Politics and government Books

Book SynopsisThe rich history of congressional investigations from the failed St. Clair expedition in 1792 through Teapot Dome, Watergate, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, and the current ongoing inquiries into the removal and replacement of United States Attorneys, has established, in law and practice, the nature and contours of congressional prerogatives necessary to maintain the integrity of the legislative role in that constitutional scheme. A review of the historical experience and legal rulings pertinent to congressional access to information regarding the law enforcement activities of the Department of Justice indicates that in the last 85 years Congress has consistently sought and obtained deliberative prosecutorial memoranda, and the testimony of line attorneys, FBI field agents and other subordinate agency employees regarding the conduct of open and closed cases in the course of innumerable investigations of Department of Justice activities.

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Book SynopsisUnder the populist rule of President Hugo Chávez, first elected in 1998 and most recently re-elected to a six-year term in December 2006, Venezuela has undergone enormous political changes, with a new constitution and unicameral legislature, and even a new name for the country, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. U.S. officials and human rights organisations have expressed concerns about the deterioration of democratic institutions and threats to freedom of expression under President Chávez, who has survived several attempts to remove him from power. The government has benefited from the rise in world oil prices, which has sparked an economic boom and allowed Chávez to increase expenditures on social programs associated with his populist agenda. Since he was re-elected, Chávez has announced new measures to move the country toward socialism. His May 2007 closure of a popular Venezuelan television station (RCTV) that was critical of the government sparked student-led protests and international condemnation. The Chávez government''s proposed constitutional reforms, subject to a referendum scheduled for December 2, 2007, include many amendments that have been controversial, such as the removal of presidential term limits and the government''s ability to suspend certain constitutional rights during a state of emergency. The United States traditionally has had close relations with Venezuela, the fourth major supplier of foreign oil to the United States, but there has been friction in relations with the Chávez government. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about President Chávez''s military arms purchases, his relations with such countries as Cuba and Iran, his efforts to export his brand of populism to other Latin American countries, and concerns about the state of democracy.

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Book SynopsisArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic is a South American country, constituted as a federation of twenty-three provinces and an autonomous city. It is second in size on the continent to Brazil and eighth in the world. Argentina occupies a continental surface area of 2,766,890 km (1,068,302 sq mi) between the Andes mountain range in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east and south. It is bordered by Paraguay and Bolivia in the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the north-east, and Chile in the west and south. The country claims the British controlled territories of the Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Argentina also claims 969,464 km (374,312 sq mi) of Antarctica, known as Argentine Antarctica, overlapping other claims made by Chile and the United Kingdom. Argentina has the highest Human Development Index level and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in purchasing power parity in Latin America. The country is currently classified as an Upper-Middle Income Country by the World Bank, or as a secondary emerging market. Argentina''s nominal GDP is the 31st largest economy in the world. This book concentrates on the latest economic, political and social issues of Argentina.

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Book SynopsisIndia is the world''s twelfth largest economy at market exchange rates and the third largest in purchasing power. Economic reforms have transformed it into the second fastest growing large economy; however, it still suffers from high levels of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition and environmental degradation. A pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. This book presents recent important issues dealing with India.

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the question: How can democracy and governance be made more accountable to diverse groups of people within nested regions? How can we address risks across spatial and conceptual boundaries? Emotions are central to policy making. Making connections is the basis for consciousness and mindfulness. The more connections we can make, the better our thinking, our policy processes and our governance outcomes will be. We need to think about our emotions and not to deny them. Emotions, values, and perceptions are central to our humanity. They underpin the so called ''enemies within'', namely ''religion, morality, aesthetics and politics''. Enabling more decision making at the local level has both advantages and disadvantages. The research challenge is to find a democracy and governance process to maximise the advantages and minimise the disadvantages. This requires building organisational capacity to address accountability and the management of risk to enable people to work with diverse perceptions, interests, and issues.

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Book SynopsisThis book reviews past proposals for and debate over congressional public financing. It also discusses experiences with the presidential and state public financing systems. Finally, the book offers potential considerations for Congress in devising a public financing system for its elections if it chooses to do so.

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, the economic policy of privatisation, which is defined as the transfer of property or responsibility from public sector to private sector, is one of the global phenomenon that increases use of markets to allocate resources. One important motivation for privatisation is to help develop factor and product markets, as well as security markets. Progress in privatisation is correlated with improvements in perceived political and investment risk. Many emerging countries have gradually reduced their political risks during the course of sustained privatisation. In fact, most risk resolution seems to take place as privatisation proceeds to its later stage. Alternative benefits of privatisation are improved risk sharing and increased liquidity and activity of the market. One of the main methods to develop privatisation is entering a new stock to the markets for arising competition. This book provides leading edge research on this field from around the globe.

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Book SynopsisMexico''s economic, political and societal issues have become major points of interest to countries all over the globe. Mexico is the second leading market for U.S. exports after Canada, and is the third most important source of U.S. imports after Canada and China. The United States is Mexico''s most important customer by far, receiving about 80% of Mexico''s exports, including petroleum, automobiles, auto parts, and winter vegetables, and providing about 50% of Mexico''s imports. The United States is the source of over 60% of foreign investment in Mexico, and the primary source of important tourism earnings. Mexico is also the leading country in Latin America in terms of U.S. investment, with the total stock of U.S. investment being about $85 billion in 2006. This book presents in-depth analyses of such issues such as foreign policy, political reform, and overall economic developments.

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Book SynopsisThe Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) face common security challenges from crime, corruption, terrorism, and faltering commitments to economic and democratic reforms. However, co-operation among them remains halting, so security in the region is likely in the near term to vary by country. Kyrgyzstan''s and Tajikistan''s futures are most clouded by ethnic and territorial tensions, and corruption in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan could spoil benefits from the development of their ample energy resources. Authoritarianism and poverty in Uzbekistan could contribute to a succession crisis. On the other hand, Kyrgyzstan''s growing but still fragile civil society might help the relatively small nation safeguard its independence. Uzbekistan might become a regional power able to take the lead on policy issues common to Central Asia and to resist undue influence from more powerful outside powers, because of its large territory and population (55 million) and energy and other resources. Internal political developments in several bordering or close-by states may have a large impact on Central Asian security. These developments include a more authoritarian and globalist Russia, ethnic and political instability in China and Iran, and re-surging drug production and Islamic extremism in Afghanistan. Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, the Administration has established bases and other military access in the region for U.S.-led coalition actions in Afghanistan, and it has stressed that the United States will remain interested in the long-term security and stability of the region. U.S. interests in Central Asia include fostering democratisation, human rights, free markets, and trade; assisting the development of oil and other resources; and combating terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and drug production and trafficking. The United States seeks to thwart dangers posed to its security by the illicit transfer of strategic missile, nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons technologies, materials, and expertise to terrorist states or groups, and to address threats posed to regional independence by Iran. Some critics counter that the United States has historically had few interests in this region, and advocate only limited U.S. contacts undertaken with Turkey and other friends and allies to ensure U.S. goals. They also argue that the region''s energy resources may not measurably enhance U.S. energy security. Most in Congress have supported U.S. assistance to bolster independence and reforms in Central Asia. The 106th Congress authorised a "Silk Road" initiative for greater policy attention and aid for democratisation, market reforms, humanitarian needs, conflict resolution, transport infrastructure (including energy pipelines), and border controls.

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Book SynopsisU.S. and outside assessments of the effort to stabilise Afghanistan are mixed and subject to debate; the Administration notes progress on reconstruction, governance and security in many areas of Afghanistan, particularly the U.S.-led eastern sector of Afghanistan. However, a November 2007 Bush Administration review of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan reportedly concluded that overall progress was inadequate. This mirrors recent outside studies that contain relatively pessimistic assessments, emphasising a growing sense of insecurity in areas previously considered secure, increased numbers of suicide attacks, and increasing aggregate poppy cultivation, as well as increasing divisions within the NATO alliance about the relative share of combat among the nations contributing to the peacekeeping mission. Both the official U.S. as well as outside assessments are increasingly pointing to Pakistan as failing -- either through lack of attention or eliberatestrategy -- to prevent Taliban commanders from operating from Pakistan. To try to gain momentum against the insurgency, the United States is considering new initiatives including adding U.S. troops to the still combat-intense south, possibly assuming U.S. command of the southern sector, and increasing direct U.S. action against Taliban concentrations inside Pakistan. Politically, the Afghan government remains reasonably stable. The post-Taliban transition was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005; a new constitution was adopted in January 2004, successful presidential elections were held on October 9, 2004, and parliamentary elections took place on September 18, 2005. The parliament has become an arena for factions that have fought each other for nearly three decades to debate and peacefully resolve differences, as well as a centre of political pressure on President Hamid Karzai. Major regional strongmen have been marginalised. Afghan citizens are enjoying personal freedoms forbidden by the Taliban, and women are participating in economic and political life. Presidential elections are to be held in the fall of 2009, with parliamentary and provincial elections to follow one year later. To help stabilise Afghanistan, the United States and partner countries are deploying a 47,000 troop NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that now commands peacekeeping throughout Afghanistan, including the restive south. Of those, 19,000 of the 31,000 U.S. forces in Afghanistan are part of ISAF. The U.S. and partner forces also run regional enclaves to secure reconstruction (Provincial Reconstruction Teams, PRTs), and are building an Afghan National Army and National Police. The United States has given Afghanistan over $23 billion (appropriated, including FY2008 to date) since the fall of the Taliban, including funds to equip and train Afghan security forces.

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Book SynopsisZimbabwe''s prospects appeared promising in 1980, as it gained independence after a long liberation war. The country exhibited steady economic growth, enabling the new government to provide free education and widespread access to health care. Challenges grew in the 1990s, however. Rising inflation and unemployment bred discontent, as evidenced by regular student and labour protests, and led in 1999 to the formation of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The new party surprised many with its initial success, campaigning against a 2000 referendum that would have legalised the president''s continued rule, made government officials immune from prosecution, and allowed the uncompensated seizure of white-owned land for redistribution to black farmers. The referendum failed, and the MDC won nearly half the seats in the 2000 parliamentary election. The ruling party has since taken numerous, often undemocratic actions to bolster its power, including an aggressive land redistribution policy. President Robert Mugabe''s government is seen as autocratic and repressive by its critics, and its human rights record is poor. The regime suppresses freedom of speech and assembly, and many contend that the government restricts access to food, already scarce, in opposition areas. The MDC, divided over how to respond, split into two factions in 2005, hampering its ability to challenge the ruling party. Mugabe has repeatedly extended his rule and was chosen by his party to stand as its presidential candidate again in the 29 March 2008 elections. A behind-the-scenes power struggle within his party adds to questions regarding the country''s future; former finance minister and ex-ruling party member Simba Makoni will stand against Mugabe, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, in the presidential race. Zimbabwe''s economic output has decreased 40% since 1998, official inflation rose above 8000% in 2007, and unemployment is estimated at over 80%. A widely criticised urban clean-up program in 2005 resulted in the demolition of thousands of homes and businesses in poor urban areas, seen by the government as a base of MDC support. The adult HIV infection rate of 20% has contributed to a sharp drop in life expectancy, and over a third of the population is expected to require food aid in 2008. Deteriorating conditions in the country have led many to emigrate to neighbouring countries, creating a substantial burden on the region.

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Book SynopsisThis is a study of the CIA''s relationship with Congress. It encompasses the period from the creation of the Agency until 2004 -- the era of the DCIs. When Congress created a new position in December 2004 -- the director of national intelligence -- to supersede the director of central intelligence (DCI) as head of the US Intelligence Community, it necessarily changed the dynamic between the CIA and the Congress. While the director of the Agency would continue to represent its interests on Capitol Hill, he or she would no longer speak as the head of US intelligence. While 2008 is too early to assess how this change will affect the Agency''s relationship with Congress, it is safe to say it will never be quite the same.

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Book SynopsisThe quasi government, not surprisingly, is a controversial subject. To supporters of this trend toward greater reliance upon hybrid organisations, the proper objective of governmental management is to maximise performance and results, however defined. In their view, the private and governmental sectors are alike in their essentials, and thus subject to the same economically derived behavioural norms. They tend to welcome this trend toward greater use of quasi governmental entities. Critics of the quasi government, on the other hand, tend to view hybrid organisations as contributing to a weakened capacity of government to perform its fundamental constitutional duties, and to erosion in political accountability, a crucial element in democratic governance. They tend to consider the governmental and private sectors as being legally distinct, with relatively little overlap in behavioural norms. Congress is increasingly engaged with the quasi government. The issues run the gamut from enacting legislation to encourage the creation of non-profit organisations to promote individual national parks, to proposals to strengthen regulation of government-sponsored enterprises such as Fannie Mae, to oversight hearings respecting national security issues at Los Alamos Laboratory. There is nothing modest about the size, scope, and impact of the quasi government. Time will tell whether the emergence of the quasi government is to be viewed as a symptom of decline in our democratic government, or a harbinger of a new, creative management era where the purportedly artificial barriers between the governmental and private sectors are breached as a matter of principle.

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Book SynopsisOn March 10, 2008, a series of demonstrations began in Lhasa and other Tibetan regions of China to mark the 49th anniversary of an unsuccessful Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. The demonstrations appeared to begin peacefully with small groups that were then contained by security forces. Both the protests and the response of the PRC authorities escalated in the ensuing days, spreading from the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) into parts of Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai Provinces with Tibetan populations. By March 14, 2008, mobs of angry people were burning and looting establishments in downtown Lhasa. Authorities of the People''s Republic of China (PRC) responded by sealing off Tibet and moving in large-scale security forces. Beijing has defended its actions as appropriate and necessary to restore civil order and prevent further violence. Still, China''s response has resulted in renewed calls for boycotts of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony on August 8, 2008, and for China to hold talks with the Dalai Lama. China sees itself as having provided Tibet with extensive economic assistance and development using money from central government coffers, and PRC officials often seem perplexed at the simmering anger many Tibetans nevertheless retain against them. Despite the economic development, Tibetans charge that the PRC interferes with Tibetan culture and religion. They cite as examples: Beijing''s interference in 1995 in the choice of the Panchen Lama, Tibet''s second highestranking personage; enactment of a "reincarnation law" in 2007 requiring Buddhist monks who wish to reincarnate to obtain prior approval from Beijing; and China''s policy of conducting "patriotic education" campaigns, as well as efforts to foster atheism, among the Tibetan religious community. The PRC defends the campaigns as a tool to help monks become loyal, law-abiding citizens of China. Controversy over the role of the Dalai Lama and the impact of PRC control on Tibet''s language, culture, and religion have prompted recurring actions by Congress in support of Tibet''s traditions -- actions routinely denounced by Beijing.

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Book SynopsisOperation Iraqi Freedom overthrew Saddam Hussein''s regime, but much of Iraq remains violent because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence that, in the judgment of many, constitutes a "civil war." Mounting U.S. casualties and financial costs -- without dramatic improvements in levels of violence or clear movement toward national political reconciliation among Iraq''s major communities -- have intensified a debate within the United States over whether to reduce U.S. involvement without completely accomplishing initial U.S. goals. President Bush announced a new strategy on January 10, 2007 ("New Way Forward") consisting of deployment of an additional 28,500 U.S. forces ("troop surge") to help stabilise Baghdad and restive Anbar Province. The strategy is intended to provide security conditions conducive to Iraqi government action on a series of key reconciliation initiatives that are viewed as "benchmarks" of political progress. The FY2007 supplemental appropriation, P.L. 110-28, linked some U.S. reconstruction aid to progress on the eighteen named benchmarks, but allows for a presidential waiver to continue the aid even if little or no progress is observed in Administration reports due July 15, 2007 and September 15, 2007. The latter will include a major assessment of the effects of the "troop surge" to date. According to the required July 15, 2007 Administration report, released on July 12, the Baghdad security plan has made progress on several military indicators and some political indicators, but progress is unsatisfactory on the most important political reconciliation indicators. The Administration report asserts that the "overall trajectory... has begun to stabilise," a finding on the security situation that is corroborated, to some extent, by an August 2007 National Intelligence Estimate A required report by the GAO released September 4, 2007, assesses less progress on security benchmarks than does the Administration and is pessimistic, as is the NIE, on the prospects for political reconciliation. Some in Congress -- as well as the Iraq Study Group -- believe that the United States should begin winding down U.S. combat involvement in Iraq. Both chambers adopted a FY2007 supplemental appropriation to fund U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (H.R. 1591) that would have set an outside deadline of March 31, 2008, for U.S. combat withdrawal if the President did not certify Iraqi progress on the "benchmarks." President Bush vetoed it on May 1, 2007, and subsequent bills mandating forms of withdrawal or combat reduction have not moved forward. Some observers say such legislation might see further action after the Administration''s September 15 progress report, while others say some positive assessments of the "troop surge" might forestall immediate congressional action. Iraq has not previously had experience with a democratic form of government, although parliamentary elections were held during the period of British rule under a League of Nations mandate (from 1920 until Iraq''s independence in 1932), and the monarchy of the Sunni Muslim Hashemite dynasty (1921-1958). The territory that is now Iraq was formed from three provinces of the Ottoman empire after British forces defeated the Ottomans in World War I and took control of the territory in 1918. Britain had tried to take Iraq from the Ottomans earlier in World War I but were defeated at Al Kut in 1916. Britain''s presence in Iraq, which relied on Sunni Muslim Iraqis (as did the Ottoman administration), ran into repeated resistance, facing a major Shiite-led revolt in 1920 and a major anti-British uprising in 1941, during World War II. Iraq''s first Hashemite king was Faysal bin Hussein, son of Sharif Hussein of Mecca who, advised by British officer T.E Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"), led the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Faysal ruled Iraq as King Faysal I and was succeeded by his son, Ghazi, who was killed in a car accident in 1939. Ghazi was succeeded by his son, Faysal II, who was only four years old. A major figure under the British mandate and the monarchy was Nuri As-Said, a pro-British, pro-Hashemite Sunni Muslim who served as prime minister 14 times during 1930-1958. Faysal II, with the help of his pro-British Prime Minister Nuri al-Sa''id who had also served under his predecessors, ruled until the military coup of Abd al-Karim al-Qasim on July 14, 1958. Qasim was ousted in February 1963 by a Baath Party-military alliance. Since that same year, the Baath Party has ruled in Syria, although there was rivalry between the Syrian and Iraqi Baath regimes during Saddam''s rule. The Baath Party was founded in the 1940s by Lebanese Christian philosopher Michel Aflaq as a socialist, pan-Arab movement, the aim of which was to reduce religious and sectarian schisms among Arabs. One of the Baath Party''s allies in the February 1963 coup was Abd al-Salam al-Arif. In November 1963, Arif purged the Baath, including Baathist Prime Minister (and military officer) Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr, and instituted direct military rule. Arif was killed in a helicopter crash in 1966 and was replaced by his elder brother, Abd al-Rahim al-Arif, who ruled until the Baath Party coup of July 1968. Following the Baath seizure, Bakr returned to government as President of Iraq and Saddam Hussein, a civilian, became the second most powerful leader as Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council. In that position, Saddam developed overlapping security services to monitor loyalty among the population and within Iraq''s institutions, including the military. On July 17, 1979, the aging al-Bakr resigned at Saddam''s urging, and Saddam became President of Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein, secular Shiites held high party positions, but Sunnis, mostly from Saddam''s home town of Tikrit, dominated the highest party and security positions. Saddam''s regime repressed Iraq''s Shiites after the February 1979 Islamic revolution in neighboring Iran partly because Iraq feared that Iraqi Shiite Islamist movements, emboldened by Iran, would try to establish an Iranian-style Islamic republic of Iraq.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores a growing consensus among many national security practitioners and scholars, across the political spectrum, broadly in favor of reforming the interagency system to encourage a more effective application of all elements of national power. The reform debates have included proposals to establish and foster an interagency cadre of national security specialists from all relevant departments and agencies. According to proponents, cadre members would gain a better understanding of the mandates, capabilities and cultures of other agencies through a long-term career development program that might include education training and exchange tours in other agencies. Such recommendations are not new, but they were given a new sense of urgency by recent operational experiences at home and abroad - from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the responses to Hurricane Katrina - which suggested insufficiencies in the abilities of the U.S. Government to integrate the various components of its efforts.

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Book SynopsisThe use of information technology to provide consistent access to and dissemination of government information is essential to promote a more citizen-centred government in a cost-effective manner. Agencies manage web-based technologies and services to help citizens obtain government information and services. In addition, agencies use information technology to communicate with the public and gather feedback to determine whether Federal programs are achieving results and meeting user needs. E-Government is the result of this use of information technology to improve citizen access to government information and services. To ensure agencies apply E-Government principles and use information technology to the fullest potential, agencies measure results to verify progress and planned performance improvement. This allows agencies to better manage their information resources including their investments in information technology. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) works with agencies to systematically track and measure whether resources used by programs help achieve intended goals and results through the President''s Management Agenda (PMA) Scorecard each quarter. The Federal Government continues to deploy industry-leading information technologies to more effectively manage and deliver government information and services. This results in more effective and transparent operations of Federal programs with an increased ability to manage the risks associated with information technology and protect information in care of the Federal government. Greater access to government information benefits the country by sustaining an informed citizenry, aiding government decision-makers, and supporting the economy, all of which are fundamental to a healthy democracy.

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Book SynopsisSince the end of the Cold War, both NATO and the European Union (EU) have evolved along with Europe''s changed strategic landscape. The evolution of NATO and the EU, however, has generated some friction between the U.S. and several of its allies, including Russia. This book focuses on the Russian side of this growing estrangement. It finds the Russian roots of this ambivalence in the increasingly visible manifestations of an autocratic and neo-imperial Russian state and foreign and defense policy. These strong trends in Russian policy inhibit the formation of a genuine security partnership that can provide for Eurasian security in the face of multiple contemporary threats. It is debatable whether Russia really wants a comprehensive partnership with NATO. Its military political elite still views NATO and the United States in adversarial terms, even though its leadership speaks positively about the value of this partnership. Recent U.S. military initiatives like missile defense or the wars in Kosovo and Iraq are leading Russia to entertain thoughts of withdrawing from many of the existing European arms control treaties. Although NATO is actively pursuing Russian participation in many projects, Russian officials and firms either cannot or will not make the best use of such opportunities. These problems, examined in this book, similarly appear in regard to military operations and exercises. Even though numerous exercises involving NATO and Russian forces take place, the atmosphere remains one of mistrust.

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Book SynopsisThe starting premise of this book is that for all the uniqueness of the regime and its putative political autonomy, post-Kim Il Sung North Korea has been subject to the same external pressures and dynamics that are inherent in an increasingly interdependent and interactive world. The foreign relations that define the place of North Korea in the international community today are the result of the trajectories that Pyongyang has chosen to take -- or was forced to take -- given its national interests and politics. In addition, the choices of the North Korean state are constrained by the international environment in which they interact, given its location at the centre of Northeast Asian geopolitics in which the interests of the Big Four (China, Russia, Japan, and the United States) inevitably compete, clash, mesh, coincide, etc., as those nations pursue their course in the region. North Korea per se is seldom of great importance to any of the Big Four, but its significance is closely tied to and shaped by the overall foreign policy goals of each of the Big Four Plus One (South Korea). Thus North Korea is seen merely as part of the problem or part of the solution for Northeast Asia.

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Book SynopsisThe 2009 transition will be a unique and critical period for the U.S. government. It marks the first wartime presidential transition in 40 years. It will also be the first administration change for the relatively new Department of Homeland Security operating in the post 9/11 environment. The next administration will fill thousands of positions across government; there will be a number of new faces in Congress as well. Making these transitions as seamlessly as possible is pivotal to effectively and efficiently help accomplish the federal government''s many essential missions.

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Book SynopsisNorth Korea''s increasingly reckless behaviour represents an immediate and growing threat not only on the Korean peninsula but to the entire Asia-Pacific region. This region has enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity for several decades and has been transformed into an engine of the global economy. However, North Korea''s repeated provocations, including last year''s July 4th missile launches and the October nuclear test, pose a great threat to the stability required for the region''s continued growth. The impact of a major crisis would be felt far beyond Korea, not only in Tokyo and Hong Kong but in London and New York as well. Concerns have been raised that Kim Jong Il and his regime may conduct a second nuclear test in the near future. This, in turn, could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region, with Japan, South Korea, and perhaps even Taiwan re-evaluating their fundamental security needs. The threat posed by North Korea''s nuclear program has wider, even global, implications. The regime has long been a major proliferator of nuclear and other weapons-of-mass-destruction materials and technology. Its ties to the Dr. A.Q. Khan nuclear black market network have been extensively documented. In addition, Pyongyang has been involved for many years in missile sales to Iran and other rogue states in the Middle East.

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Book SynopsisThe United States seeks an Iraq that is sovereign, stable, and self-reliant; an Iraqi Government that is just, representative, and accountable; neither a safe haven for, nor sponsor of, terrorism; integrated into the global economy; and a long-term partner contributing to regional peace and security. The United States is pursuing this goal along political, security, economic, diplomatic, and rule of law lines of operation. In 2009, the war in Iraq appears to be winding down, as security gains made since the height of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007 continue to be sustained, and as Iraqis increasingly seek management of their own affairs. A new U.S.-Iraqi Security Agreement that went into effect on January 1, which confirmed the Iraqi''s responsibility for their own security, introduced a new era in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and in U.S.-Iraqi bilateral relations. This book measures the stability and security in Iraq today, and looks at the strategies, approaches, results and "winding down" of military involvement of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisThe authority of the United States Senate (as well as of the House) to establish the rules for its own proceedings, to "punish" its Members for misconduct, and to expel a Member by a vote of two-thirds of Members present and voting, is provided in the Constitution at Article I, Section 5, clause 2. This express grant of authority for the Senate to expel a Senator is, on its face, unlimited -- save for the requirement of a two-thirds majority. In the context of what the Supreme Court has characterised as, in effect, an "unbridled discretion" of the body, expulsions in the Senate, as well as the House, have historically been reserved for cases of the most serious misconduct: disloyalty to the government or abuses of one''s official position. Under the United States Constitution and congressional practice, Members of Congress may have their services ended prior to the normal expiration of their constitutionally established terms of office by their resignation or death, or by action of the House of Congress in which they are a Member by way of an "expulsion", or by a finding that in accepting a subsequent public office deemed to be "incompatible" with congressional office, the Member has vacated his congressional seat.

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Book Synopsis''The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission: An Annotated Bibliography'' is a much-needed reference work for those who are studying and pursuing the outcomes of Truth Commissions around the world. However, it is also a valuable tool for all researchers from diverse disciplines. For example, those specialising in the fields of sociology, political science, and literature will find material that appeals and is relevant to their areas of research. There is little doubt that students and researchers pursuing courses such as Conflict Resolution, Good Governance and International Relations would find this compilation more than beneficial since it covers not only an assortment of themes but it also includes ingenious cartoons by the famous Zapiro and memorable photographs by George Hallet. In addition, the compiler also inserted a select number of poems that dealt with the issues and themes related to the TRC process.

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Book SynopsisThis book contains a variety of research related to the future of the federal budget. Significant uncertainty surrounds long-term fiscal projections, but under any plausible scenario, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path- that is, federal debt will grow much faster than the economy over the long run. In the absence of significant changes in policy, rising costs for health care and the ageing of the U.S. population will cause federal spending to grow rapidly. If federal revenues as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) remain at their current level, that rise in spending will eventually cause future budget deficits to become unsustainable. To prevent deficits from growing to levels that could impose substantial costs on the economy, this book examines the revenues that must rise as a share of GDP, or the projected spending that must fall -- or some combination of the two which must be achieved. This book consists of public domain documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisPublic administration can be broadly described as the development, implementation and study of branches of government policy. The pursuit of the public good by enhancing civil society, ensuring a well-run, fair and effective public service are some of the goals of the field. Furthermore, government debt (also known as public debt or national debt) is money owed by any level of government, either central government, federal government, municipal government or local government. As the government draws its income from society as a whole, public debt can be seen as an indirect debt of the taxpayers. Conversely, non-governmental organisation (NGO) is a term that has become widely accepted for referring to a legally constituted, non-governmental organisation created by natural or legal persons with no participation or representation of any government. In the cases in which NGOs are funded totally or partially by governments, the NGO maintains its non-governmental status, thereby excluding government representatives from membership in the organisation. This book gathers the latest research from around the globe in the discussion of these fields and related issues.

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Book SynopsisLand and maritime boundary disputes refer to disputes over the division of land or water bodies among two or more independent countries. The boundary disputes may evolve from historical and/or cultural claims, or they may be brought on by competition of resource exploitation. This book presents up-to-date information about the land and maritime boundary disputes of Europe. In each entry the causes of and consequences of the boundary dispute as well as the experiences and lessons of existing conflict-resolution efforts are briefly described. This book proves useful to researchers with a concern of boundary demarcation and of existing boundary disputes, as well as to policymakers seeking measures in order to minimise or reduce the risk of conflicts and wars stemming from territorial disputes.

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Book SynopsisThis book looks at the three broad categories of federal spending; discretionary spending, mandatory spending, and net interest. Mandatory spending includes federal government spending on entitlement programs and Food Stamps as well as other budget outlays controlled by laws other than appropriation acts. Entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare make up the bulk of mandatory spending. Discretionary spending is provided and controlled through appropriations acts. Mandatory spending accounts for over half of total federal spending and almost a ninth of gross domestic product (GDP). Those three programs, therefore, make up over 40% of federal spending. In the long term, projections suggest that if current policies remain unchanged, the U.S. faces a major fiscal imbalance, largely due to rising health care costs and impending Baby Boomer retirements.

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Book SynopsisTitanic 2010 is around the corner: Is Eastern Europe really catching up with the West, and is the enlarged and transformed Europe really on its way to become, by 1010, the most competitive region in the world economy? Starting from the seven "cardinal sins" of the transformation process, described by Harvard Professor Janos Kornai. it is evident that the real income of a significant proportion of the population has remained unchanged, or even deteriorated in Eastern Europe, that a dramatic ''restructuring'' has taken place in the area of income distribution, that the employment rate has significantly declined, public security deteriorating, corruption has not ended, and that there are disorders in the political arena with tax policies favouring the rich. Dissatisfaction with the "Lisbon process" of the European Union, Initiated at the European Council meeting in Liston, March, 2000, to make Europe the most competitive economy of the world by 2010, is widespread also in Western Europe, relevant optimistic recent voices from the Commission notwithstanding. So instead of achieving unity and harmony, Europe is drifting towards "transnational integration and national disintegration" (Osvaldo Sunkel). Schumpeter and later world system and dependency writers were always of the crises, cyclical imbalances, regional shifts, and of the rise and decline of entire regions and even continents in the process of capitalist development. At the end of the day. a realistic and politically useful analysis of the "Lisbon process" has to be "Schumpeterian" in its question writing.

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Book SynopsisIn recent times, Web-mediated communication has qualified as a powerful strategic resource in foreign policy. It is central to any country''s effort to reach foreign audiences pervasively, also in areas of the world which -- for various reasons -- are otherwise difficult to access for Western actors. This is why an effective exploitation of web resources is crucial in so-called "public diplomacy," which is an extension of traditional diplomacy directly addressing foreign publics. This book examines the use of web-mediated multimodal resources in contemporary U.S. public diplomacy in an effort to understand the strategies enacted to exploit internet-mediated communication and its affordances for political purposes. Moreover, in the Middle East and North African region (MENA), some of the world''s most daunting resource and governance challenges meet. About 1% of the worlds freshwater are located in the MENA region but more than 5% of the population of the globe lives in that region. This book addresses the increasing complexity that confronts policy makers dealing with water management and the need for a water governance transformation in the region. The authors analyse the current use of water as a medium for diplomacy and co-operation and its future potential. Furthermore, disaster diplomacy examines how and why disaster-related activities do an do not reduce conflict and induce co-operation. This book explores the notion of ''disaster diplomacy'' to provide further insights into particular aspects of the interconnectedness between disasters and foreign policy. In addition, a number of studies suggest that natural resources can have a negative impact on the developing prospects of countries, a phenomenon that has been labelled as the resource curse. This book reviews international initiatives to address the resource curse, with an emphasis on the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and petroleum-related aid initiatives. Suggestions are made on policy and further research needed to improve the effectiveness of international foreign policy initiatives in terms of addressing institutional problems underlying the resource curse.

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