Political structure and processes Books

Book SynopsisBy the early ninth century, the responsibility for a series of social, religious and political transformations had become an integral part of running the Carolingian empire. This became especially clear when, in 813/4, Louis the Pious and his court seized the momentum generated by their predecessors and broadened the scope of these reforms ever further. These reformers knew they represented a movement greater than the sum of its parts; the interdependence between those wielding imperial authority and those bearing responsibility for ecclesiastical reforms was driven by comprehensive, yet still surprisingly diverse expectations. Taking this diversity as a starting point, this book takes a fresh look at the optimistic first decades of the ninth century. Extrapolating from a series of detailed case studies rather than presenting a new grand narrative, it offers new interpretations of contemporary theories of personal improvement and institutional correctio, and shows the self-awareness of its main instigators as they pondered what it meant to be a good Christian in a good Christian empire.Trade Review"In his superb new monograph, Rutger Kramer investigates the origins and manifestations of the striking, consequential self-consciousness of the Carolingian episcopate and argues that it developed during the early years of Louis the Pious's reign. [1] [...] Explicit references to Carolingian self-consciousness appear on nearly every page of Kramer's study. What Kramer shows with astonishing clarity is the extent to which the "Carolingian experiment" was characterized by--indeed, was constituted by--a constant watching, and the implications of this surveillance."- Courtney M. Booker, The Medieval Review, 21.08.26 (2021) "There is much to admire here. Kramer’s extensive research is reflected in the copious bibliography. [...] Kramer is clearly aware of the limitations of both his sources and his methodology, but he is also very attuned to the possibilities that this kind of case-study approach might offer." - Laura Wangerin, Church History, Vol. 91, Iss. 3Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS Prologue Great Expectations Chapter 1 Framing the Carolingian Reforms — The Early Years of Louis the Pious Building an Empire Communities and Discourse Communities Between Cloister and Court Chapter 2 A Model for Empire — The Councils of 813 and the Institutio Canonicorum The Road to 813 Teaching the Empire 'An Effort, not an Honour': Bishops and their Responsibilities Church Fathers in Aachen Correcting Communities Communicating Correctio Channelling Authority Chapter 3 Monks on the Via Regia: The World of Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel A Life in Context Directions for a King: The Via Regia Explaining A Way: The Expositio in Regulam Sancti Benedicti A Crowning Achievement: The Diadema Monachorum The Lives of Smaragdus of Saint-Mihiel Chapter 4 Caesar et abba simul: Monastic Reforms between Aachen and Aniane The Emperor and the Monks On the Outside Looking In 'Armed with the Javelins of Debate': Benedict of Aniane goes to Court The Death of an Abbot Epilogue Imperial Responsibilities and the Discourse of Reforms

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Book SynopsisThe colonisation of Southeast Asia was a long and often violent process where numerous military campaigns were waged by the colonial powers across the region. The notion of racial difference was crucial in many of these wars, as native Southeast Asian societies were often framed in negative terms as 'savage' and 'backward' communities that needed to be subdued and 'civilised'. This collection of critical essays focuses on the colonial construction of race and looks at how the colonial wars in 19th-century Southeast Asia were rationalised via recourse to theories of racial difference, making race a significant factor in the wars of Empire. Looking at the colonial wars in Java, Borneo, Siam, the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula and other parts of Southeast Asia, the essays examine the manner in which the idea of racial difference was weaponised by the colonising powers and how forms of local resistance often worked through such colonial structures of identity politics.Trade Review"[...] Noor, Carey, and the volume’s contributors make an excellent case for how constructions of racial difference in nineteenth-century Southeast Asia were central to militarized violence and colonial expansion. [...] It is a bold and refreshing reminder to readers of how racial hierarchies have deep roots in the histories of warfare and colonialism and continue to influence governance and conflict in the present." - Kate Imy, Pacific Affairs, Vol. 95, No. 3Table of ContentsIntroduction: Why Race Mattered: Racial Difference, Racialized Colonial Capitalism and the Racialized Wars of 19th Century Colonial Southeast Asia - Farish A. Noor and Peter Carey Towards the Great Divide: Race, Sexuality, Violence and Colonialism in the Dutch East Indies, from Daendels (1808-11) to the Java War (1825-30) - Peter Carey Hostis Humanis Generis: The Invention of the 'Warlike Dayak Race' during the 'War on Piracy' in Borneo, 1830-1848 - Farish A. Noor Piratical Headhunters yang semacam Melayu dan Cina: Creating the Abject Native Other in the Mat Salleh Rebellion (1894-1905) - Yvonne Tan The Franco-Siamese War and Russo-Japanese War: Two Colonial Wars and the Political Appropriation of the Idea of Race in Absolutist Siam - David M. Malitz 'Sly Civility' and the Myth of the 'Lazy Malay': The Discursive Economy of British Colonial Power during the Pahang Civil War, 1891-1895 - Netusha Naidu 'Smoked Yankees', 'Wild' Catholics, and the Newspaper 'Lions' of Manila: The Multiplicity of Race in the Philippine-American War - Brian Shott Warriors and Colonial Wars in Muslim Philippines Since 1800 - Mesrob Vartavarian Chronology of major events and conflicts in Southeast Asia 1800-1900 Index

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Book SynopsisProtocol to Manage Relationships Today explains the contemporary value of protocol, not only for monarchies or diplomatic institutes, but for any non-profit or for-profit organisation. This book presents modern protocol as a tool to build strong, authentic networks of reciprocal relationships. When used effectively protocol can: - Increase the effect of the networking activities of an organisation. Protocol gives a professional structure to relationship management, to achieve access to the 'right' networks and a reciprocal relationship with the most valued stakeholders. - Deepen relationships. In our world there is so much focus on pragmatism in building relationships - protocol focuses on the common ground to gain value. - Be used as a valuable tool in a post COVID-19 era, where the need for space and time to build real and authentic relationships is well understood. The book defines how tested values perfectly fit in today's society, where modern organisations want to build effective relationships and communities. This book is focused on developing an increasingly vital expertise for professionals who deal with complex relationship management issues on a strategic and tactical operational level. They come from different fields, such as government institutions, non-profit organisations and commercial environments. This book also gives protocol officers a contemporary approach towards the application of protocol. It is not designed as a complete guide to all the rules of protocol, but it describes how to translate the context into a tailor-made protocol for each meeting or event. The book explains protocol as a flexible method to handle unique situations. Protocol is presented on four levels: the 'why' of protocol; the strategic and tactical level; the practical implementation; and the execution of protocol. Protocol to Manage Relationships Today is written by Europe's foremost protocol experts with collective years of experience with the management of networking meetings and events at the highest level.Trade ReviewThis book describes the practical rules, but also the value of protocol to build harmonious relationships. It is a must-have for every organisation in need of a strong network. François Brunagel, former Head of Protocol of the European Parliament At fashion shows it's all about who sits in the front row and who gets personal attention from the fashion designer. This book explains how protocol manages this exclusive personal attention. It is essential literature if you want to manage relationships at the highest level. Fashion and lifestyle expert Maik de Boer A must-read for professionals aiming to obtain return on commercial relationships for their business. Ana Retallack, Founder and Director of The Standard Companion, Australia, formerly a member of the Royal Household of Her Majesty The Queen

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Book SynopsisChina's Political Worldview and Chinese Exceptionalism: International Order and Global Leadership uses the notion of "Chinese exceptionalism" as a framework to analyze China's international politics and foreign policy. This book argues that China's approach to international relations is best understood in the context of these claims to exceptionalism and China's broader political world view. In doing so, it fosters a more comprehensive understanding of China's actions within the realms of foreign policy and international politics, and in the context of the preferred world order, norms and rules that the country seeks to promote.Trade Review"China’s Political Worldview and Chinese Exceptionalism is a comprehensive analysis of the components and drivers of the narrative of Chinese exceptionalism, additionally exploring how this narrative is perceived in Asia. Overall, this book is a worthy contribution to debates on the implications of China’s rise for international order." - Zerrin Torun, Europe-Asia Studies, Vol. 74, Iss. 10 “China’s Political Worldview and Chinese Exceptionalism succeeds in directing our attention to the role that exceptionalism plays in China’s global affairs and will appeal to a wide range of readers. China scholars will appreciate this authoritative study on Chinese exceptionalism in the age of Xi Jinping, a phenomenon which will likely be ever more present in the years ahead. IR theorists, particularly constructivists, will welcome the nuanced way that ideas and worldviews are included as explanatory variables in China’s diplomacy.” - Stephen Smith, The China Quarterly, Vol. 250Table of ContentsIntroduction. The Rise of China: Political Worldview and Chinese Exceptionalism Chapter 2. Chinese political worldview: IR with Chinese characteristics Chapter 3. Who is China: A Remaking of National Identity Chapter 4. Chinese national image and global leadership Chapter 5. The Belt and Road and the Path to Chinese Greatness Chapter 6. Perceiving China (Case studies from Indonesia and Vietnam) Chapter 7. Deciphering China (Views from Singapore) Chapter 8. Conclusion: From Chinese exceptionalism to Chinese universality Chapter 9. Afterword: Covid-19 and the limits of Chinese exceptionalism Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis volume examines how power was framed in Visigothic society and how a diverse population with a complex and often conflicting cultural inheritance was thereby held together as a single kingdom. Indeed, through this dynamic process a new, early medieval society emerged. Understanding this transformation is no simple matter, as it involved the deployment of an array of political and cultural resources: the production of knowledge, the appropriation of Patristic literature, controlling and administering rural populations, reconceptualizing the sacred, capital punishment and exile, controlling the manufacture of currency, and defining Visigothic society in relation to other polities such as the neighbouring Byzantine state. In order to achieve an analysis of these different phenomena, this volume brings together researchers from a variety of disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach therefore expands the available sources and reformulates topics of traditional scholarship in order to engage with a renewal of Visigothic Studies and reformulate the paradigm of study itself. As a result, this volume rethinks frameworks of power in the Peninsula along not only historical and archaeological but also anthropological terms, presenting the reader with a new understanding of Iberian society as a whole.Trade Review"This volume provides useful snapshots of new approaches and developments across Visigothic studies. Particularly helpful are Tejerizo’s, Martin’s, and Pliego’s chapters that provide tables and background information to aid readers unfamiliar with their particular source sets. These chapters are accessible and beneficial to specialists in Visigothic studies and scholars of other regions and periods alike."- Erica Buchberger, The Medieval Review, 21.11.05 (2021) "The volume certainly contributes to the LAEMI [Late Antique and Early Medieval Iberia] series’ goal of increasing integration of Iberian studies within Anglophone Classical studies, compiling an extensive bibliography of Spanish and English-language research material. [...] As for the aims of this volume, collating brief explorations of aspects of power in Visigothic society in order to open a dialogue and lay groundwork for future studies to continue this dialogue, Framing Power does so successfully, providing an abundance of interesting and well-researched material and frameworks for further research."- Carolyn T. La Rocco, University of St Andrews, The Classical Review, 71.1 (2021) "The edited volume of Eleonora Dell’Elicine and Céline Martin, Framing Power in Visigothic Society: Discourses, Devices and Artifacts curates seven original essays together with a useful and thoughtful introduction by the editors. [...] There is much food for thought here both for specialists in this particular field but also for those interested in the situation on the ground in the post-Roman Mediterranean." - Christopher Heath, Al-Mas.q, Vol. 34, Iss. 1Table of ContentsIntroduction Eleonora Dell' Elicine, Céline Martin Presence of Augustine of Hippo in Isidore of Seville: some provisional remarks Jacques Elfassi The Bishop and the Word. Isidore of Seville and the production of meaning Dolores Castro Unearthing peasant societies: Historiography and recent contributions in the archaeology of the rural world during Visigothic times Carlos Tejerizo Excolentes sacra fontium vel arborum. Pagan cults, kinship and regimes of sacralisation in the Visigothic Kingdom of Toledo Eleonora Dell' Elicine Ervig and capital penalties: the way of exile Céline Martin 'Put all your trust in Ansemundus'. A look at distrust in Visigothic-Byzantine diplomatic relations Margarita Vallejo Visigothic currency: recent developments and data for its study Ruth Pliego List of Illustrations Index

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Book SynopsisAlthough modern life grows increasingly casual, in many sectors, protocol still reigns supreme. An Expert's Guide to International Protocol offers an overview of its associated practices, including those found within the context of diplomatic relations and the business world. Focusing on a wide range of countries and cultures, the book covers topics like precedence, seating arrangements, flags, ceremonies, invitations, dress codes, gifts and honours, and the roles of the protocol officer, guest and host. Throughout, influential diplomatic, business, and cultural figures share their own experiences with protocols around the world, also throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.Trade Review"I think that the authors' intent for this book has great value and extends far beyond national borders. There are so many emerging nations that may still be searching for suitable forms of protocol like those so clearly expressed in this book. I therefore heartily recommend this volume to everyone working in an international corporate or diplomatic environment and any country looking for the best way to apply international protocol."- Professor Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, former Secretary-General of NATO "A book like this is also extremely important for the business world in the sense that anyone who comes into contact with the outside world needs to know the rules, and this can help enormously, especially today. In the past, you often learned about all of this at home, as part of your upbringing, but times have changed and the world is more complex now. We become independent at a younger age and have much more responsibility. So we need to make sure that the younger generation is trained and learns what to do. This book would definitely help to do that."- Martin van Pernis, former President of the Board of Siemens, the Netherlands "Absolutely agree with the authors: diplomacy has never been more important as we face this global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. And, as always, diplomacy and protocol will adapt and innovate to continue being the existential base requirement for international relations, and an essential ingredient in international collaboration and problem solving."- Mr Stewart Wheeler, Chief of Protocol of Canada "Proper protocol is essential to effective diplomacy and business. This important and illuminating book shows why and how protocol is necessary to conduct diplomacy and global business around the world."- Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder, former US Permanent Representative to NATO and President of the Chicago Council on Global AffairsTable of ContentsPreface by His Royal Highness Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme PROLOGUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1. International Protocol Interview with Professor Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, former Secretary-General of NATO 2. Precendence 'Protocol and the International Court of Justice' by Dame Rosalyn Higgings, DBE, QC, former President of the International Court of Justice in The Hague 3. Seating arrangements and order of processions 'Protocol at the United Nations and at Think Tanks -- A Comparative Perspective' by Dr Abiodun Williams, President of The Hague Institute for Global Justice 4. Flag Protocol 'A genuine experience, protocol in an international institution, the European Parliament' by Mr François Brunagel, former Head of Protocol of the European Parliament 5. Invitations and dress codes 'Diplomatic language and formal language : a code with a double meaning' by Professor Olivier Arifon, Professor at the Université libre de Bruxelles in charge of the chair in communication 6. Gifts and honours 'State visits' by His Excellency Mr José de Bouza Serrano, Ambassador of the Portugese Republic to the Netherlands 7. Ceremonies 'Protocol at the Olympic Games' by Mr Andrea Miliccia, former Protocol Manager for the London 2012 Opening Ceremony 8. The protocol officer 'Protocol is a basic principle of professional success' by Mr Jean Paul Wijers, Managing Director and founder of the Protocolbureau,Institute of Protocol The Hague, and the Institute of Strategic Relationship Management 'Presidential Protocol' by Mr Lahoud Lahoud, Chief of Protocol at the Presidency of the Republic of Lebanon 9. Guest and host Interview with Mr Martin van Pernis , former President of the Board of Siemens, the Netherlands 'Protocol and Dance' by Mr Samuel Wuersten, Artistic Director Holland Dance, Member of the Executive Board of Codarts Rotterdam 10. Protocol and stakeholder engagement during and after the covid-19 pandemic AUTHORS' BIOGRAPHIES BIBLIOGRAPHY WEBSITES ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn state formation research, princely houses have been a blind spot. The development of states has been discussed from many perspectives, like interstate competition, internal social conflicts, fiscal-military developments, etc., but at the centre of most European states, there was a princely house. These ruling houses have been overlooked in studies about state formation. What’s more, when discussing such dynasties, the vertical chronological perspective (grandfather-father-son) is all dominating, for instance in the focus on dynastic continuity, dynastic culture and representation, and the like. This collection of essays highlights the horizontal perspective (ruler, all children, siblings, cousins), in asking how the members of a princely family acted as a power network. The quest is to develop an understanding how this family network interplayed with other factors in the state formation process. This volume brings together existing knowledge of the topic with the aim of exchanging insights and furthering knowledge.Table of Contents1. Building Dynasties, Shaping States: Dynasty and State Formation in Early Modern Europe (Liesbeth Geevers and Harald Gustafsson) 2. Divine Right of Dynasty. Deposing the God-Given Monarch in Protestant Europe (Cathleen Sarti) 3. Presence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: Proximity and the Creation of Dynasty (Fabian Persson) 4. The Austrian Nephews: The Offspring of Maximilian II and Maria of Austria at the Service of the Spanish King (Rubén González Cuerva) 5. Sixteen Corpses: The First Reburials in the Escorial in 1586 and the Dynastic Dynamics that Made Them Happen (Liesbeth Geevers) 6. An Elected Dynasty of Sweden? Blood, Charisma and Representative Monarchy (Mats Hallenberg) 7. Narrowing Dynastic Rule. Models of Governance, Social Conflict and the Hobbesian Bargain in Early Modern Sweden (1560–1718) (Joakim Scherp) 8. The Nassaus and State Formation in Pre-Modern Germany (Jasper van der Steen) 9. The Frustrations of Being the Spare: Second Sons in the French Monarchy and their Increasingly Limited Roles in Politics and Society, 1560s–1780s (Jonathan Spangler) 10. Dynastic Marriage Spheres in Early Modern Europe. A Comparison of the Danish Oldenburgs and three Houses of the Empire (Harald Gustafsson) 11. Danish Dynastic Histories in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries: Claus Christoffersen Lyschander, Vitus Bering, Ludvig Holberg and Hans Peter Anchersen (Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen)

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Book SynopsisBetween the fifteenth and the eighteenth century, princely courts dominated the Italian political scene. These courts were effervescent centers of cultural production. As such, they became a model for European monarchies who imported Italian courtly forma del vivere (‘style of life’) to legitimize their power and to define social status. This phenomenon included architecture and painting, theater and music, manners and aesthetics, and all the objects, behaviors and beliefs that contributed to homogenize European culture in the age of the Old Regime. It involved a hemorrhage of art and a continuous circulation of people, texts and symbols. The foundational material for this process was classicism and its purpose was political. This delineates a new geography and chronology of a truly European cultural history. It also provides the key traits for the European cultural identity.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Preface I: Republics and Princes 1.The Historiographical Journey 2.Historical Development 3.A World of Courts 3.a. What is a court? 3.b. Courts everywhere II: Italian Courts and European Culture 4. Europe of the Courts 4.a. The terms of the question 4.b. From the Middle Ages to the finis Italiae 4.c. Invasion and counter-invasion 4.d. Italian courts and renovatio imperii 4.e. A queen and two kings 4.f. The ‘Second Renaissance’ 5.g. ... and beyond 5. People 5.a. Princesses and princes 5.b. People going 5.c. People coming 6. Things 6.a. The arts market 6.b. Books 6.c. Language III: Models 7. Spaces 8. Images 9. The performing arts 10.The forma del vivere 10.a. Dance 10.b. Clothes 10.c. The gentleman IV. Common denominators Index

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Book SynopsisThe agenda for transition after the demise of communism in the Western Balkans made the conversion of state radio and television into public service broadcasters a priority, converting mouthpieces of the regime into public forums in which various interests and standpoints could be shared and deliberated. There is general agreement that this endeavor has not been a success. Formally, the countries adopted the legal and institutional requirements of public service media according to European standards. The ruling political elites, however, retained their control over the public media by various means. Can this trend be reversed? Instead of being marginalized or totally manipulated, can public service media become vehicles of genuine democratization? A comparison of public service media in seven countries (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) addresses these important questions.Trade Review"Vrijednost ove knjige sastoji se u detaljnim prikazima organizacijskih struktura, promatranju isprepletenih odnosa politike i javnih servisa, kao i suvremenih pokušaja transformacije javnog medija u demokratski alat koji će javnost obrazovati, informirati i zabaviti te će biti koristan priručnik medijskim profesionalcima, znanstvenicima, studentima, ali i kreatorima javnih politika." https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/388786 -- Tamara Kunić * Medijska istraživanja *"Apart from presenting a much-needed analysis of the state of public service media in the region, the book offers rich data about media systems. Another positive aspect is its critical approach towards mimetic policy change and focus on the sociopolitical contexts in which PSM operate. This is a valuable book which will be very useful for scholars studying media systems and conducting comparative media research." https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/soeu-2022-0066/html -- Dina Vozab * Comparative Southeast European Studies *Table of ContentsList of Tables List of Figures Preface and Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Challenges and Prospects of Public Service Broadcasting in the Western Balkans Laia Castro Herrero, Tarik Jusić, Davor Marko, and Manuel Puppis PART I: WESTERN BALKAN MEDIA SYSTEMS Chapter 2: Public Service Media in Albania: RTSH’s Reforming Struggles Blerjana Bino Chapter 3: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Bosnia and Herzegovina Nidžara Ahmetašević and Tea Hadžiristić Chapter 4: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Croatia Davor Marko Chapter 5: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Kosovo Naser Miftari Chapter 6: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Montenegro Nataša Ružić Chapter 7: Four Normative Principles for Participatory Public Service Model in North Macedonia Snežana Trpevska and Igor Micevski Chapter 8: The Future of Public Service Broadcasting in Serbia Davor Marko Part II: COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVES Chapter 9: The Iron Law of Public Service Television Péter Bajomi-Lázár Chapter 10: Overcoming Path Dependencies in PBS Developments in Southeast Europe Zrinjka Peruško Chapter 11: Public Service Broadcasting in Central and Eastern Europe and the Western Balkans: Mission, Values, and Challenges Gregory Ferrell Lowe Chapter 12: Public Service Media in the Context of Adaptation and Change: A Call for Organizational Culture Analysis Michał Głowacki Chapter 13: Between The Hammer and the Anvil: Public Service Broadcasters in the Western Balkans Squeezed Between Commercialization and Politicization Marko Milosavljević and Melita Poler Kovačič Chapter 14: Digital Switchover and PSM in the Western Balkans Sally Broughton Micova Chapter 15: Prospects for Post Switchover Media Policy in the Western Balkan Countries Kenneth Murphy Chapter 16: State of the Art and the Future of PSM in the Western Balkans Barbara Thomass List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisBased on both academic research and the author’s own personal experiences and impressions, this delightful and informative book examines the underlying causes of some of the more disturbing social, political, economic, and cultural phenomena that characterize Egyptian society in modern times.Through a fascinating and often highly entertaining examination of issues ranging from the middle class, religious fanaticism, and attitudes to the West and Western culture, to the Egyptian institution of the summer holiday by the sea and the performing arts and entertainment, Amin posits that social mobility after the 1952 Revolution changed the customs and habits, moral and material values, and patterns of consumption and investment of the aspiring classes.This insightful book will prove a thought-provoking read for those concerned with emerging economies, international development, and privatization, and will intrigue anyone with an interest in the social history of Egypt.

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Book SynopsisHaving celebrated its 70th year of independence in 2018, Sri Lanka, a strategically-positioned island nation, now finds itself with the potential to be a super connector in fast-developing Asia. While carving out a place for itself in the international arena, Sri Lanka has simultaneously had to look inwards to recover and rebuild its potential, bruised by an era of colonial rule and nearly 30 years of a civil war, with two youth insurrections.This book examines these twin dimensions. First, how Sri Lanka is negotiating its international reach and the spheres of influence that extend from other Asian and world powers, and second, how the country is engaging in nation-building, from days of racial riots to ones of peace-building, reconciliation, more robust governance, and the development of cyber security.Written from the perspective of a Sri Lankan academic and the head of the national security think tank, this book offers insights into how the country has addressed its post-conflict as well as geopolitical challenges, navigated through domestic politics, and ramped up peace-building efforts, to now reach a junction where it can put its foot firmly on the road to prosperity in a new Asian world order.

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Book SynopsisIndia is undergoing a great transition, as the post-reform generation strikes out into the world. The thinking, attitudes, culture, political preferences, consumption patterns and ambitions of the post-reform generations differ greatly from that of the earlier generations. As a consequence, the country is also witnessing rapid changes not only on the socio-political and economic fronts but also on the humanities front. This book seeks to explore great transition in India through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences. In doing so, it lays foundation not only for understanding India but also in initiating a new chapter for Indian and South Asian studies. With contributions by leading scholars, the book will be of great interest to students, researchers, and for anyone wishing to explore India in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences.

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Book SynopsisAlthough more than 30 years have passed since the Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) scheme was introduced in 1990, it remains controversial and poorly understood today.Have NMPs raised views that elected MPs — on both sides of the House — could or did not? Have they kept voters away from the Opposition, or been a bulwark of loving critics in the midst of a parliamentary supermajority?In this first book devoted to the NMP scheme, former NMP Anthea Ong brings together 19 colleagues past and present to discuss their experiences in office, from the Population White Paper to the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, and what being appointed has meant to them personally.In exploring the workings and impact of the NMP scheme, the contributors hope this book will invite Singaporeans to consider how their NMPs should and must represent them, aside from their elected representatives. And in doing so, ask: What sort of Parliament does Singapore, as an evolving society, deserve?

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Book SynopsisAlthough more than 30 years have passed since the Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) scheme was introduced in 1990, it remains controversial and poorly understood today.Have NMPs raised views that elected MPs — on both sides of the House — could or did not? Have they kept voters away from the Opposition, or been a bulwark of loving critics in the midst of a parliamentary supermajority?In this first book devoted to the NMP scheme, former NMP Anthea Ong brings together 19 colleagues past and present to discuss their experiences in office, from the Population White Paper to the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, and what being appointed has meant to them personally.In exploring the workings and impact of the NMP scheme, the contributors hope this book will invite Singaporeans to consider how their NMPs should and must represent them, aside from their elected representatives. And in doing so, ask: What sort of Parliament does Singapore, as an evolving society, deserve?

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Book SynopsisHenry Kissinger observed, 'Everybody wants to be a China hawk.' China is a bully. China is Nazi Germany. China commits genocide. China disrupts the 'international rules-based order.' Responding to such uninformed generalization on the nature of China's regime and its lack of human values, the Western Liberal Democracies have created their own 'China Problem' by clinging to Cold War anachronism. The clash of values is not nearly as deep and extensive as is often claimed. Furthermore, the contemporary public discourse on China needs a complete assessment of the values that have emerged in Xi Jinping's China. Xi is regarded as 'red' like Mao. Xi, however, has abandoned Mao's view of class struggle and his notion of a 'rejuvenated China' embraces traditional core principles that Mao bitterly condemned. 'Ren', or 'benevolence', for example, now informs entwined domestic and foreign policy as 'moderate prosperity in all respects'. 'Ren', or 'benevolence' is aligned with 'common security' and 'common development'. The question is whether this is a positive restoration of traditional values that will contribute to domestic development and international peace, or restorationist Middle-Kingdom-ism designed to assert Chinese values worldwide. This book's analysis of Chinese values argues that the current interpretation of the 'China Threat' is predicated in a serious misunderstanding of Chinese values.It is often commented that China is 'the defining geopolitical issues of our time'. This book is an especially timely contribution to the currently limited public policy debate on China as a threat to Western values and the 'international rules-based system'. Correction is long overdue with reference to speculative assumptions that Xi Jinping's regime represents a return to Mao's regime. 'Socialism with Chinese characteristics' has significantly moved on under Xi's leadership. Hyperbole about China has presumed the continuation of Chinese Cold War ideology and has either lightly commented on, or ignored altogether the resurgence of core traditional ideas in Chinese policy formation. This book provides detailed research of 'Xi Jinping Thought' and 'Xi Jinping Diplomatic Thought'. It adopts a widely construed, but serious interdisciplinary, approach towards the 'China Problem', drawing on both the social sciences and humanities. This wide-angled approach includes 'new sinology' in its recent review of 'translated China', synthesizing tradition and culture with the development of modern Chinese ideology, politics and policy formation. The book's significant topicality is presented within an unconventional approach and formatted contents designed to reach out to the biggest circle of general and advanced, China-interested readers in the time of great debate.

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Book SynopsisProminent scholars across the political divide and academic disciplines analyse how the dominant political parties in Malaysia and Singapore, United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the People's Action Party (PAP), have stayed in power. With a focus on developments in the last decade and the tenures of Prime Ministers Najib Tun Razak and Lee Hsien Loong, the authors offer a range of explanations for how these regimes have remained politically resilient.

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Book SynopsisThis book critically surveys a decade of disasters in Ōtautahi Christchurch. It brings together a diverse range of authors, disciplinary approaches and topics, to reckon with the events that commenced with the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquake sequence. Each contribution tackles its subject matter through the frame of Critical Disaster Studies (CDS). The events and the subsequent recovery provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from a series of concatenating urban disasters in order to prepare us for our future on an urban planet facing unprecedented environmental pressures. The book focuses on the production of vulnerability, the human dimensions of disaster, the Indigenous response to disasters and the practical lessons that can be drawn from them. Table of ContentsPART I: Introduction.- 1. Contextualising the decade of disaster experiences in Ōtautahi Christchurch, and the Critical Disaster Studies imperative. By Steve Matthewman, Shinya Uekusa & Bruce Glavovic.- 2. Critical Disaster Studies: The evolution of a paradigm. By Anthony Oliver-Smith.- PART II: Critical framings of disasters.- 3. Elite panic and pathologies of governance before and after the Canterbury earthquake sequence. By Roy Montgomery.- 4. The ruptured city ten years on. By Katie Pickles.- 5. Critical Indigenous Disaster Studies: Doomed to resilience. By Simon Lambert.- 6. Rethinking community resilience: Critical reflections on the last 10 years of the Ōtautahi Christchurch recovery and on-going disasters. By Shinya Uekusa & Raven Cretney.- 7. Every last drop: The fresh water “disaster” in Canterbury. By Matthew Wynyard.- PART III: Critical voices in disasters.- 8. Hazardous times: Adversity, diversity and constructions of collectivity. By Rosemary Du Plessis.- 9. Māori community response and recovery following the Canterbury earthquake sequence. By Suzanne Phibbs, Christine Kenney & Tā Mark Solomon.- 10. Asian migrant worker experiences in Ōtautahi Christchurch. By Arlene Garces-Ozanne, Maria Makabenta-Ikeda & Shinya Uekusa.- 11. Minutes of shaking: Years of litigation. By Jeremy Finn & Elizabeth Toomey.- 12. Sustainability through adversity? The impacts of the earthquake on the greening of death. By Ruth McManus.- PART IV: Ōtautahi as a laboratory for the world: A prelude to the future.- 13. Why don’t we “build back better”? The complexities of reconstituting urban form . By Steve Matthewman & Hugh Byrd.- 14. Turn and face the strange: Reflections on creativity following the Canterbury earthquake sequence. By Trudi Cameron.- 15. Planning, governance and a city for the future?. By Eric Pawson.- 16. Lessons for democracy from a decade of disaster. By Bronwyn Hayward & Sam Johnson.

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Book SynopsisA sequel to the author's trailblazer (China's Elite Politics: Political Transition and Power Balancing, published by World Scientific in 2007), this book tackles the issue of governance in China. It provides up-to-date information on China's political elites and evaluates their ability to deal with crises through four case studies: Snowstorm in the South, the Tibet issue, the Sichuan Earthquake, and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.Along with China's Elite Politics: Political Transition and Power Balancing, this book provides rich empirical information on and insightful theoretical understanding of national-level politics in China and serves as a good reference source for students of Chinese politics.Table of ContentsChina's Political Elites and Their Challenges; Political Succession; The Seventeenth Central Committee; Institutional Representation; Factional Balance; Tibet Issue; Taiwan Issue; Sichuan Earthquake; Beijing Olympic Games; China's Prospect for Democratization.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a comprehensive review of China's experience in reform and opening up from political, social, and economic perspectives. It attempts to engage existing scholarly debates in three areas — first, how the party-state has evolved in the past four decades and whether it remains a Leninist system or has departed from this system; second, how public attitudes, values and behavior have been intertwined with institutional change, and how the state is expanding its welfare coverage to enhance regime legitimacy. Second, how China has attempted to explore new engines for its growth, with consideration towards environmental protection and technological progress.Chapters in this book are selected from three years of conference presentations co-organized by the Institute of Public Policy (IPP) at the South China University of Technology and UNESCO. Since 2014, IPP and UNESCO have co-hosted a series of annual international conferences and invited leading scholars from China, Europe, and the US to discuss the major challenges to China and the world.

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Book SynopsisHaving celebrated its 70th year of independence in 2018, Sri Lanka, a strategically-positioned island nation, now finds itself with the potential to be a super connector in fast-developing Asia. While carving out a place for itself in the international arena, Sri Lanka has simultaneously had to look inwards to recover and rebuild its potential, bruised by an era of colonial rule and nearly 30 years of a civil war, with two youth insurrections.This book examines these twin dimensions. First, how Sri Lanka is negotiating its international reach and the spheres of influence that extend from other Asian and world powers, and second, how the country is engaging in nation-building, from days of racial riots to ones of peace-building, reconciliation, more robust governance, and the development of cyber security.Written from the perspective of a Sri Lankan academic and the head of the national security think tank, this book offers insights into how the country has addressed its post-conflict as well as geopolitical challenges, navigated through domestic politics, and ramped up peace-building efforts, to now reach a junction where it can put its foot firmly on the road to prosperity in a new Asian world order.

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Book SynopsisWith Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) regaining power from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on May 20, 2008, both Beijing and Taipei have been adjusting their policies toward each other. However, these recent changes can be seen as part of the overall ongoing process of policy adjustment in both Beijing and Taipei in response to changing domestic and external conditions since 1979. This book explores the process of policy adjustment and institutional change on both sides of the Taiwan Straits since 1979 and offers policy recommendations. By presenting a comparative and balanced discussion of cross-Straits relations from both mainland Chinese and Taiwanese perspectives, this work will help readers gain an enhanced understanding of this controversial issue.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations Since the 1980s: Attitude Change and Policy Adjustment (K G Cai); Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations from Beijing's Perspective: Overall Cross-Straits Relations in Beijing's Eyes and Beijing's Taiwan-Policy Adjustment Since the 1980s (A Yan); Evolvement of Cross-Straits Economic Relations in Beijing's Eyes and Beijing's Policy Adjustment (S Sun); Evolvement of the Mainland's Elite and Societal Opinion on Cross-Straits Relations and Its Impact on Beijing's Taiwan Policy (J Yang); Cross-Taiwan Straits Relations from Taipei's Perspective: Overall Cross-Straits Relations in Taipei's Eyes and Taipei's Mainland-Policy Adjustment Since the 1980s (G W Tsai); Evolvement of Cross-Straits Economic Relations in Taipei's Eyes and Taipei's Policy Adjustment (T-H Liou); Evolvement of Taiwan's Elite and Societal Opinion on Cross-Straits Relations and Its Impact on Taipei's Mainland Policy (M Lee); Institutional Structure of Decision-Making Across the Straits: Evolvement of the Institutional Structure of Beijing's Decision-Making Regarding Taiwan (K G Cai); Evolvement of the Institutional Structure of Taipei's Decision-Making Regarding the Mainland (S-H S Lo).

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Book SynopsisChina at 60 explores the interactions between China and the world, over the course of 60 years of Communist Party rule since 1949 and the impact of these interactions on China's domestic development. To understand China's development experience and its transformation, it is necessary to examine the trajectory of development from pre-reform to post-reform periods. While the book may concur with previous findings on the changing development of China under economic reform, more importantly, it demonstrates the areas of continuity of the PRC's existence over the entire six decades. To that end, a dual theme — change-and-continuity and global-local interactions on China's development — is adopted to assess the historical development of China's policies in various issue areas over the past 60 years. The focus is chiefly on the domestic impacts of China's increasing engagement with the world, the global implications of China's reform efforts and growing power, and the long-lasting uniqueness of this rising non-European nation.The book brings together a team of international experts to share their perspectives on global-local interactions within a range of different topics, including foreign policy, domestic politics, macroeconomic policy, the central-local relations, the People's Liberation Army, public health, energy security, finance and banking, foreign trade, and intellectual property rights, as well as changes in the state's policies towards interest groups such as ethnic minorities.Table of ContentsChinese Foreign Policy: Sixty Years On; Plumbing the Relevance of Independence and Self-RelianceA" in Chinese Foreign Policy, 1949-2009; China at Sixty: Domestic Politics; Central-Local Relations: Explaining Trends through Processes; China's Macroeconomy: Global-Local Interactions; From Mono-Banking to Globalization: The Ordeal of China's Banking Reform; The Development of Intellectual Property Law in the People's Republic of China; In Search of a Capable Fighting Force: Chinese Military Modernization and Transformation; The Power Politics of China's Search for Energy Security: From Pre-Daqing to Post-Daqing; Oscillating between Mao and Deng? The Domestic-International Nexus of China's Public Health Reform; China's Ethnic Minorities: Global-Local Interactions over 60 Years; The Party-State and the Special Position of Women.

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Book SynopsisThere is no denying that China has experienced, and is still experiencing, radical changes, generally initiated by the vibrant market-driven economy that began in the late 1970s. The question remains, however, of what has happened to those who, just a few decades before, experienced pride and power in being part of the proletariat. How do they make sense of the past and face up to the uncertainties of the future? This book presents an anthropological investigation into their lives and memories in order to understand their situation.Presently a working-class neighborhood in Shanghai, Cucumber Lane was in the 1960s a well-known socialist “model community” being transformed from an urban slum in the 1940s. The neighborhood was further recast as a “civilized small community” in the 1990s. Based on oral histories as well as ethnographic observations and pertinent historical materials, this book portrays the ways the Chinese have been making sense of and coping with radical changes during a period punctuated by shifts in political priorities, vicissitudes in ideological orientation, changes in the way they conceive of their relationship with the state and enterprises, the (de-)politicization of social identities, the rise and fall of collectivism, and the explosive vitality of the new market economy.Table of ContentsOrienting and Situating; The (Un-)Making of a Socialist Model CommunityA"; Building up Modernity; Negotiating Subalternity; Binding Up the Loose SandA"; Facing up to the Post-Socialist Future.

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Book SynopsisDespite the significant progress it has achieved, China faces daunting challenges today. These challenges include a rigid political system, uneven economic growth, a graying population, environmental degradation, ethnic tensions, potential social instability, and a poor international image, among others. This book aims to make a significant contribution to the understanding of key challenges China faces today as it strives to become a global power. Contributed by scholars and experts in political science, international relations, economics, public administration, history, mass communication, psychology, and diplomacy, the book focuses on the efforts needed by China to grow in a sustainable manner and become a respected global power. removeTable of ContentsChina's Leadership Succession and Change; The China Model; Chinese Elites' Acceptance of Outwardly-Oriented Development; Political Accountability in Governance; Liberalism in China; Demographic Dividends; Smashing Iron Rice Bowls; Developing a PAYGO Social Security System; Internet Control; Spiritual Beliefs and Ethnic Relations; Tourism, Modernization, and Nation-Building; Public Diplomacy; Foreign Publicity; Energy and Climate Security; A Prosperous China with Strong Military Power; Blue-Water Navy Ambition; US-China Relations.

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Book SynopsisManaging Indonesia's Transformation: An Oral History is an account of Ginandjar Kartasasmita's career in the Indonesian government, both under President Suharto and in the post-Suharto era. Based on all the ministerial positions in which Kartasasmita has served the government, the book provides readers candid insights into the domestic and international political and economic contexts in which decisions were made, and how policies were formulated and implemented in Indonesia.The book contains many hours of interviews in which the author responds — as frankly as he can — to all sorts of questions from a group of scholars and specialists working on Indonesian politics and political economy, with the understanding that the book is for those who want to understand Indonesian politics, both past and present.Table of ContentsEarly Years; Rising with Soedarmono: 1965 - 1983; The Year of 1988; Toward the MPR in 1988: Indonesia in Crisis; Habibie Presidency; From Habibie to Wahid: Unforgettable Lessons in the Crisis of Democracy; Megawati's Presidency and the 2004 Elections: Towards a Consocietal Democracy?; A Decade of SBY Government and the Dilemma of Multiparty Presidential System; Challenges Ahead, International Footprints, and If -

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Book SynopsisSince its reform and opening up, China has experienced unprecedented social and economic development. It is important to understand the biggest and fastest growing economy's policy and strategy. As a key director in Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the author proposes a development path and reform strategies for China in the next three decades.This book suggests reform strategies not only for the economic structure but also for the political system in China. The author makes a sound analysis and exposition of “Chinese dream”, which reflects the vision of a better life in the future and the main indicators of social change. The book investigates China's development path, political system, economic structure, people's livelihood etc and suggests long-term strategies for China in this regard.Table of ContentsChinese Dreams in the 21st Century; China's Path to Realizing Chinese Dreams; Selection of Development Path: Material Structural Adjustment and Competitiveness Promotion; Transformation of the Development Mode; Resources and Environmental Constraints; Fiscal and Taxation System; Elimination of Polarization and Realization of Common Prosperity; Reform of Land, Finance, and State-owned Economy; Route Map of China's Path.

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Book SynopsisFor the millions of citizens in the Arab World who came together in 2010-2011 to discover their common yearning for dignity and liberty, the real revolutions only began after the wave of protests. Understanding the Political Economy of the Arab Uprisings reassess the interests, potential and constraints of various socio-political players and their importance in the building of a constructive environment for democratic progress in the Middle East. Initiated by the Cairo-based Economic Research Forum and edited by Ishac Diwan, this invaluable volume features contributions by Middle East academics across the world. They examine the reasons behind the uprisings, how democratic transitions transpire, the role of Arab capitalism in the crises, and how the experiences of other countries such as Indonesia, Turkey and Iran, can forecast where these uprisings may lead the Middle East in the years to come.

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Book SynopsisReinventing Indonesia presents an insider's view of the tumultuous transition that took place in Indonesia from 1997 to 2004. This was a period of unprecedented changes in democratized governance and decentralizing power throughout the country amidst significant economic turmoil. The results of these changes were not pre-ordained, but were the result of the social forces unleashed by the Asian Financial Crisis and the end of the New Order as well as the deft guidance of key policymakers. The book also examines the origins of the economic crisis of the late 1990s in Indonesia and the actions taken to address the crisis during those difficult years.The authors were directly involved in many of the events recounted in this book, particularly Ginandjar Kartasasmita through his career in the Indonesian government under various ministerial positions. Thus, the book provides insights that could only come from those directly involved in the decision-making. It also explains the transitions that occurred in Indonesia in the context of academic theories of democratic transition and consolidation, thereby adding to the body of knowledge in this area. The Indonesian story holds lessons, therefore, for the management of financial crisis, and for the urgency of reform and development of economic and political institutions.Table of ContentsIntroduction: From Independence to Democracy, a 60-Year Journey; The Rise of the Indonesian Economy; The Early Reform Period: 1983 - 1993; Explaining the Demise; The Crisis: 1997 - 1999; The Chaos that Follows; On the Way to Recovery and Democracy; Democratic Consolidation: The Unfinished Business; Significant Milestones: Constitutional Reform and 2004 Elections; Postscript: Promises and Challenges.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines types of political participation in ten Asian countries. The inquiry begins by building on past theories of types of political behavior and who participates in each type. Then six dimensions of political participation are constructed and tested using a survey dataset from the Asian Barometer Survey. The findings from this empirical analysis indicate that Asians also fall into six political behavior types.The analysis continues with an examination of social characteristics (such as age, gender, income, etc.) that help determine with which type of participation one will be involved. After examining participation in the region as a whole, the scope of this book turns to a quantitative investigation of individual countries in Asia.Table of ContentsIntroduction; Theory; Participation in the Asian Context; Typologies of Participation in Asia; Political Behavior within Ten Asian Countries; Conclusion;

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