudicial federalism and constitutional review in the Swiss Judiciary Pascal MahonThe new model of Swiss public management Jean-Loup ChappeletPublic Private Partnerships: A Swiss Perspective Laure Athias / Moudo Macina / Pascal WichtIn-depth modernization of HRM in the public sector: the Swiss way Yves EmeryCommunication and Transparency Martial PasquierThe Road to Digital and Smart Government in Switzerland Tobias MettlerFinancial management system, legislation and stakeholders Nils SoguelThe Swiss way of presenting the governments’ financial statements Nils SoguelTax power and tax competition Nils SoguelFiscal Equalization: Financial transfers between governments Nils SoguelSocial security policy Giuliano BonoliHealth Policy Josef Philipp TreinPolicy Networks and the Role(s) of Public Administrations Frédéric Varone / Karin Miryam Ingold/ Manuel FischerFactors contributing to the strong institutionalization of policy evaluation in Switzerland Katia Horber-Papazian / Marion Baud-Lavigne

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Book SynopsisHow were social media posts, scripted speeches, traditional news media and political cartoons used and understood during the Brexit campaign? What phrases and metaphors were key during and after the 2016 Brexit referendum? How far did the Remain and Leave campaigns rely on metaphor to engage with supporters in communicating their political positions? These questions, and many others, can be answered only through a systematic analysis of the actual language used in relation to Brexit by the different parties involved. By drawing on a range of data sources and types of communication, and presenting them as 'frames' through which individuals can attempt to understand the world, the author provides the first book-length examination of the metaphors of Brexit. This book takes a detailed look at the rhetorical language behind one of the major political events of the era, and it will be of interest to students and scholars of linguistics and political science, as well as anyone with a special interest in metaphor, rhetoric, Brexit, or political communication more broadly.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Cherries on the Cake?.- Chapter 2: The Lexicon of the Referendum.- Chapter 3: I Love My Country.- Chapter 4: 'Take Back Control': The War & Invasion Frame.- Chapter 5: Conceptual Metaphors: 'The Brussels Bubble'.- Chapter 6: The Metaphors of Boris Johnson.- Chapter 7: Happy Families and Special Relationships.- Chapter 8: Are Marriages Made in Heaven?.- Chapter 9: Animals: Moral Intuition and Moral Reasoning.- Chapter 10: Metaphors for Brexit.

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Book SynopsisThe decennial Census is the US Government's largest statistical undertaking, and it costs billions of dollars in planning, execution, and analysis. From a statistical viewpoint, it is critical because it is the only database that maps every inhabitant into a geographic location. By constitutional mandate, census data are the basis for reapportioning the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The states use census data to redistrict their state legislatures and often to redraw boundaries for local elections. Census data inform the distribution of over $1.5 trillion in federal funding during the decade. This book details the fundamentals and significance of the 2020 Census for the non-specialist reader. It covers why the Census is the only statistical activity required by the US Constitution, the challenges of working towards an accurate and complete count, and what political ramifications flow from this process. Concise, timely, and comprehensible, this book provides helpful real-life examples while also offering an overview of the entwined statistical and political issues that surround the Census. Table of Contents1. The Census: A Pillar of American Democracy and American Society.- 2. Who, What, When, Where of the Census.- 3. Who’s Missing: Undercounting and Underreporting.- 4. The Citizenship Issue and Gerrymandering.- 5. Privacy and Data Protection. 6. Are There Alternatives to the Census?.

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Book SynopsisThe British General Election of 2019 is the definitive account of one of the most consequential and controversial general elections in recent times, when Boris Johnson gambled everything calling an early election to 'Get Brexit Done', and emerged triumphant. Drawing upon cutting-edge research and wide-ranging elite interviews, the new author team provides a compelling and accessible narrative of this landmark election and its implications for British politics, built on unparalleled access to all the key players, and married up to first-class data analysis. The 21st volume in a prestigious series dating back to 1945, it offers something for everyone from Westminster insiders and politics students to the interested general reader.Table of ContentsPart 1: The 2017-19 Parliament Chapter 1: The Calling of the Election – (guest author Philip Cowley) Chapter 2: The Long Goodbye: Brexit – (guest authors Anand Menon and Alan Wager) Chapter 3: From May to Johnson: The Conservatives Chapter 4: The Man Who Wasn’t There: Labour Chapter 5: A New Hope? The Liberal Democrats and others Chapter 6: Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Politics in the Devolved Nations (guest authors Ailsa Henderson, Roger Scully and Jon Tonge) Part 2: The Election Campaign Chapter 7: “Get Brexit Done”: The national campaign Chapter 8: The Red Wall Falls Chapter 9: Redemption? The Polls Chapter 10: The Air War: Broadcasting Chapter 11: Enduring Brands : The Press (guest authors David Deacon, David Smith and Dominic Wring) Chapter 12: All change? MPs and candidates (Guest authors: Rosie Campbell, Jennifer VanHeerde-Hudson and Chris Butler) Part 3: The Results Chapter 13: The British voter in 2019: an individual level analysis Chapter 14: The outcome in the constituencies: an aggregate analysis (guest authors John Curtice, Stephen Fisher and Patrick English) Chapter 15: The Election in Retrospect Appendix 1: The Results Analysed (guest authors John Curtice, Stephen Fisher and Patrick English) Appendix 2: The Voting Statistics

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Book SynopsisThis book is concerned with the role that communication - understood as including both the factual and fictional mass media as well as the performative and visual arts - can play in post-civil war peacebuilding. It engages with questions of how a society can move from the civil war conditions of discursive dehumanisation to peaceful cooperation in post-civil war settings and how peacebuilders can help communities utilise the transformative capacity of communication to encourage the reimagining of and engagement with former enemies as co-citizens. Ultimately, civil and peaceful cooperation depends on the observance of discursive civility and the building of safe discursive spaces in which civil engagement between different groups of society (including former combatants and survivors) can safely take place. This book argues that understanding communicative peacebuilding in this way is fundamental to the achievement of self-sustainable everyday peace.Table of Contents1. Introduction: Civil Wars and Communicative Peacebuilding2. Civil War as Discursive Dehumanisation 3. Remnants of Civil Life and Civil Potential in Post-Civil War Settings4. Communicative Peacebuilding: Discursive Civility and Safe Discursive Spaces5. The Transformative Capacity of Communication: Integrative Communicative Acts across the Communicative Spectrum of Civil Society

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Book SynopsisThis textbook provides students of US Politics with an informed scholarly analysis of recent developments in the American political environment, using historical background to contextualize contemporary issues. As the ninth edition, this book reviews a time of political controversy in the United States, touching on topics such as gender, economic policy, gun control, immigration, the media, healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the widespread social protests against police brutality. The book looks both backwards to Trump's presidency and forward to Biden's. Ultimately, the editors and contributors evaluate the significance of these events on the future of American politics, providing a perspective that is at once broad and meticulous.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction :the editorsChapter 2: The elections of 2020Chapter 3: Race Chapter 4: Women gender and cultural conflictsChapter 5: Political PartiesChapter 6: Interest groupsChapter 7: The mediaChapter 8: The PresidencyChapter 9: CongressChapter 10: The Supreme Court and the Constitution Chapter 11: BureaucracyChapter 12: FederalismChapter 13: ImmigrationChapter 14: Economic PolicyChapter 15: HealthChapter 16: Gun ControlChapter 17: Social PolicyChapter 18: Foreign PolicyChapter 19: Interpreting the Trump Era

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the contemporary relevance of the concept of the core executive across a range of constitutional contexts, covering examples from Westminster system, continental Europe, and Scandinavia. Much study of core executives focuses exclusively on the Westminster system, but this book expands that scope to take into account nations where coalition government has been the norm for decades. Focusing on the interaction between the political and administrative executives, the book addresses tensions between the two that have become increasingly apparent in an age of populism and mediatisation.Table of ContentsPart I: Setting the scene 1. In the beginning: The story of a concept (Kristoffer Kolltveit and Richard Shaw) 2. Core executive studies in the wild (Richard Shaw and Kristoffer Kolltveit) 3. Court politics: From metaphor to theory (R.A.W. Rhodes) Part II: Core executives in Westminster contexts 4. Court politics in an age of austerity: David Cameron’s court, 2010–2016 (R.A.W. Rhodes) 5. Ireland’s core executive at one hundred years of self-government: Navigating coalition, crisis and complexity(Bernadette Connaughton) 6. New Zealand: The core within the core (Richard Shaw and Rose Cole) Part III: Core executives in Continental countries 7. On a wildgoose chase? The (core) executive in Germany (Anna Hundehege and Thurid Hustedt) 8. The Netherlands: How weak prime ministers gain influence (Erik-Jan van Dorp and R.A.W. Rhodes) Part IV: Core executives in Scandinavia 9. The Swedish executive: Centralising from afar (Erik Brinde, Thurid Hustedt and Heidi HoulbergSalomonsen) 10. The Danish core executive: From ‘duopoly’ to ‘monopoly’? (Heidi Houlberg Salomonsen and Amalie Trangbæk) 11. The Norwegian core executive: Baronial courts and inner circles? (Kristoffer Kolltveit and Jostein Askim) Part V: Conclusion 12. Continuity and change: Explaining developments and looking to the future (Kristoffer Kolltveit and Richard Shaw)

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Book SynopsisHateful thoughts and words can lead to harmful actions like the March 2019 terrorist attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. In free, open and democratic societies, governments cannot justifiably regulate what citizens think, feel, believe or value, but do have a duty to protect citizens from harmful communication that incites discrimination, active hostility and violence.Written by a public policy advisor for fellow practitioners in politics and public life, this book discusses significant practical and moral challenges regarding internet governance and freedom of speech, particularly when responding to content that is legal but harmful. Policy makers and professionals working for governmental institutions need to strike a fair balance between protecting from harm and preserving the right to freedom of expression. And because merely passing laws does not solve complex social problems, governments need to invest, not just regulate. Governments, big tech and the private sector, civil society, individual citizens and the fourth estate all have roles to play, and counter-speech is everyone’s responsibility.This book tackles hard questions about internet governance, hate speech, cancel culture and the loss of civility, and illustrates principled pragmatism applied to perplexing policy problems. Furthermore, it presents counter-speech strategies as alternatives and complements to censorship and criminalisation.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction: After Christchurch.- Part I. Regulating Harmful Digital Communication.- Chapter 2. Challenges in Regulating Online Content.- Chapter 3. The Business Models of Big Tech.- Chapter 4. Deplatforming and Democratic Legitimacy.- Part II. Hate, Harm and the Limits of Censorship.- Chapter 5. Regulating “Hate Speech”.- Chapter 6. Free Speech and its Limits.- Chapter 7. Hate, Harm and the Liberal State.- Chapter 8. Striking a Fair Balance When Regulating Free Speech.- Chapter 9. Counter-speech is Everyone’s Responsibility.- Chapter 10. Conclusion: Cleaning Up After the Party

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