Political structure and processes Books
Algonquin Books Off the Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture,
Book Synopsis
£27.74
Lexington Books Russian Policy toward Belarus after 2020: At a
Book SynopsisTraditionally Belarus has always had a special status in Russia’s foreign policy. Russia’s approach towards a key political and military ally and a “Slavic brother” was always an indicator of how Russia would see the optimal relationships with other countries of the post-Soviet space. At this moment Belarus-Russia relations are evolving in unexpected ways. The two interconnected crises – the Belarusian mass protests of 2020 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – have had a profound impact on the Belarusian regime and society, the regional security and Russian policy towards Belarus. This book explores the ongoing development of Belarus-Russia relations and discusses the future of the relationship. This edited volume reviews the state of the relationship and underlines key emergent trends of Belarus’s and Russia’s policies towards each other to identify new mechanisms and practices as they shape into a new model. The book is comprised of in-depth empirical contributions in a range of interdisciplinary perspectives on cooperation in political, economic, security, media, and societal domains within a broader regional context.Table of ContentsChapter 1: Belarus-Russia Relations: Identity as Product and Factor by Aliaksei Kazharski and Katsiaryna LozkaChapter 2: The Economic Dimension of the Russian Policy Towards Belarus by Kateryna BornukovaChapter 3: Russia’s Defense Policy and Belarus After 2020 by Andras RaczChapter 4: Falling into a Trap of the Own Making: Lukashenka’s Foreign Policy since 2020 by Arkady Moshes and Ryhor NizhnikauChapter 5: Belarus-Russia Relations in Belarusian Public Opinion Polls by Henadz KorshunauChapter 6: The Belarusian Opposition and Russia: Evolving Attitudes since 2020 by Artyom ShraibmanChapter 7: A Loss of Media Sovereignty: Synchronization of Belarusian and Russian Propaganda after 2020 by Pavel Bykouski
£65.70
Lexington Books Post-communism, Democracy, and Illiberalism in
Book SynopsisPost-communism, Democracy, and Illiberalism in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union explores how the downfall of communism brought about a difficult transition for Eastern and Central Europe. The collapse of communism in this region varied from one case to another and the consequences of this process can still be noticed to varying degrees today. Although most of the countries that were part of the former Soviet bloc are now members of the NATO or of the European Union, and the democratic system in these areas seems to be a solid one, the last ten years have indicated a declining trust of the citizens in political institutions and a degradation of political systems which keeps generating vocal manifestations of populism and Euroscepticism. The end of the 1990s marked the final shift towards democracy, with the accession of the first states to NATO and the beginning of accession negotiations with the European Union. The process of consolidating democracies seemed to be an irreversible one, and steps towards respect for human rights, freedom of expression, and the development of economies that functioned according to the rules of the free market gave hope for a very fast path to reduce the gaps in relation to Western democracies.Table of ContentsForeword, Lavinia StanIntroductionPart I: The Fall of CommunismChapter 1: ‘An Observation Post’: The Embassy in Bucharest and British Foreign Policy towards Romania During the Last Years of The Ceauşescu Regime, Peter Siani-DaviesChapter 2: Between Political Participation and Opposition: Everyday Resistance in Communist Romania, Manuela MarinChapter 3: 1989 – Annus Mirabilis for The Moldavian SSR, Sergiu MusteațăChapter 4: Searching for Tourists: Tourist Activity in Romania at The End of 1989 under The Securitate’s Surveillance, Virgiliu ȚârăuChapter 5: The Role of the Mass Media in the Romanian Revolution, Matei GheboianuPart II: The Challenging Road from Communism to DemocracyChapter 6: Romania’s Elections of May 1990, Ion Bucur and Daniela PopescuChapter 7: The Difficult Transition from Totalitarianism to Democracy in Romania after December 1989: Political Myths, Manipulation and Violence, Hadrian GorunChapter 8: Romania and NATO in the Early 1990’s: The Difficult Search for Romania’s Post-Cold War Status, Mihail DobreChapter 9: The Nation under Siege – A Hungarian–Romanian Perspective, Csaba ZahoránChapter 10: Thirty Years After: Major Sports Events in Europe. Case Study: Romania, Anita-Diana StereaChapter 11: All in The Architecture? The Unfolding Metamorphosis of Central-Inner Warsaw (1989-2019), Peter MartynPart III: Reflections Three Decades LaterChapter 12: Transformation, Post-communism, and the Deficiencies of Liberal Democracy in Poland: A Case Study, Krzysztof BrzechczynChapter 13: Romania's Protest Culture Thirty Years After the Regime Change: Hegemonic Discourses and Western Ideals, Ruxandra Gubernat and Henry P. RammeltChapter 14: Thirty Years Later: An Essay on Open Wounds and Lessons for The Future from Communism and Thirty Years of Transition, Ana AdiChapter 15: The Fall, Rise and Decline of Democracy in Europe and the World, Daniel Chirot About the Editors and Contributors
£69.30
Lexington Books Winning the Crowd
Book Synopsis
£76.50
Lexington Books The Political Economy of Covid19
Book Synopsis
£79.20
Simon & Schuster Radio's Greatest of All Time
Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A collection of Rush Limbaugh’s greatest on-air moments, with special commentary and personal stories from his beloved widow, Kathryn Limbaugh, and brother, David Limbaugh.For more than thirty years, millions of listeners tuned in to hear Rush Limbaugh’s voice. At its peak, The Rush Limbaugh Show aired on more than 650 radio stations nationwide, and his inimitable commentary and distinctive sense of humor garnered a devoted audience that celebrated with him when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020. Rush’s passing the following year sent shock waves through the conservative and broadcasting communities. In this timeless collection of his best work, his triumphant legacy as the greatest voice for conservatism is cemented in history. When Rush’s dear friend Vince Flynn first suggested the idea of this book, Rush considered the task daunting. “How can I possibly select the best of the best,” he joked, “from all the years of pure genius?” Over time, Rush came to love this project immensely, and recalled incredible details from his childhood and early career. Featuring commentary from loved ones, family, friends, and prominent figures such as President Donald Trump, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Governor Ron DeSantis, and more, Radio’s Greatest of All Time is the ultimate gift for any devoted listener and leaves no doubt about his profound impact on this country.
£29.75
Simon & Schuster The Four Tests: What It Will Take to Keep America
Book SynopsisA “lucidly argued” (Kirkus Reviews), illuminating, and ultimately optimistic roadmap for America’s future and the “tests” the United States must meet to maintain leadership and power in the 21st century—from the former US Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.In today’s fraught global and political climate, the assumption that America maintains its dominant status in global politics is waning. The divisions between us, economic changes driven by globalization and technology, as well as climate change, pandemics, and the resurgence of authoritarianism, make it difficult to be optimistic about America’s future. But what if we use this moment as an opportunity to think about what might come next, and how to build what we need to succeed? If we’re going to allow ourselves to diagnose a “polycrisis” then we should also admit the possibility of “polyprogress.” This book is a roadmap for those who want to take America’s challenges head on, and who hold on to the conviction that we can tackle them. In The Four Tests, Baer argues that we are living through a transition moment and lays out the four tests we must meet: -Scale: Can the US maintain enough scale—or create a facsimile of it through deeper partnerships with friends and allies—as China and other countries continue to rise? -Investment: Can the US muster and effectively direct resources toward investments, particularly investments in people, to lay a foundation for American success in the post-industrial economy? -Fairness: Can the US address unfairnesses in its economy and society so that they don’t stifle growth and undermine social cohesion in a more competitive world? -Identity: Can Americans build a thin but shared political identity, inclusive of every American, that can hold us together and help us work together in a difficult global landscape? While each test poses significant challenges, the US has advantages that some of our most vexing competitors lack. Meeting these tests demands changes in behavior and culture—from politicians, corporate leaders, and citizens. But if we meet these tests, then we can be confident of America’s future. The question is not whether we can succeed—but whether we will. Straightforward and hopeful, Baer’s pragmatic approach will provide fodder for discussion for Trump-supporting aunts and their Elizabeth Warren-stan nephews far beyond the beltway.
£33.56
Gallery Books Democracy in Retrograde
Book Synopsis
£21.74
Xlibris Us America Needs God - Not Hypocrites, Liars, and
Book Synopsis
£20.95
Information Age Publishing Transforming Government Organizations: Fresh
Book SynopsisIn 2010 IAP released Change (Transformation) in Government Organizations, edited by Ronald R. Sims. This well-received volume described how organizational change methods can be used effectively to make government organizations more effective and efficient and better equipped to serve a demanding citizenry. The 2010 book brought together contributions by managers, practitioners, academics, and consultants in the study of international, federal, state, and local government efforts to respond to increased calls for change (transformation) in public sector organizations.Since the release of the 2010 volume, calls for government transformation have continued and intensified, and a number of fresh ideas and examples have been generated from the field. The time is now ripe for a follow-up volume laying out innovative, successful ideas for transforming government. Transforming Government Organizations: Fresh Ideas and Examples from the Field is that follow-up volume. A collection of fresh contributions such as those included in this book will add to the growing knowledge base of what does—and what does not—work when transformation efforts are attempted in government organizations.The contributors to this new volume are experts with extensive experience as change agents in government and other organizations. They provide analyses and discussions of specific cases and issues as well as practical tools, ideas, and lessons learned intended to guide those responsible for similar efforts in the years to come. The audience for the book are government managers, scholars, and others interested in undertaking or learning about such efforts.
£47.45
Information Age Publishing Transforming Government Organizations: Fresh
Book SynopsisIn 2010 IAP released Change (Transformation) in Government Organizations, edited by Ronald R. Sims. This well-received volume described how organizational change methods can be used effectively to make government organizations more effective and efficient and better equipped to serve a demanding citizenry. The 2010 book brought together contributions by managers, practitioners, academics, and consultants in the study of international, federal, state, and local government efforts to respond to increased calls for change (transformation) in public sector organizations.Since the release of the 2010 volume, calls for government transformation have continued and intensified, and a number of fresh ideas and examples have been generated from the field. The time is now ripe for a follow-up volume laying out innovative, successful ideas for transforming government. Transforming Government Organizations: Fresh Ideas and Examples from the Field is that follow-up volume. A collection of fresh contributions such as those included in this book will add to the growing knowledge base of what does—and what does not—work when transformation efforts are attempted in government organizations.The contributors to this new volume are experts with extensive experience as change agents in government and other organizations. They provide analyses and discussions of specific cases and issues as well as practical tools, ideas, and lessons learned intended to guide those responsible for similar efforts in the years to come. The audience for the book are government managers, scholars, and others interested in undertaking or learning about such efforts.
£87.40
University of Arkansas Press The Arrogance of Power
Book Synopsis“Fulbright was erudite and eloquent in all the books he wrote, but this one is his masterpiece. Within its pages lie his now historic remonstrations against a great nation’s overreach, his powerful argument for dissent, and his thoughtful propositions for a new way forward . . . lessons and cautions that resonate just as strongly today.” — From the foreword by Bill ClintonJ. William Fulbright (1905–1995), a Rhodes scholar and lawyer, began his long career in public service when he was elected to serve Arkansas's Third District in Congress in 1942. He quickly became a prominent member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he introduced the Fulbright Resolution calling for participation in an organization that became the United Nations. Elected to the Senate in 1944, he promoted the passage of legislation establishing the Fulbright exchange program, and he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1959 to 1974, longer than any senator in American history.Fulbright drew on his extensive experience in international relations to write The Arrogance of Power, a sweeping critique of American foreign policy, in particular the justification for the Vietnam War, Congress's failure to set limits on it, and the impulses that gave rise to it. The book—with its solid underpinning the idea that “the most valuable public servant, like the true patriot, is one who gives a higher loyalty to his country's ideals than to its current policy”—was published in 1966 and sold 400,000 copies. The New York Times called it “an invaluable antidote to the official rhetoric of government.”Enhanced by a new forward by President Bill Clinton, this eloquent treatise will resonate with today's readers pondering, as Francis O. Wilcox wrote in the original preface, the peril of nations whose leaders lack ""the wisdom and the good judgment to use their power wisely and well.
£53.10
University Press of Florida Cuba's Digital Revolution: Citizen Innovation and
Book SynopsisThe triumph of the Cuban Revolution gave the Communist Party a monopoly over both politics and the mass media. However, with the subsequent global proliferation of new information and communication technologies, Cuban citizens have become active participants in the worldwide digital revolution. While the Cuban internet has long been characterized by censorship, high costs, slow speeds, and limited access, this volume argues that since 2013, technological developments have allowed for a fundamental reconfiguration of the cultural, economic, social, and political spheres of the Revolutionary project.The essays in this volume cover various transformations within this new digital revolution, examining both government-enabled paid public web access as well as creative workarounds that Cubans have designed to independently produce, distribute, and access digital content. Contributors trace how media ventures, entrepreneurship, online marketing, journalism, and cultural e-zines have been developing on the island alongside global technological and geopolitical changes.As Cuba continues to expand internet access and as citizens challenge state policies on the speed, breadth, and freedom of that access, Cuba's Digital Revolution provides a fascinating example of the impact of technology in authoritarian states and transitional democracies. While the streets of Cuba may still belong to Castro's Revolution, this volume argues, it is still unclear to whom Cuban cyberspace belongs.Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Introduction. In Medias Res: Who Will Control Cuba's Digital Revolution? PART I. History, Media, and Technology 1. The Past, Present, and Future of the Cuban Internet 2. Historical Itineraries and Cyclic Trajectories: Alternative Media, Communication Technologies, and Social Change in Cuba PART II. Politics 3. ICT, State Power, and Civil Society: Cuban Internet Development in the Context of the Normalization of Relations with the United States 4. Ghost in the Machine: The Incompatibility of Cuba's State Media Monopoly with the Existence of Independent Digital Media and the Democratization of Communication 5. The Press Model in Cuba: Between Ideological Hegemony and the Reinvention of Civic Journalism 6. Digital Critique in Cuba PART III. Journalism 7. From Generación Y to 14ymedio: Beyond the Blog on Cuba's Digital Frontier 8. Independent Journalism in Cuba: Between Fantasy and the Ontological Rupture 9. Perceptions of and Strategies for Autonomy among Journalists Working for Cuban State Media 10. Independent Media on the Margins: Two Cases of Journalistic Professionalization in Cuba's Digital Media Ecosystem PART IV. Business and Economy 11. Online Marketing of Touristic Cuba: Branding a "Tech-Free" Destination 12. "A Una Cuba Alternativa"? Digital Millennials, Social Influencing, and Cuentapropismo in Havana PART V. Culture and Society 13. Without Initiation Ceremonies: Cuban Literary and Cultural Ezines 14. Images of Ourselves: Cuban Mediascapes and the Postsocialist "Woman of Fashion" Notes List of Contributors Index
£75.20
Turner Publishing Company COVID: The Politics of Fear and the Power of
Book SynopsisSeparating FACT from FICTION in the COVID-19 Epidemic People are afraid. COVID-19 has upended our lives as it poses new medical dangers, economic suffering and grave uncertainty about the world around us. The collateral damage is enormous, but politics invade perception. There are so many unknowns. Does a treatment work? Is a vaccine coming? How likely are you to catch COVID and how can you best protect yourself and your family? What are the real risks and what is hysteria? Where are our fear leaders? What are their agendas? From Fox News Medical Contributor and the author of False Alarm (Wiley, 2008) comes COVID: The Politics of Fear and the Power of Science by Marc Siegel, M.D. This shocking exposé of the facts as the media covers the national pandemic news and spread of the invisible virus reinforces the notion that we must arm ourselves against fear tactics that limit our abilities to safely make decisions and protect our families in a world of uncertainty. Life for citizens of the developed world before the pandemic was safer, easier, and healthier than for any other people in history thanks to modern medicine, science, technology, and intelligence—but COVID-19 has stolen that security and our nation's peace of mind. Now there is a pandemic virus, as well as a crippling epidemic of fear sweeping America. Why? The answer, according to nationally renowned health commentator Dr. Marc Siegel, is that we already lived in an artificially created culture of fear that was just waiting to be unleashed. In COVID: The Politics of Fear and the Power of Science, Siegel identifies three major catalysts of the culture of fear: government, the media, and our own psyche. With fascinating, blow-by-blow analyses of the most sensational false alarms of the past few years, compounded now by the worst contagion of our lifetimes, he shows how fear mongers manipulate our most primitive instincts—often without our even realizing it. COVID shows us how to look behind the hype and hysteria, inoculate ourselves against these crippling fear tactics, and develop the emotional and intellectual skills needed to take back our lives, even as we battle the pandemic itself. Trade Review“Marc Siegel is the first person we go to when we’ve got questions about medicine and science . . . This is the first book I’d read about COVID.” —Tucker Carlson, national broadcaster and bestselling author “Dr. Marc Siegel is the nation’s doctor when it comes to expertly addressing the pandemic.” —Mark Levin, national broadcaster and bestselling author Praise for Dr. Marc Siegel “Dr. Siegel, always good to talk with you—especially at a difficult time when we need to get the facts out to the American people. We talk about a pandemic of virus, but you and I also always talk about the fact that there is a pandemic of misinformation out there . . . thank you for the work that you’ve done to help people better understand a disease that quite frankly changes and humbles us each and every day.” —Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P. H., Surgeon General of the United States “I just want to thank you Dr. Siegel. You’ve played a really important role in helping to educate the American public with really balanced, scientific, factual information and that’s very important.” —Alex Azar, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services “Thank you for all you do. It is such an important role you play in getting the information out and getting it out accurately and motivating both our own professional physicians but the public at large to embrace these important public health measures—particularly vaccination.” —Robert Redfield, M.D., Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Siegel cuts through the hype about the 'deadly' this and the 'lethal' that, and applies reason in seeking the answers." —John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History "Marc Siegel is an articulate voice of reason in a world beset by hype and hysteria. We would be well advised to listen closely to what he has to say." —Jerome Groopman, M.D., staff writer, The New Yorker “You’ve really been the model for health education nationally.” —Martin Adel Makary, M.D, M.P. H., Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine and bestselling author “[Dr. Siegel is] a straight shooter here. You’re not going to mix your words. You’re not going to pull your punches. It is what is it and I think it’s a great form to get the public health messages out.” —Brett Giroir, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health
£20.69
Brandeis University Press Learning on the Left – Political Profiles of
Book SynopsisBrandeis University is the United States’ only Jewish-sponsored nonsectarian university, and while only being established after World War II, it has risen to become one of the most respected universities in the nation. The faculty and alumni of the university have made exceptional contributions to myriad disciplines, but they have played a surprising formidable role in American politics. Stephen J. Whitfield makes the case for the pertinence of Brandeis University in understanding the vicissitudes of American liberalism since the mid-twentieth century. Founded to serve as a refuge for qualified professors and students haunted by academic antisemitism, Brandeis University attracted those who generally envisioned the republic as worthy of betterment. Whether as liberals or as radicals, figures associated with the university typically adopted a critical stance toward American society and sometimes acted upon their reformist or militant beliefs. This volume is not an institutional history, but instead shows how one university, over the course of seven decades, employed and taught remarkable men and women who belong in our accounts of the evolution of American politics, especially on the left. In vivid prose, Whitfield invites readers to appreciate a singular case of the linkage of political influence with the fate of a particular university in modern America.Trade Review"Whitfield’s group portrait of a large number of men and women of the Left who taught and studied at Brandeis from its inception at the end of the 1940s to the present is as attentive to the personalities of his subjects as it is to their ideas. A gifted, prolific, and celebrated scholar of American and American Jewish history, Whitfield earned his PhD at Brandeis, taught there for 44 years.” * The Jewish Review of Books *"This fascinating book of vignettes of figures who have shaped our times will appeal to readers of a certain age — and to their perceptive heirs. A welcome reminder in the age of Trump of the best in America.” * The Jewish Chronicle *“. . . . This book is more than a history of one university and its outsized influence on politics and political theory in America. Learning on the Left is an indispensable political history of the Left and other sectors of American politics—in thought and in deeds—over the past 75 years.” * Studies in Contemporary Jewry *"There is no other book quite like Learning on the Left in the historiography of American higher education. Whitfield . . . . has provided a comprehensive, deeply researched, and readable history of the liberal and radical students and faculty who have had a relationship, albeit oftentimes tenuous, with Brandeis since its founding. The book reflects a lifetime of reading on American culture and politics. Of Whitfield’s nine books, this is undoubtedly his finest as well as his longest, and no one was more suited to have written it." * Society *"The distinguished historian Whitfield . . . . is eminently qualified to write a study of this unique institution and the 'considerable influence' its faculty and students have exercised in American politics." * Society for US Intellectual History *"It is a remarkable story and Whitfield tells it . . . . exceptionally well by linking it to a grander narrative and charting the evolution of postwar American liberalism." * Journal of American Studies *"[A] comprehensive, thoroughly researched and beautifully written volume. Whitfield has written a wonderful book and has a personal connection to the subject of his writing. He came to Brandeis as a graduate student in 1969, began teaching there in 1972 and taught at Brandeis for more than forty years. Whitfield writes with both a deep affection for his subject and yet, at the same time, with remarkable objectivity. He has a special fondness for the students he taught over the years, to whom he dedicates this book. Rich in its insights and analysis, Learning on the Left should be read and enjoyed by anyone interested in the history of Brandeis University or, more generally, of higher education and Jewish liberalism in America." * Modern Judaism *"Whitfield offers intellectual history on the highest level . . . . [He] has offered a fine work, as fascinating as it is first-rate." * The Historian *"Written by one of the nation’s most prolific, influential, and respected historians of postwar America, Learning on the Left capaciously and compellingly explores the role that people associated with Brandeis University played in shaping the nation’s Left in the three decades after the university’s founding in 1948. In the vast literature on the history of American higher education there is, quite simply, nothing like this." -- Daniel Horowitz, author of forthcoming Entertaining Entrepreneurs: Reality TV’s Shark Tank and the American Dream in Uncertain Times“Filled with fascinating stories, this book shows how the faculty and students of Brandeis University influenced and were influenced by liberal and radical politics. Herbert Marcuse, Anita Hill, Irving Howe, Abbie Hoffman, Martin Peretz, Michael Walzer, Pauli Murray and a host of other remarkable individuals flow in and out of Stephen J. Whitfield’s captivating pages. Learning on the Left explains how the official values of a university founded in 1948 to counteract antisemitism proved to be a fertile matrix for courageous truth-telling in countless domains, and a safe haven for political risk-taking.” -- David A. Hollinger, author of Science, Jews, and Secular Culture“From the moment of its founding, Brandeis University and the modern progressive tradition have been intertwined. In this wonderful book, Stephen Whitfield brings alive the students and scholars who helped to define the Left out of their experience at this premier institution of higher education.” -- Julian Zelizer, author of Burning Down the House: Newt Gingrich, the Fall of a Speaker and the Rise of the New Republican Party"Rarely has a book about a college or university been as riveting—or such fun to read. Learning on the Left eschews the typical brick-and-mortar approach to trace the extraordinary impact of Brandeis, not yet a century old, upon the political movements, progressive reforms, and intellectual ferment of what we call 'modern liberalism.' How did Brandeis recruit such remarkable talent to a small, Jewish, nonsectarian institution? And why have so many of its graduates gone on to high-level careers in government, journalism, and academia? No one can better confront these questions than Steve Whitfield—the world-class historian and prize-winning teacher who spent his post-graduate years and professional life on the Brandeis campus. The result is a brilliant, shrewd, sometimes quirky journey into the soul of a very special place." -- David M. Oshinsky, author of Polio: An American Story, winner of Pulitzer Prize for History.Table of Contents1. Introduction2. The Origins3. Early Atmospherics4. Champions of Human Rights5. Two Americanists6. Thinking about Justice7. Foreign-born Radicals8. Two Magazines9. The Sixties10. Champions of Civil Rights11. Racial Grievance: January 196912. Native-born Outlaws13. Spasms of Violence14. Thinking about Capitalism15. The Travail of Reform16. ConclusionAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex
£30.40
Columbia Global Reports Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the
Book Synopsis"An excellent introduction to the essential problem of our republic. With a wake-up call like this one, we still have a chance." —Timothy Snyder, author of On TyrannyGhosting the News tells the most troubling media story of our time: How democracy suffers when local news dies. From 2004 to 2015, 1,800 print newspaper outlets closed in the US. One in five news organizations in Canada has closed since 2008. One in three Brazilians lives in news deserts. The absence of accountability journalism has created an atmosphere in which indicted politicians were elected, school superintendents were mismanaging districts, and police chiefs were getting mysterious payouts. This is not the much-discussed fake-news problem—it's the separate problem of a critical shortage of real news.America's premier media critic, Margaret Sullivan, charts the contours of the damage, and surveys a range of new efforts to keep local news alive—from non-profit digital sites to an effort modeled on the Peace Corps. No nostalgic paean to the roar of rumbling presses, Ghosting the News instead sounds a loud alarm, alerting citizens to a growing crisis in local news that has already done serious damage.Trade ReviewNamed one of 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction in 2020 by The Washington Post Selected as an NPR Best Book of 2020 “An excellent introduction to the essential problem of our republic. With a wake-up call like this one, we still have a chance.” —Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny “Ghosting the News is a brisk and pointed tribute to painstaking, ordinary and valuable work.” —Jennifer Szalai, New York Times “Margaret Sullivan has written one of the most timely books I’ve ever seen, about the biggest threat to democracy that no one is talking about. It’s that rare book about journalism that regular folks need to read.... Short yet vital.” —Will Bunch, The Philadelphia Inquirer “To write a book like Ghosting the News is to take on the challenge of proving a negative—to make a case for the urgency of the known unknown. Sullivan succeeds. Her book is an ink-bound alarm bell. The threat Americans face, she argues, is not just the news that lies. It is also the news that will never exist in the first place.” —Megan Garber, The Atlantic “An important book.... Sullivan is the perfect person to diagnose the problem.” —Sewell Chan, Los Angeles Times “Sullivan aims to amplify the long-running alarm that local news media—entities core to local and national democracy—are in more trouble than ever. The greatest risk, she writes, is that local newspapers especially are on the verge of disappearing forever, which could have severe ramifications during time when fact-based reporting is under siege.” —Fortune“Lays out the state of journalism in America, and the desperate need for its revival.” —Guardian “Insightful, sobering analysis of the modern news landscape.” —Dale Singer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan’s book about what happens to local democracy when local newsrooms shrivel couldn’t be publishing at a better time.” —Dean Miller, Seattle Times “Smart, tight and necessary.... Sullivan’s novella-length book is a siren in the night.” —Rick Holmes, CommonWealth Magazine “A no-nonsense retort to the notion that we live in a time of abundant information." —Kirkus Reviews A timely antidote for those outside the industry looking in.” —Rick Edmonds, Poynter “Quality journalism takes time and investment to produce, and it deserves our time and investment to preserve and appreciate. Our very democracy depends on it.” —Dylan Schleicher, Porchlight Books
£11.39
NewSouth Publishing Choosing the Republic
Book SynopsisIt has been ten years since the 1999 Republican referendum failed. Whilst it was ultimately unsuccessful, it has engaged people in a debate that has spanned decades. Australians seem to want a republic, but there is uncertainty about what kind of republic we want. If we wish to understand the implications and future of republicanism, we need to know more about it. ""Choosing the Republic"" explores how the people in a constitutional monarchy may choose to become a republic, delving into republican philosophy, the history and practicalities of constitutional change, and the politics of popular debate. This is a thoughtful, insightful and practical account of where we've come from and what needs to be done if Australia is to become a republic. Glenn Patmore offers an accessible contribution to the republican debate from a new perspective.
£26.46
Between the Lines Languages of the Unheard
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Douglas & McIntyre Shopping for Votes How Politicians Choose Us and
Book Synopsis
£21.21
Fernwood Publishing Co Ltd Rethinking the Politics of Labour in Canada
Book SynopsisIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to re-establish the labour movement's political capacity to exert collective power in ways that foster greater opportunity and equality for working-class people has taken on a greater sense of urgency. Understanding the strategic political possibilities and challenges facing the Canadian labour movement at this important moment in history is the central concern of this second edition of Rethinking the Politics of Labour in Canada.With new and revised essays by established and emerging scholars from a wide range of disciplines, this edited collection assesses the past, present and uncertain future of Canadian labour politics in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bringing together the traditional electoral-based aspects of labour politics with analyses of newer and rediscovered forms of working-class organization and social movement-influenced strategies, which have become increasingly important in the Canadian labour movement, this book seeks to take stock of these new forms of labour politics, understand their emergence and assess their potential impact on the future of labour in Canada.
£18.90
Fernwood Publishing Co Ltd Spin Doctors: How Media and Politicians
Book SynopsisAs Canada was in the grips of the worst pandemic in a century, Canadian media struggled to tell the story. Newsrooms, already run on threadbare budgets, struggled to make broader connections that could allow their audience to better understand what was really happening, and why. Politicians and public health officials were mostly given the benefit of the doubt that what they said was true and that they acted in good faith.This book documents each month of the first year of the pandemic and examines the issues that emerged, from racialized workers to residential care to policing. It demonstrates how politicians and uncritical media shaped the popular understanding of these issues and helped to justify the maintenance of a status quo that created the worst ravages of the crisis. Spin Doctors argues alternative ways in which Canadians should understand the big themes of the crisis and create the necessary knowledge to demand large-scale change.
£21.15
Wits University Press Labour Beyond Cosatu: Mapping the rupture in
Book SynopsisLabour Beyond Cosatu is the fifth publication in the Taking Democracy Seriously project which started in 1994 and comprises of surveys of the opinions, attitudes and lifestyles of members of trade unions affiliated to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu). This survey was conducted shortly before the elections in 2014, in a context in which government economic policy had not fundamentally shifted to the left and the massacre of 34 mineworkers at Marikana by the South African Police Service had fundamentally shaken the labour landscape, with mineworkers not only striking against their employers, but also their union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Cosatu leaders had started to openly criticise levels of corruption in the State, while a ‘tectonic shift’ took place when the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) was expelled from Cosatu at the end of 2014.In its analysis of the survey, Labour Beyond Cosatu shows that Cosatu, fragmented and weakened through fi ssures in its alliance with the African National Congress, is no longer the only dominant force infl uencing South Africa’s labour landscape. Contributors also examine aspects such as changing patterns of class; workers’ incomes and their lifestyles; workers’ relationship to civil society movements and service delivery protests; and the politics of male power and privilege in trade unions.The trenchant analysis in Labour Beyond Cosatu exhibits fiercely independent and critically engaged labour scholarship, in the face of shifting alliances currently shaping the contestation between authoritarianism and democracy.Trade ReviewLabour Beyond Cosatu goes well beyond the previous volumes of the Taking Democracy Seriously project in some of its sorties, and is not shy of pulling its punches in what is now a highly charged environment. Deeply sympathetic to the project of organised labour yet highly critical of its present trajectory, this collection deserves to attract wide attention internationally as well as domestically."" — Roger Southall, Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg""South Africa’s working class movement is still powerful, but pressurised and polarised due to major shifts in its structure, base and forms of struggle. This timely, rigorously researched collection draws attention to key developments within Cosatu and beyond ... Highly recommended."" — Lucien van der Walt, Professor of Sociology, Rhodes University, South AfricaTable of Contents Preface Andries Bezuidenhout and Malehoko Tshoaedi Chapter 1 Democracy and the rupture in South Africa’s labour landscape Andries Bezuidenhout and Malehoko Tshoaedi Chapter 2 Research in a highly charged environment: Taking Democracy Seriously, 2014 Ntsehiseng Nthejane, Sandla Nomvete, Boitumelo Malope and Bianca Tame Chapter 3 The social character of labour politics Ari Sitas Chapter 4 Is Cosatu still a working-class movement? Andries Bezuidenhout, Christine Bischoff and Ntsehiseng Nthejane Chapter 5 Labour aristocracy or marginal labour elite? Cosatu members’ income, other sources of livelihood and household support Christine Bischoff and Bianca Tame Chapter 6 The politics of alliance and the 2014 elections Janet Cherry, Nkosinathi Jikeka and Tumi Malope Chapter 7 Cosatu, service delivery, civil society and the politics of community Janet Cherry Chapter 8 The politics of male power and privilege in trade unions: Understanding sexual harassment in Cosatu Malehoko Tshoaedi Chapter 9 Internal democracy in Cosatu: Achievements and challenges Johann Maree Chapter 10 Public sector unions in Cosatu Christine Bischoff and Johann Maree Chapter 11 Are Cosatu’s public sector unions too powerful? Johann Maree and Christine Bischoff Chapter 12 Labour beyond Cosatu, other federations and independent unions Andries Bezuidenhout
£24.30
Emerald Publishing Limited Transformational Government Through EGov
Book SynopsisThe progression of information and communication technology (ICT) eGovernment systems has substantial implications for the future of government as we know it. eGov presents major challenges and advantages for policy makers as fundamentally different nations are adopting ICT in public administration reforms in order to capitalize on the benefits of transformational government or electronic government technology. This book investigates the modern political, technological, economic, social, and cultural issues of transformational government. It discusses in detail how interaction through advancing technology such as e-participation, mobile government, social media, web 2.0, and cloud computing has been successfully incorporated into eGov practice. International in scope this book gives practical examples and case studies of eGov implementation in countries across the globe and is the essential reference text for this important topic.
£118.74
Oneworld Publications British Politics: A Beginner's Guide
Book SynopsisNo one saw it coming. No pundit, no pollster and no political leader predicted David Cameron’s Conservative Party would win a majority of seats in Parliament and his three main opponents would resign as party leaders. The consequences of the coalition also became clear as the Liberal Democrats fell dramatically from grace, and lost their spot as Britain’s third party. And despite Scotland voting ‘NO’ to independence in 2014, the election result also threatens the Union, with the Scottish National Party winning all but three of the country’s seats. In this timely edition, Richard S. Grayson analyses Britain’s changing political landscape, and explores the role of the media, the European Union and the UK’s ‘special relationship’ with the US. Thorough and incisive, British Politics: A Beginner’s Guide is the perfect introduction to the structure, parties and personalities of British Government today.Trade Review‘Fresh and accessible. Grayson manages to convey with clarity some of the vital issues and writes with one eye on the current mood of cynicism about politics and politicians. An excellent starting-point.’ * Professor Michael Kenny – Director of the Mile End Institute, Queen Mary University of London *‘Combines personal insights with historical and academic context to map out why we should all care about British politics.’ * Mark Bennister – Teaching Fellow in British Politics, University College London *‘A highly readable and informative introduction to British politics since 1945.’ * James Panton – former Lecturer in Politics, St John’s College, University of Oxford *
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Albania: Portrait of a Country in Transition
Book SynopsisCatapulted from totalitarianism to free market capitalism in 1991, Albania emerged from half a century of isolation to find itself an anomaly in Europe: a third world country economically, but first world in terms of education, literature and the arts. How has Albania transformed since then? Clarissa de Waal here explains Albania's 'transition' from Communism via the experiences of a diverse range of families, highland villagers, urban elite and shanty dwellers - whose lives she has followed since 1992. De Waal shows that whilst the archaic world of customary law continues to pervade highland life, and squatters on state farmland live under constant threat of eviction, members of the ex-communist elite in Tirana embrace rentier capitalism. Albania, it seems, is a country wracked by contradictions. With unparalleled insights into the region, this book is a unique history told from the perspective of the participants. It will inform and engage all those interested in Albania and south-east Europe, and prove essential reading for students and specialists.Trade Review"Clarissa de Waal's brilliant study of the first dozen years of post-Communist Albania, published in 2003, showed an unrivalled grasp of both life at the grass roots and the 'agitated stagnancy' of the country as a whole. This updated volume, which brings the story up to 2012, underlines Dr de Waal's remarkable foresight a decade ago and provides a lucid analysis of the forces making for the 'perpetuation of stagnancy." Christopher Andrew, Emeritus Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, University of Cambridge, UKTable of ContentsMaps List of illustrations Acknowledgements Foreword to the revised edition Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. First Impressions: Dropull Chapter 3. Tirana, 1992 Chapter 4. Looking for a fieldwork base Chapter 5. Mirdita and its history Chapter 6. The Kanun in the 1990s Chapter 7. Family life and poverty in Fan Chapter 8. Orosh Chapter 9. The bajraktar and the heroine of the people Chapter 10. Developments Chapter 11. Life and work in Bulshar Chapter 12. Rrëshen Economic survival & religion Chapter 13. Rrëshen Life & death & the breakdown of law & order Chapter 14. Descent to the plain Chapter 15. New conclusion 2010 Appendices 1. Sketches from a twelve year old’s notebook 2. Extended quotations from the Kanun of Lek Dukagjin Bibliography Index
£23.74
Benediction Classics The Art of War
£8.00
Benediction Classics The Art of War
£14.76
Benediction Classics The Prince
£9.93
Modern Humanities Research Association Portuguese Studies 29: 2 2013
Book Synopsis
£28.93
Berghahn Books Visions of the End of the Cold War in Europe,
Book Synopsis Exploring the visions of the end of the Cold War that have been put forth since its inception until its actual ending, this volume brings to the fore the reflections, programmes, and strategies that were intended to call into question the bipolar system and replace it with alternative approaches or concepts. These visions were associated not only with prominent individuals, organized groups and civil societies, but were also connected to specific historical processes or events. They ranged from actual, thoroughly conceived programmes, to more blurred, utopian aspirations — or simply the belief that the Cold War had already, in effect, come to an end. Such visions reveal much about the contexts in which they were developed and shed light on crucial moments and phases of the Cold War.Trade Review “[This] superb collection…[is] a unique and valuable contribution to the voluminous literature on the Cold War… Essential.” · Choice “This is an excellent collection of twenty-one essays divided into seven sections on perceptions of how the Cold War would end in Europe. Though the essays were presented at a conference previously held at the Sorbonne, the superb editing and organization make this compendium far more than a collection of proceedings… a welcome addition to the literature on the Cold War. Its content speaks for itself. Students and scholars alike should find it useful, and it should be mandatory reading in courses dealing with the Cold War.” · The European Legacy “ [This volume] is a fascinating book which crosses the boundaries of diplomatic and intellectual history in provocative and thoughtful ways...The individual chapters are all exemplary studies in the history of ideas and the book is a thoroughly enjoyable, eye-opening read..." · Contemporary European History “This edited collection does an excellent job of overcoming [an] historiographical lacuna. What is initially striking is just how comprehensive ...[and] just how pioneering and impressive a collection this is…[marked] by the masterly scholarship, outstanding multi-archival research and accessible chapters that serve to make up this edited book [that] deserves to sit on the bookshelves of academics and students alike” · European History Quarterly “These essays give some interesting insight into the minds of their subjects but more importantly achieve the book’s objective of understanding more of the essence of the Cold War and its driving forces… Unlike many such volumes, this book is not merely a collection of different ideas held together loosely by a theme, but a carefully selected group of arguments structured using a combined chronological and thematic approach.” · European Review of History—Revue européenne d’histoire “This collection succeeds in adding a new aspect to the numerous analyses of the end of the Cold War…This excellent volume brings together, for the first time, a rich and multi-layered panorama of ideas of an alternative world order.” · H-Net “The book’s value lies in its multinational and archive-based perspective on individuals and groups who offered ideas on how to end the Cold War. Readers thus receive a panoramic view of the conflict. The book also points the way for future research on the “visions” of other countries, individuals, and institutions not covered here.” · H-France “As this pioneering [volume] clearly and convincingly highlights, perceptions were important, as they influenced foreign policy objectives, international relations and personal chemistry between leaders, strategies for anti-Communist movements and civil society as well as the memory of the Cold War and historical assessments of its leading figures. That the work is able to achieve this through a daunting format that balances 21 separate entries by distinguished scholars in the fields of history, political science and international relations is itself remarkable. The editors must be applauded for organizing the contributions…into a cohesive, chronologically structured work that traces visions of the Cold War from “George Kennan’s Course” to President Ronald Reagan’s American exceptionalism in succinct chapters.” · Reviews & Critical Commentary (Council for European Studies) “This is an excellent collection of articles on an extremely interesting subject. The multinational and multi-archival nature of the selections is very impressive, and it attests to the health and vitality of international relations research in today’s academy. This is the type of book that should be examined by both policymakers and scholars, since it raises so many good and provocative questions about one of the most important events of our time, namely the end of the Cold War.” · Thomas A. Schwartz, Vanderbilt University “This is an outstanding, well integrated volume that is not only excellent as a history of the Cold War, but focuses on an issue hitherto unexplored in the discussions on the Cold War. [It] is a very good read by some outstanding scholars." · Michael Cox, London School of Economics "The editors have brought together an intriguing collection of essays. They explore visions of how the Cold War would end; the twist is that all of these visions were articulated before the actual end. The resulting essays shed light not only on the hopes and nightmares of participants, but also on the nature of the Cold War itself." · Mary Elise Sarotte, University of Southern CaliforniaTable of Contents PART I: CRYSTALLIZING THE COLD WAR Chapter 1. George Kennan's Course, 1947-49: A Gaullist before de Gaulle John L. Harper Chapter 2. The Bilderberg Group and the end of the Cold War: The Disengagement Debates of the 1950s Thomas W. Gijswijt PART II: STALIN'S DEATH AND AFTER: A MISSED OPPORTUNITY? Chapter 3. Moscow's Campaign Against the Cold War, 1945-1955 Geoffrey Roberts Chapter 4. Stalin's Death and Anglo-American Visions of Ending the Cold War, 1953 Jaclyn Stanke Chapter 5. Soviet Intellectuals after Stalin's Death and Their Visions of the Cold War's End Vladislav Zubok PART III: ALTERNATIVE VISIONS OF THE 1960S Chapter 6. Towards a New Concert of Europe: De Gaulle's Vision of a Post-Cold War Europe Garret Martin Chapter 7. Franz Josef Stauß and the End of the Cold War Ronald J. Granieri PART IV: A HELSINKI VISION? Chapter 8. A Very British Vision of Détente: The United Kingdom's Foreign Policy During the Helsinki Process, 1969-1975 Martin D. Brown Chapter 9. The EC Nine's Vision and Attempts At Ending the Cold War Angela Romano PART V: VISIONS AND DISSENT IN THE 1970S Chapter 10. 'The Transformation of the Other Side': Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik and the Liberal Peace Concept Gottfried Niedhart Chapter 11. Neither in One Bloc, Nor in the Other: Berlinguer's Vision of the End of the Cold War Laura Fasanaro Chapter 12. Overcoming Bloc Division from Below: Jiří Hájek and the CSCE Appeal of Charter 77 Christian Domnitz PART VI: VISION OR STATUS QUO IN THE 1970S Chapter 13. Henry Kissinger: Vision or Status Quo? Jussi Hanhimäki Chapter 14. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and his Vision of the End of the Cold War Georges-Henri Soutou PART VII: EVOLUTIONARY VISIONS AND UNEXPECTED RESULTS IN THE 1980S Chapter 15. Ending the Cold War, Unintentionally Gregory F. Domber Chapter 16. Common Security as a Way to Overcome the (Second) Cold War? Willy Brandt's Strategy for Peace in the 1980s Bernd Rother Chapter 17. Which Socialism after the Cold War? Gorbachev's Vision and its Impact on the French Left Marie-Pierre Rey Chapter 18. Thatcher's Double Track Road to the End of the Cold War: The Irreconcilability of Liberalisation and Preservation Ilaria Poggiolini Chapter 19. Mitterand's Vision and the End of the Cold War Fréderic Bozo Chapter 20. Visions of Ending the Cold War: Triumphalism and US Soviet Policy in the 1980s Beth A. Fischer Chapter 21. The Power of Imagination: How Reagan's SDI Inadvertently Contributed to the End of the Cold War Marilena Gala Bibliography
£26.55
Berghahn Books Technocrats in Office
Book Synopsis In 2012, the spotlight was on Prime Minister Monti and his government of non-elected ministers. Early in the year, the new government’s economic policy was effective in stopping the international downgrading of the country’s credit rating. However, in terms of the entire year, the success of the Monti government appears less definitive. There were no clear achievements in terms of growth, and the structural features of the economy remained weak. Monti successfully initiated some reforms and policy changes, but there were failures as well. Furthermore, the “odd majority” (made up of the PdL, PD, and UdC) that supported Monti in Parliament performed more weakly than the government. The parties were to change the electoral law, reform the parliamentary institutions, cut costs, and reduce the privileges of the political class, but failed. Their inaction was accompanied by a series of scandals and crimes, all of which facilitated the emergence of new political forces, such as the Five Star Movement. When Monti eventually resigned in December 2012, President Napolitano called for new elections, and the parties redefined their proposals and lists. At the end of the year, the political and economic conditions of the country remained fragile.Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Chronology of Italian Political Events, 2012 Edited by Rinaldo Vignati Introduction: The Year of the External Podestà Aldo Di Virgilio and Claudio M. Radaelli chapter 1. The Costs of Politics and Reform: The Year of “Little Trims” Sergio Rizzo and Gian Antonio Stella Chapter 2. The Challenge of the Five Star Movement Rinaldo Vignati Chapter 3. When the Magic Wears Off: Bossi Loses His Grip and the League Its Appeal Anna Cento Bull Chapter 4. Prime Minister Primaries: Candidate Selection between Innovation and Manipulation Gianfranco Pasquino and Marco Valbruzzi Chapter 5. Mario Monti’s Technocratic Government Daniela Giannetti Chapter 6. The Work of Parliament in the Year of the Technocratic Government Andrea Pedrazzani and Luca Pinto Chapter 7. Back in Europe? Italy, the Troika, and the Chancelleries Francesco Stolfi Chapter 8. The Spending Review: Use and Abuse of a Term Chiara Goretti and Luca Rizzuto Chapter 9. Social Policy Reform in the Italian Debt Crisis: Pensions, Labor, Unemployment Benefits Stefano Sacchi Chapter 10. Interest Groups and the “Amended” Liberalizations of the Monti Government Liborio Mattina Chapter 11. Between Retaliatory Punishment and Reform: Some Thoughts on Vatileaks and Italian Politics Alberto Melloni Chapter 12. A Year of Social Movements in Italy: From the “No TAVs” to the Five Star Movement Lorenzo Mosc Documentary Appendix Compiled by Valentina Sartori Abstracts
£50.36
Berghahn Books France After 2012
Book Synopsis In May 2012, French voters rejected the liberalizing policies of Nicolas Sarkozy and elected his opponent, the Socialist François Hollande, president. In June 2012, the incumbent president’s center-right UMP party was swept out of government in the ensuing parliamentary elections, giving way to a new center-left majority in the National Assembly. This book analyzes the contexts and results of the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections in France. It assesses the legacies of the Sarkozy presidency that informed the 2012 electoral campaigns, scrutinizing his domestic social and economic policies on the one hand and European and foreign policies on the other. In turn, the elections’ outcomes are also analyzed from the standpoint of various political parties and other institutional interests in France, and the results are situated within the broader run of French political history. Finally, the book examines the principal challenges facing the Hollande administration and new government of Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, and assesses how effectively these have been met during their first year in office.Trade Review “[this] collection provides insightful analysis into the specifics of France’s 2012 elections and recent developments in the politics of the Fifth Republic.” · Choice “…a work of seminal scholarship and very highly recommended for academic library International Studies collections in general, and 21st Century French Political History supplemental reading lists in particular.” · MBR BookwatchTable of Contents List of Illustrations Notes on Contributors Introduction Gabriel Goodliffe PART I: THE PRESIDENCY Chapter 1. The Fifth Republic and its Presidents Jean-François Sirinelli Chapter 2. Socialists in the Elysée Palace: from Mitterrand to Hollande Marco Gervasoni Chapter 3. The TV-Presidency: From de Gaulle’s ‘Télécratie’ to Hollande’s ‘Normal Presidency’ Riccardo Brizzi PART II: THE POLITICAL PARTIES Chapter 4. The UMP after Sarkozy Florence Haegel Chapter 5. The Year of the Rose: The Socialist Victory of 2012 Gérard Grunberg Chapter 6. The Pyrrhic Victory of the Radical Left Philippe Buton Chapter 7. In Search of the Center Gilles Le Béguec Chapter 8. The Resurgence of the Front National Gabriel Goodliffe PART III: THE ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN AND HOLLANDE'S CHALLENGES Chapter 9. Hollande’s Economic Agenda Jacques Fayette Chapter 10. Europe in the 2012 French Presidential Election Renaud Dehousse and Angela Tacea Chapter 11. Hollande and Sarkozy’s Foreign Policy Legacy Frédéric Charillon Chapter 12. Immigration and the 2012 Elections in France Ariane Chebel d’Apollonia Conclusion: Assessing the Hollande Presidency One Year into Office Riccardo Brizzi Bibliography Index
£89.10
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd The Politics of Persuasion: Should Lobbying be
Book SynopsisThe EU is at a crossroads. Should it choose the path towards protectionism or the path towards free trade? This book convincingly argues that lobbying regulation will be a decisive first step towards fulfilling the European dream of free trade, in accordance with the original purpose of the Treaty of Rome. Without the regulation of lobbyists to try and prevent undue political persuasion, there is a greater risk of abuse in the form of corruption, subsidies and trade barriers, which will come at the expense of consumers, tax payers and competitiveness.This interdisciplinary approach - both theoretical and methodological - offers a wealth of knowledge concerning the effect of lobbying on political decision-making and will appeal to academics across the social sciences, practitioners and policy-makers.Trade Review'Brandt's and Svendsen's study of EU lobbying activity is just that and more. The book focuses tightly on the EU Commission, where lobbying is not regulated in any way. In doing so, the two authors provide a thorough and convincing theory-based analysis of special interest demand for political favors. The book is a must-read for academics, policy makers, politicians, and yes, even for lobbyists who want to know more about how the EU's Commission operates and how special interest demand has led to potentially troublesome policy outcomes. The book will be especially appreciated by academics and policy analysts who prize creative use of price theory. In presenting their well-honed arguments, Brandt and Svendsen also provide strong analysis of the EU carbon permit trading and fisheries policy. They conclude with eight recommendations for making EU lobbying activity transparent and accountable.' --Bruce Yandle, Clemson University and George Mason University, USTable of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction 2. Power Centralization 3. Bureaucracy 4. The EU Emission Trading System (ETS) 5. Green Industries, Switch Point and First-movers 6. Countervailing Lobbying 7. Alignment of Incentives 8 Should Lobbying be Regulated in the EU? Index
£81.70
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd Economic Crises and Policy Regimes: The Dynamics
Book SynopsisIn this innovative book, Hideko Magara brings together an expert team to explore both the possibilities and difficulties of transitioning from a neoliberal policy regime to an alternative regime through drastic policy innovations. The authors argue that, for more than two decades, citizens in developed countries have witnessed massive job losses, lowered wages, slow economic growth and widening inequality under a neoliberal policy regime that has placed heavy constraints on policy choices.The book explores, both theoretically and empirically, the possibility of transition to a new political economic paradigm by seeking feasible answers to questions such as: why has such a regime persisted for a long period of time despite its poor policy performance?; is it possible for democracy to overcome economic crisis through its electoral mechanisms?; and, under what conditions can each government convert crisis of its economy into growth? The book concludes that under different policy regimes, whether Keynesian or neoliberal, there are a variety of growth regimes, and economic performances will consequently vary considerably. The authors ultimately argue that policy innovations need not only political leadership but also the very creation of a new economic theory in order to break a critical juncture of economic stalemates.Economic Crises and Policy Regimes will appeal to policy makers and practitioners internationally and is an important resource for political scientists, economists and sociologists. Advanced students of comparative politics, comparative political economy and institutional economics will also find much to benefit them in this book.Contributors include: B. Amable, R. Boyer, L.C. Bresser-Pereira, N. Fujita, K. Fukuda, M. Ido, H.B. Im, H. Magara, A. Martinelli, H. Nishi, S. Palombarini, A. Przeworski, S. Sacchi, H. Shiratori, T. Yamada, Y. YanaiTable of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction: Growth, Crisis, and Regime Change Hideko Magara PART I: THEORETICAL EXPLORATIONS 2. Choices and Echoes: Stability and Change of Policy Regimes Adam Przeworski 3. The Hegemony Constraints in the Neoliberal Years of Capitalism Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira 4. Economic Crises and Growth Regimes Toshio Yamada 5. Varieties of Economic Growth Regimes, Types of Macroeconomic Policies and Policy Regimes: A Post-Keynesian Analysis Hiroshi Nishi 6. How do Polity and Economy Interact Within Régulation Theory? Consequences for Policy Regimes and Reform Strategies Robert Boyer PART II: SOCIAL COALITIONS AND ELECTIONS 7. The Bloc Bourgeois in France and Italy Bruno Amable and Stefano Palombarini 8. Political Response to Economic Crisis in 1997 and 2008 South Korea Hyug Baeg Im 9. In Search of a New Policy Regime: The Record of Democratic Party of Japan-led Governments Masanobu Ido 10. How do Economic Crises Affect Electoral Choices? Analyzing Voting Behavior in the British General Election of 2010 Yuki Yanai PART III: GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND POLICY AREAS 11. A Political Analysis of the Global Financial Crisis: Implications for Crisis Governance Alberto Martinelli 12. The Global Economic Crisis and the Future of Labor Market Policy Regimes: Implications for Economic Governance in the European Union and Japan Koji Fukuda 13. Historical Evolution of Welfare Policy Ideas: The Scandinavian Perspective Nanako Fujita 14. Policy Choices and Socioeconomic Divides: Long-term Changes in Italy’s Democratic Quality Stefano Sacchi 15. Multilevel Policy Regimes, Political Cleavages and Party Systems: Horizontal and Vertical Transfer of Policies and its Effects Hiroshi Shiratori
£134.00
Collective Ink Why Young People Don′t Vote
Book SynopsisWhy don't young people vote? It's a question that has been asked by pollsters for years. The 18- to 24-year-old demographic records the lowest voter turnout at elections and it doesn't look to be showing signs of stopping. Being one of this demographic, Mitchell Agg looks into this question and tries to shed light on why his peers don't enter polling stations on election day. Through four main reasons, Mitchell helps us answer this question as well as giving some solutions.
£9.99
Anthem Press The New Power Elite: Inequality, Politics and
Book SynopsisElites have always ruled – wielding inordinate power and wealth, taking decisions that shape life for the rest. In good times the ‘1%’ can hide their privilege, or use growing social mobility and economic prosperity as a justification. When times get tougher there’s a backlash. So the first years of the twenty-first century – a time of financial crashes, oligarchy and corruption in the West; persistent poverty in the south; and rising inequality everywhere – have brought elites and ‘establishments’ under unprecedented fire. Yet those swept to power by this discontent are themselves a part of the elite, attacking from within and extending rather than ending its agenda. The New Power Elite shows how major political and social change is typically driven by renegade elite fractions, who co-opt or sideline elites’ traditional enemies. It is the first book to combine the politics, economics, sociology and history of elite rule to present a compact, comprehensive account of who’s at the top, and why we let them get there.Trade ReviewJournal of Classical SociologyTable of ContentsList of Illustrations; Preface; 1. Elites under Siege; 2. Power, Networks and Higher Circles; 3. Sources of Stability: Elite Circulations and Class Coalitions; 4. Rousing Rebellion: Elite Fractions and Class Divisions; 5. Politics and Money; 6. Inequality: Causes and Consequences; 7. Elites and Democracy; 8. Giveaways and Greed; Afterword: The Best and the Rest; References; Index.
£63.00
University of Wales Press Revolution to Devolution: Reflections on Welsh
Book SynopsisThis is an integrated range of studies, focussing on Wales, by a long-established, internationally-recognised academic authority and member of the House of Lords, on the advance of democracy and the evolving idea of national identity in modern Britain. Looking back to the impact of change in Europe and the wider world from the 1789 revolution in France onwards, this book covers key personalities such as Lloyd George, the impact of the First World War in Wales, and relates to contemporary debates on Scottish independence and the connections with Europe. It opens up wider issues of open government, foreign policy, the rule of law and and cultural diversity.Table of ContentsForeword 1. Consensus and Conflict in Modern Welsh History 2. Democracy in Wales, Chartism to Devolution 3. Kentucky’s ‘Cottage-bred Man’: Abraham Lincoln and Welsh Democracy 4. The Relevance of Henry Richard 5. Lloyd George as a Parliamentarian 6. Flintshire’s Liberal Loyalist: the Political Achievement of Sir Herbert Lewis 7. Wales and the First World War 8. Alfred Zimmern’s Brave New World: Liberalism and the League in 1919 and After 9. England, Wales, Britain and the Audit of War 10. Power and Glory: Labour in War and Reconstruction 1939 – 1951 11. Welsh Devolution: the past and the future 12. Wales and Europe: From Revolutionary Convention to Welsh Assembly, 1789 - 2014 Postscript: A Tale of Two Unions
£12.34
University of Wales Press Revolution to Devolution: Reflections on Welsh
Book SynopsisThis is an integrated range of studies, focussing on Wales, by a long-established, internationally-recognised academic authority and member of the House of Lords, on the advance of democracy and the evolving idea of national identity in modern Britain. Looking back to the impact of change in Europe and the wider world from the 1789 revolution in France onwards, this book covers key personalities such as Lloyd George, the impact of the First World War in Wales, and relates to contemporary debates on Scottish independence and the connections with Europe. It opens up wider issues of open government, foreign policy, the rule of law and and cultural diversity.Table of ContentsForeword 1. Consensus and Conflict in Modern Welsh History 2. Democracy in Wales, Chartism to Devolution 3. Kentucky’s ‘Cottage-bred Man’: Abraham Lincoln and Welsh Democracy 4. The Relevance of Henry Richard 5. Lloyd George as a Parliamentarian 6. Flintshire’s Liberal Loyalist: the Political Achievement of Sir Herbert Lewis 7. Wales and the First World War 8. Alfred Zimmern’s Brave New World: Liberalism and the League in 1919 and After 9. England, Wales, Britain and the Audit of War 10. Power and Glory: Labour in War and Reconstruction 1939 – 1951 11. Welsh Devolution: the past and the future 12. Wales and Europe: From Revolutionary Convention to Welsh Assembly, 1789 - 2014 Postscript: A Tale of Two Unions
£40.50
Imperial College Press Carnival China: China In The Era Of Hu Jintao And
Book SynopsisWith Foreword by John KeaneThe era of the Chinese leaders Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao was one in which China became richer, more powerful, more prominent and more vexed. This series of essays, originally published on the Open Democracy website between 2006 and 2013, attempts to make sense of the cultural, political and economic dynamics within which China operates. They deal with internal and external matters, and cover a range of topics, from the fall out over the award of the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo to the build-up in 2008 to the Beijing Olympics. Furnished with a comprehensive introduction which sets out an assessment of where China was heading in the first and second decades of the 21st century, the essays encompass voices from the political elite, the migrant labourers and the complex patchwork of groups, people and interests that constitute a rising China whose influence is now felt across the world. Carnival China is a celebration of the confusion, dynamism and colour of China, presented through short essays which were written at the time key events happened and which capture and analyse the country's contradictions and complexities.Table of ContentsIntroduction; The Context: Governing China; Society in Carnival China: The Beautiful, the Damned and the Olympics; China and the Outside World; The Road to 2012: The Leadership Transition; The Enemies Within: Separatists, Dissidents, and the Protestors; Following the Money: The Chinese Economy; After Hu Jintao.
£38.00
Gibson Square Books Ltd Time to Emigrate?: Pre- and Post-Brexit Britain
A gripping analysis of pre- and post-Brexit Britain
£7.49
Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd Shaping EU Policy from Below: EU Democracy and
Book SynopsisThis is the first in-depth study of the Committee of the Regions and its role in the European policy process. It is rooted in the theory of European integration, including the 'normative turn', and will be essential reading for students of multilevel European politics.'- Michael Keating, University of Aberdeen, UK'Piattoni and Schonlau s innovative, careful, and multi-disciplinary analysis of the CoR helps us reconsider not only that institution but also EU democracy and governance. It deserves to be widely read by all who seek ways to improve EU governance or to understand the role of sub-state actors in EU politics.'- Alex Warleigh-Lack, Visiting Fellow, UNU-CRIS'Piattoni and Schonlau's work is that rare combination of careful analysis and passionate argument. As the former, it is easily the most thorough and sophisticated study of how the Committee of Regions fits in the EU's institutional structure and the role it plays in its policy making process. As the latter, it is a theoretically astute, and normatively inspired defence of the way in which the CoR contributes to the articulation of democratic voice within the EU's multilevel structure of governance. As such, it is a reflection on how democratic representation works in complex societies, and it should be read by those interested in the legitimacy of the European Union and the question of democratic legitimacy at large.'- Dario Castiglione, University of Exeter, UKThis ground breaking book looks at the way in which the Committee of Regions (CoR) can influence EU policy making from below, despite its relatively weak position in the decision-making process. In essence, the authors argue that the CoR plays a significant role in the EU's political process, going well beyond its formally limited advisory function.By applying theoretical considerations about the expression of judgment and the formation of will in democratic systems, the authors develop a normative argument about why it is opportune that local and regional concerns be involved in shaping European Union decisions. Moreover, by looking at the institutional development of the Committee, and by analyzing its contribution in key policy areas, the book shows why the CoR is already a very important element of the multi-level democratic system of the European Union.Academics, researchers and students will benefit from the up-to-date analysis of the CoR. Functionaries in the EU institutions, European regions and localities, state bureaucracies and political party members will find the new insights provided in this book to be of interest.Trade Review‘This is the first in-depth study of the Committee of the Regions and its role in the European policy process. It is rooted in the theory of European integration, including the “normative turn”, and will be essential reading for students of multilevel European politics.’ -- Michael Keating, University of Aberdeen, UK‘Piattoni and Schönlau’s innovative, careful, and multi-disciplinary analysis of the CoR helps us reconsider not only that institution but also EU democracy and governance. It deserves to be widely read by all who seek ways to improve EU governance or to understand the role of sub-state actors in EU politics.’ -- Alex Warleigh-Lack, Visiting Fellow, UNU-CRIS‘Piattoni and Schönlau’s work is that rare combination of careful analysis and passionate argument. As the former, it is easily the most thorough and sophisticated study of how the Committee of Regions fits in the EU’s institutional structure and the role it plays in its policy making process. As the latter, it is a theoretically astute, and normatively inspired defence of the way in which the CoR contributes to the articulation of democratic voice within the EU’s multilevel structure of governance. As such, it is a reflection on how democratic representation works in complex societies, and it should be read by those interested in the legitimacy of the European Union and the question of democratic legitimacy at large.’ -- Dario Castiglione, University of Exeter, UKTable of ContentsContents: Introduction: EU Democracy and the Committee of the Regions 1. Towards a Multilevel European Democracy 2. The Committee of the Regions: Competing Interpretations 3. Exercising Voice: Inter-institutional Cooperation and Internal Organization 4. Exerting Control: Impact Assessment and Subsidiarity Monitoring 5. The Committee of the Regions and the Debate on EU Cohesion Policy (2014-2020): Exercising Voice to Promote Territorial Cohesion 6. The Committee of the Regions and the Euro Crisis : Exerting Control on Behalf of Substate Interests Conclusion: Shaping Policy from Below and the Future of the Committee of the Regions Index
£87.40
Rowman & Littlefield International Participatory Democracy in Southern Europe:
Book SynopsisCitizen participation is a central component of democratic governance. As participatory schemes have grown in number and gained in social legitimacy over recent years, the research community has analyzed the virtues of participatory policies from several points of view, but usually giving focus to the most successful and well-known grass-roots cases. This book examines a wider range of participatory interventions that have been created or legitimized by central governments, providing original exploration of institutional democratic participatory mechanisms. Looking at a huge variety of subnational examples across Italy, Spain and France, the book interrogates the rich findings of a substantial research project. The authors use quantitative and qualitative methods to compare why these cases of participatory mechanisms have emerged, how they function, and what cultural impact they’ve achieved. This allows highly original insights into why participatory mechanisms work in some places, but not others, and the sorts of choices that organizers of participatory processes have to consider when creating such policies.Trade ReviewThis book will satisfy quantitative and qualitative researchers alike, and will serve as an exemplar on how to conduct effective and systematic comparative research. It will act as a blueprint for comparative research in other universes of analysis, and finally, I congratulate all editors in producing such a remarkable, scholarly and well-researched tome as a first-rate addition to the field of policy studies. * Local Government Studies *'Deploying a sophisticated multi-method approach, Font, della Porta, Sintomer and their colleagues take the study of participatory possibilities to a new level. A masterful guide to the emerging world of participatory innovation in Southern Europe.' -- John S. Dryzek, Australian National University, Distinguished Professor of Political ScienceThis wonderful book makes welcome and significant contributions to the literature on participatory democracy. The authors offer thoughtful analysis of comparative data on attempts to institutionalize participatory initiatives. But just as significantly, the focus is on Southern Europe: an arena of participatory activity that has been overlooked in the literature for too long. -- Graham Smith, University of Westminster, Professor of PoliticsThis remarkable book represents the best new trends in the studies of politics today: it is empirically very rich without being empiricist; it is theoretically sophisticated; it draws on the logics of both the case study and of the comparison; and it is attentive to culture and context without being reductive. Its authors are each individually important in the landscape of political science, but the book is actually greater than the sum of its parts. I expect it will set the next generation of research agendas. -- Gianpaolo Baiocchi, New York UniversityThis book represents an indispensable reference for researchers addressing participatory democracy and democratic innovations because it is the first systematic comparative research that analyses top-down participatory experiences in Southern Europe, an area which has always been considered a laboratory of democracy by political scientists. * European Politics and Society *What do we really know about what we call participatory processes? Are the most well-known cases a good representation of the broader universe of experiences developed over the last years? What are they, why do they appear, how do they work and what impacts do they have? These are the main questions that the book addresses … Certainly, these processes required careful and rigorous research that enabled their relevance to be ascertained. And this is what this book ambitiously does, with a determined academic rigor that allows participation to be analysed in a dispassionate way, removed from individual preferences towards these democratic practices … In sum, we can clearly ascertain that this book is the closest we have to a clear picture of the reality of the existing participatory processes developed by public administrations. (In House Translation) * Revista Española de Ciencia Política, Vol. 37 *This book is a remarkable addition to existing policy literature, and as the editors claim, it moves the discipline on considerably from earlier analyses of participatory policies and fills many gaps in existing knowledge; most certainly in an area of Europe rather overlooked in the literature … This book will satisfy quantitative and qualitative researchers alike, and will serve as an exemplar on how to conduct effective and systematic comparative research. It will act as a blueprint for comparative research in other universes of analysis, and finally, I congratulate all editors in producing such a remarkable, scholarly and well-researched tome as a first-rate addition to the field of policy studies. * Local Government Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction, Joan Font, Donatella della Porta and Yves Sintomer / The National and Regional Contexts of Participatory Experiences, Yves Sintomer and Eloísa del Pino / The Causes of Local Participation, Joan Font, Dolores Sesma and Paloma Fontcuberta / Institutional Participatory Initiatives and Democratic Qualities, Donatella della Porta, Herbert Reiter and Pau Alarcón / Citizens and Participation, Joan Font, Carolina Galais, Magdalena Wojcieszak and Pau Alarcón / The Cultural Consequences of Engagement in Democratic Processes, María Jesús Funes, Julien Talpin and Mathias Rull / Conclusion, Joan Font, Donatella della Porta and Yves Sintomer / Appendix 1. Experience Databases: research protocols / Appendix 2. Municipalities and the Initiation of Participatory Processes: two databases / Appendix 3. Contextual Case Studies: research protocol and case selection / Appendix 4. Case Studies about Cultural Effects: data collection protocol / Appendix 5: Surveys used in the book / Bibliography
£121.50
Rowman & Littlefield International Participatory Democracy in Southern Europe:
Book SynopsisCitizen participation is a central component of democratic governance. As participatory schemes have grown in number and gained in social legitimacy over recent years, the research community has analyzed the virtues of participatory policies from several points of view, but usually giving focus to the most successful and well-known grass-roots cases. This book examines a wider range of participatory interventions that have been created or legitimized by central governments, providing original exploration of institutional democratic participatory mechanisms. Looking at a huge variety of subnational examples across Italy, Spain and France, the book interrogates the rich findings of a substantial research project. The authors use quantitative and qualitative methods to compare why these cases of participatory mechanisms have emerged, how they function, and what cultural impact they’ve achieved. This allows highly original insights into why participatory mechanisms work in some places, but not others, and the sorts of choices that organizers of participatory processes have to consider when creating such policies.Trade ReviewThis book will satisfy quantitative and qualitative researchers alike, and will serve as an exemplar on how to conduct effective and systematic comparative research. It will act as a blueprint for comparative research in other universes of analysis, and finally, I congratulate all editors in producing such a remarkable, scholarly and well-researched tome as a first-rate addition to the field of policy studies. * Local Government Studies *This wonderful book makes welcome and significant contributions to the literature on participatory democracy. The authors offer thoughtful analysis of comparative data on attempts to institutionalize participatory initiatives. But just as significantly, the focus is on Southern Europe: an arena of participatory activity that has been overlooked in the literature for too long. -- Graham Smith, University of Westminster, Professor of PoliticsThis remarkable book represents the best new trends in the studies of politics today: it is empirically very rich without being empiricist; it is theoretically sophisticated; it draws on the logics of both the case study and of the comparison; and it is attentive to culture and context without being reductive. Its authors are each individually important in the landscape of political science, but the book is actually greater than the sum of its parts. I expect it will set the next generation of research agendas. -- Gianpaolo Baiocchi, New York UniversityDeploying a sophisticated multi-method approach, Font, della Porta, Sintomer and their colleagues take the study of participatory possibilities to a new level. A masterful guide to the emerging world of participatory innovation in Southern Europe. -- John S. Dryzek, Australian National University, Distinguished Professor of Political ScienceThis book represents an indispensable reference for researchers addressing participatory democracy and democratic innovations because it is the first systematic comparative research that analyses top-down participatory experiences in Southern Europe, an area which has always been considered a laboratory of democracy by political scientists. * European Politics and Society *What do we really know about what we call participatory processes? Are the most well-known cases a good representation of the broader universe of experiences developed over the last years? What are they, why do they appear, how do they work and what impacts do they have? These are the main questions that the book addresses … Certainly, these processes required careful and rigorous research that enabled their relevance to be ascertained. And this is what this book ambitiously does, with a determined academic rigor that allows participation to be analysed in a dispassionate way, removed from individual preferences towards these democratic practices … In sum, we can clearly ascertain that this book is the closest we have to a clear picture of the reality of the existing participatory processes developed by public administrations. (In House Translation) * Revista Española de Ciencia Política, Vol. 37 *This book is a remarkable addition to existing policy literature, and as the editors claim, it moves the discipline on considerably from earlier analyses of participatory policies and fills many gaps in existing knowledge; most certainly in an area of Europe rather overlooked in the literature … This book will satisfy quantitative and qualitative researchers alike, and will serve as an exemplar on how to conduct effective and systematic comparative research. It will act as a blueprint for comparative research in other universes of analysis, and finally, I congratulate all editors in producing such a remarkable, scholarly and well-researched tome as a first-rate addition to the field of policy studies. * Local Government Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction, Joan Font, Donatella della Porta and Yves Sintomer / The National and Regional Contexts of Participatory Experiences, Yves Sintomer and Eloísa del Pino / The Causes of Local Participation, Joan Font, Dolores Sesma and Paloma Fontcuberta / Institutional Participatory Initiatives and Democratic Qualities, Donatella della Porta, Herbert Reiter and Pau Alarcón / Citizens and Participation, Joan Font, Carolina Galais, Magdalena Wojcieszak and Pau Alarcón / The Cultural Consequences of Engagement in Democratic Processes, María Jesús Funes, Julien Talpin and Mathias Rull / Conclusion, Joan Font, Donatella della Porta and Yves Sintomer / Appendix 1. Experience Databases: research protocols / Appendix 2. Municipalities and the Initiation of Participatory Processes: two databases / Appendix 3. Contextual Case Studies: research protocol and case selection / Appendix 4. Case Studies about Cultural Effects: data collection protocol / Appendix 5: Surveys used in the book / Bibliography
£40.50
Rowman & Littlefield International Transformations of Democracy: Crisis, Protest and
Book SynopsisIs democracy in crisis? On the one hand, it seems to be decaying under the leadership of political elites who make decisions behind closed doors. On the other hand, citizens are taking to the streets to firmly assert their political participation across the globe. Drawing on a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives, this collection examines the multiple transformations which both the practice and the idea of democracy are undergoing today. It starts by questioning whether there is a crisis of democracy, or if part of this crisis lies in the inadequacy of social and political theory to describe current challenges. Exploring a range of violent and non-violent forms of resistance, the book goes on to ask how these are related to the arts, what form of civility they require and whether they undermine the functioning of institutions. In the final section of the book, the contributors examine the normative foundations of democratic practices and institutions, especially with regard to the tension between human rights and democracy and the special character of democratic authority.Trade ReviewWhat is the future of democracy in an age of political and economic crisis, transnational governance and global protests? The chapters in this superb volume provide original and profound perspectives on the many dimensions of this question, with contributions that range from normative to legal and sociological analysis. This is political theory at its best - innovative, timely and practice-oriented. -- Rainer Forst, Goethe-University FrankfurtThis powerful collection resets the discussion of democracy today. The contributors push a rethinking of citizenship, rights, deliberation, and legitimacy as they confront normative democratic theory with the challenges facing real existing democracies: digital technologies that simultaneously increase participation and surveillance; the build-up of unaccountable international institutions; economic crises, inequality, and debt; and, most important, ongoing riots, protests, and mass resistance that call into question democratic institutions themselves. This path-breaking volume not only crosses the divide between normative democratic theory and social theory, it also establishes the terms of debate for decades to come. -- Jodi Dean, Hobart and William Smith CollegesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments / Introduction, Robin Celikates, Regina Kriede and Tilo Wesche / Part I: Democracy in Crisis? / 1. The European Crisis: The Paradoxes of Constitutionalising Democratic Capitalism, Hauke Brunkhorst / 2. Democracy in Crisis: Why Political Philosophy Needs Social Theory, Regina Kreide, translated by Ciaran Cronin / 3. Radical Philosophy Encounters the Uprisings: Lessons from Greece, Costas Douzinas / 4. Citizenship, Democracy and the Plurality of Means, Forms and Levels of Participation, Andreas Niederberger / Part II: Disobedience, Protest, and the Public Sphere / 5. Being Agitated – Agitated Being: Art and Activism in Times of Protest, Oliver Marchart / 6. An Ethics of Public Political Deliberation, Simone Chambers / 7. Resisting Resistance, Jane Mansbridge / 8. Digital Publics, Digital Contestation: A New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere?, Robin Celikates/ Part III: Democracy Revisited: New Normative Foundations for Democracy?/ 9. Is There a Human Right to Democracy?, David Miller / 10. Democracy and Moral Rights, Stefan Gosepath / 11. Normative Sources of Democratic Deliberation, Tilo Wesche / 12. Democratic Autonomy and Democratic Authority, Henry S. Richardson / Bibliography / About the Editors and Contributors / Index
£116.10
Rowman & Littlefield International Transformations of Democracy: Crisis, Protest and
Book SynopsisIs democracy in crisis? On the one hand, it seems to be decaying under the leadership of political elites who make decisions behind closed doors. On the other hand, citizens are taking to the streets to firmly assert their political participation across the globe. Drawing on a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives, this collection examines the multiple transformations which both the practice and the idea of democracy are undergoing today. It starts by questioning whether there is a crisis of democracy, or if part of this crisis lies in the inadequacy of social and political theory to describe current challenges. Exploring a range of violent and non-violent forms of resistance, the book goes on to ask how these are related to the arts, what form of civility they require and whether they undermine the functioning of institutions. In the final section of the book, the contributors examine the normative foundations of democratic practices and institutions, especially with regard to the tension between human rights and democracy and the special character of democratic authority.Trade ReviewWhat is the future of democracy in an age of political and economic crisis, transnational governance and global protests? The chapters in this superb volume provide original and profound perspectives on the many dimensions of this question, with contributions that range from normative to legal and sociological analysis. This is political theory at its best - innovative, timely and practice-oriented. -- Rainer Forst, Goethe-University FrankfurtThis powerful collection resets the discussion of democracy today. The contributors push a rethinking of citizenship, rights, deliberation, and legitimacy as they confront normative democratic theory with the challenges facing real existing democracies: digital technologies that simultaneously increase participation and surveillance; the build-up of unaccountable international institutions; economic crises, inequality, and debt; and, most important, ongoing riots, protests, and mass resistance that call into question democratic institutions themselves. This path-breaking volume not only crosses the divide between normative democratic theory and social theory, it also establishes the terms of debate for decades to come. -- Jodi Dean, Hobart and William Smith CollegesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments / Introduction, Robin Celikates, Regina Kriede and Tilo Wesche / Part I: Democracy in Crisis? / 1. The European Crisis: The Paradoxes of Constitutionalising Democratic Capitalism, Hauke Brunkhorst / 2. Democracy in Crisis: Why Political Philosophy Needs Social Theory, Regina Kreide, translated by Ciaran Cronin / 3. Radical Philosophy Encounters the Uprisings: Lessons from Greece, Costas Douzinas / 4. Citizenship, Democracy and the Plurality of Means, Forms and Levels of Participation, Andreas Niederberger / Part II: Disobedience, Protest, and the Public Sphere / 5. Being Agitated – Agitated Being: Art and Activism in Times of Protest, Oliver Marchart / 6. An Ethics of Public Political Deliberation, Simone Chambers / 7. Resisting Resistance, Jane Mansbridge / 8. Digital Publics, Digital Contestation: A New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere?, Robin Celikates/ Part III: Democracy Revisited: New Normative Foundations for Democracy?/ 9. Is There a Human Right to Democracy?, David Miller / 10. Democracy and Moral Rights, Stefan Gosepath / 11. Normative Sources of Democratic Deliberation, Tilo Wesche / 12. Democratic Autonomy and Democratic Authority, Henry S. Richardson / Bibliography / About the Editors and Contributors / Index
£38.70
Rowman & Littlefield International Engaging Enemies: Hayek and the Left
Book SynopsisFriedrich Hayek was a founding figure of the neo-liberalism that flourished in the 1980s. Yet, despite his antagonistic relationship with socialism, his work became a surprising source of inspiration for several influential thinkers on the left. This book explains the left’s unusual engagement with Hayek and reflects on its significance. Engaging Enemies uses the left’s late discovery of Hayek to examine the contemporary fate of socialism and social democracy. Did socialism survive the twentieth century? Did it collapse with the fall of the Berlin Wall as Hayek claimed? Or did it transform into something else, and if so what? In turn this allows an examination of ideological and historical continuity. Was the left’s engagement with Hayek part of a wider break with a period of ideological continuity that marked the twentieth century, but which did not survive its ending? As such, the book is also a study of how ideologies change with the times, incorporating new elements and jettisoning others. The left’s engagement with Hayek was also influential on party politics, particularly on the ‘modernization’ of the Labour Party and the development of New Labour. Engaging Enemies concludes with a discussion of the wider role of the market for the left today and the contemporary significance of the engagement with Hayek for Labour in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis.Trade Review[T]his work, made of six concise but straightforward chapters, offers an engaging argument about the liberal roots of contemporary left thought. It not only narrates a recent history of socialist ideas, but also attempts to show how ideas and political thinkers may have a concrete impact on policies of their time. [It] brings new perspectives to questions that many left thinkers constantly raise, notably when attempting to understand the ambiguous path that many European so-called left governments have taken in recent years. * LSE Review of Books *[A]n important work that shows the challenge but also the great value of genuine intellectual engagement across ideological boundaries. The discussion of the four thinkers’ engagement with Hayek provides significant insights into the development of contemporary socialism and social democracy. Although the book is centered on the British experience, it will have value for all those interested in the ideological and empirical political-economic debates of the twentieth century and how they will inform the political economy of the twenty-first century. * The Review of Austrian Economics *This book makes an original and valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex ideological history of the twentieth century. It is well written and manages to combine clear exegesis of the relevant ideas with pointed discussions of the context in which they emerged. [I]t will prove insightful and useful to those interested in the study of political ideologies and in the history of British political thought, as well as to students of Hayek’s work. * Contemporary Political Theory *Hayek has long been regarded as the exclusive property of the political right. But as Simon Griffiths shows in this important and insightful study, Hayek also attracted the attention of some on the political left, who used his ideas to rethink some long-standing positions on markets and the role of the state. Griffiths provides a searching critique of this engagement, and asks whether it still has relevance in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash. He provides a fresh and illuminating perspective on how ideas influence contemporary politics. -- Andrew Gamble, University of CambridgeSimon Griffiths’ book illuminatingly and innovatively opens up the debate on Hayek. Hayek claimed to be a liberal, and his critics asserted that he was a conservative. Yet, as Griffiths intriguingly shows, Hayek’s aversion to planning was absorbed in diverse ways by British left-wing intellectuals and political activists, who came to acknowledge the role that markets and spontaneity had to play. The result is a subtle and inventive study that explores the broad reach of Hayek’s towering influence in his later years. Not least, one of its most important findings is to demonstrate the permeability of conventional ideological fault-lines. In so doing, Griffiths locates himself firmly amidst a new generation of scholars who understand the intrinsic adaptability of political ideas. -- Michael Freeden, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of OxfordTable of Contents1. Hayek and the left: A paradoxical claim?/ 2. The Rise and Fall of Market Socialism / 3. Revisionism Revised / 4. ‘A new kind of knowledge’: Social Movements and Pluralism / 4. ‘Comrade Hayek’?, Or the Revival of Liberalism? / 5. Responses to the New Right: the Significance of the Engagement / Bibliography / Index
£96.30
Rowman & Littlefield International Engaging Enemies: Hayek and the Left
Book SynopsisFriedrich Hayek was a founding figure of the neo-liberalism that flourished in the 1980s. Yet, despite his antagonistic relationship with socialism, his work became a surprising source of inspiration for several influential thinkers on the left. This book explains the left’s unusual engagement with Hayek and reflects on its significance. Engaging Enemies uses the left’s late discovery of Hayek to examine the contemporary fate of socialism and social democracy. Did socialism survive the twentieth century? Did it collapse with the fall of the Berlin Wall as Hayek claimed? Or did it transform into something else, and if so what? In turn this allows an examination of ideological and historical continuity. Was the left’s engagement with Hayek part of a wider break with a period of ideological continuity that marked the twentieth century, but which did not survive its ending? As such, the book is also a study of how ideologies change with the times, incorporating new elements and jettisoning others. The left’s engagement with Hayek was also influential on party politics, particularly on the ‘modernization’ of the Labour Party and the development of New Labour. Engaging Enemies concludes with a discussion of the wider role of the market for the left today and the contemporary significance of the engagement with Hayek for Labour in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis.Trade ReviewThis book makes an original and valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex ideological history of the twentieth century. It is well written and manages to combine clear exegesis of the relevant ideas with pointed discussions of the context in which they emerged. [I]t will prove insightful and useful to those interested in the study of political ideologies and in the history of British political thought, as well as to students of Hayek’s work. * Contemporary Political Theory *[A]n important work that shows the challenge but also the great value of genuine intellectual engagement across ideological boundaries. The discussion of the four thinkers’ engagement with Hayek provides significant insights into the development of contemporary socialism and social democracy. Although the book is centered on the British experience, it will have value for all those interested in the ideological and empirical political-economic debates of the twentieth century and how they will inform the political economy of the twenty-first century. * The Review of Austrian Economics *[T]his work, made of six concise but straightforward chapters, offers an engaging argument about the liberal roots of contemporary left thought. It not only narrates a recent history of socialist ideas, but also attempts to show how ideas and political thinkers may have a concrete impact on policies of their time. [It] brings new perspectives to questions that many left thinkers constantly raise, notably when attempting to understand the ambiguous path that many European so-called left governments have taken in recent years. * LSE Review of Books *Hayek has long been regarded as the exclusive property of the political right. But as Simon Griffiths shows in this important and insightful study, Hayek also attracted the attention of some on the political left, who used his ideas to rethink some long-standing positions on markets and the role of the state. Griffiths provides a searching critique of this engagement, and asks whether it still has relevance in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash. He provides a fresh and illuminating perspective on how ideas influence contemporary politics. -- Andrew Gamble, University of CambridgeSimon Griffiths’ book illuminatingly and innovatively opens up the debate on Hayek. Hayek claimed to be a liberal, and his critics asserted that he was a conservative. Yet, as Griffiths intriguingly shows, Hayek’s aversion to planning was absorbed in diverse ways by British left-wing intellectuals and political activists, who came to acknowledge the role that markets and spontaneity had to play. The result is a subtle and inventive study that explores the broad reach of Hayek’s towering influence in his later years. Not least, one of its most important findings is to demonstrate the permeability of conventional ideological fault-lines. In so doing, Griffiths locates himself firmly amidst a new generation of scholars who understand the intrinsic adaptability of political ideas. -- Michael Freeden, Emeritus Professor of Politics, University of OxfordTable of ContentsIntroduction / 1. The Rise and Fall of Market Socialism / 2. Revisionism Revised: Social Democracy and Freedom / 3. Reclaiming the State: Social Movements and Pluralism / 4. ‘Comrade Hayek’? Liberalism Divided / 5. Responses to the New Right
£35.15
Rowman & Littlefield International Beyond Power and Resistance: Politics at the
Book SynopsisHas political resistance has lost its ability to confront political and economic power and achieve social change? Despite its best intentions, resistance has often become incorporated and neutered before it achieves its aims, as new forms of power absorb it and turn it towards their own ends. Since the Enlightenment, the opposing forces of power and resistance have framed our view of society and politics. Exploring that development, this book shows how resistance can, ironically, reinforce existing status quos and fundamentally strengthen capitalist and colonial desires for “sovereignty” and “domination”. It highlights, therefore, the urgent need for new critical perspectives that breaks free from this imprisoning modern history. In this spirit, this book seeks to theorize the radical potential for a post-resistance existence and politics. One that exchanges a permanent revolution against authority with the discovery of novel forms of agency, social relations and the self that are currently lacking. That aims to construct economic and social systems based not on the possibility of freedom but enlarging the freedom of possibility. In the 21st century can we move beyond power and resistance to a politics at the radical limits that eternally expands what is socially possible?Trade ReviewBloom offers a postmodern attempt to revise the power and resistance paradigm fundamental to Western political thought. The first chapter summarizes the focus of his effort. The author follows with a history of power and resistance, basically as concepts, or accepted motifs. Chapter 3 reviews in standard fashion the development of modern Western political ideas, emphasizing the emergence of resistance as a recurring form of political action. Bloom next moves beyond modernism with his contention that Enlightenment rationalism has often devolved into myth and fantasy. Chapter 5 depicts capitalism as a hindrance to the potential for a broader concept of resistance. But the author then argues that modern forms of organization and technology enable new types of resistance that may weaken traditional structures of power. Chapter 7 features the use of Derrida and Foucault as harbingers of possibilities beyond traditional views of power and resistance. The concluding chapter urges a rethinking of the “notion of freedom” that moves this idea from simply a basis for resistance toward a positive source of opportunities. Bloom illustrates how postmodern interpretation could temper the hegemonic status of key political concepts. Summing Up: Recommended. Faculty only. * CHOICE *Peter Bloom cleverly draws on key thinkers using discourse and ideology from the past and present to illustrate a mutually constitutive relationship between power and resistance. He explores how social change agents might reinvent rather than challenge, and so paradoxically support, power. This book is an important read for scholars and activists interested in realizing the potential of radical politics. -- Clare Saunders, Associate Professor in Politics, University of ExeterPeter Bloom ambitiously sets out to deconstruct the ‘power & resistance’ paradigm still dominating critical theories as well as much of emancipatory political practice. He offers a challenging genealogy of this fundamental political fantasy highlighting its various uses and its debilitating implications. He also discusses a set of much-needed alternatives for effective social change. Operating at the disavowed threshold where discursive/affective hegemony and post-hegemony never stop morphing into each other, he charts an original course that will surely mark future debates. -- Yannis Stavrakakis, Professor, School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GreeceTable of Contents1. The Tyranny of Power and Resistance / 2. Tracing Out the History of Power and Resistance / 3. The Enlightened Faith in Power and Resistance / 4. Colonized by Power and Resistance / 5. Producing the Modern Power and Resistance Subject / 6. Breaking Free from Power and Resistance / 7. Beyond Power and Resistance – the New Conditions of Possibilities / 8. Politics at the Radical Limits – From Permanent Revolution to Eternal Possibility
£107.10