When it first appeared in hardcover, Which Side Are You On? received widespread critical accolades, and was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction. In this new paperback edition, Thomas Geoghegan has updated his eloquent plea for the relevance of organized labor in America with an afterword covering the labor movement through the 1990s. A funny, sharp, unsentimental career memoir, Which Side Are You On? pairs a compelling history of the rise and near-fall of labor in the United States with an idealist's disgruntled exercise in self-evaluation. Writing with the honesty of an embattled veteran still hoping for the best, Geoghegan offers an entertaining, accessible, and literary introduction to the labor movement, as well as an indispensable touchstone for anyone whose hopes have run up against the unaccommodating facts on the ground. Wry and inspiring, Which Side Are You On? is the ideal book for anyone who has ever woken up and realized, "You must change your life."

This book examines the extent to which spatial economic convergence has taken place in the European Union and analyses the effectiveness of regional policy. The authors examine the differing economic features of the European regions and provide an institutional background to regional policy at both the national and Union level. Theories of economic growth are discussed and assessed in terms of the relative performance of regional economies in Europe. The authors then analyse the extent to which economic convergence, for example in terms of income and employment, has materialized across regions using a variety of techniques including mean reversion and time varying parameter procedures. The analysis is both at the level of the entire EU area and at more disaggregate levels that look at specific regions of the Union and at specific sectors. The book offers an assessment of some of the key regional policy instruments used and pays particular attention to the role of infrastructure investment as a tool for enhancing regional growth. It also considers the extent to which some non-regional specific policies impact upon the development of regional economies and explores the implications of closer monetary ties between member states. This book will be of interest to academics and policymakers concerned with regional science, European studies and macroeconomics.

This study presents intriguing analysis of the impact of private security companies' practices upon the fields of security and politics in the Czech Republic. It situates cases concerning ABL, the biggest Czech private security company, in the larger social, political, legal and economic contexts of the booming private security business. This company's extensive linkages with Czech politics suggest that the continued absence of specific legislation for the regulation of private security companies' activities is due to too much, rather than too little, political interest in their activities. This is problematic, arguably, because the practices of private security companies have already contributed to a significant transformation of the Czech security field by enhancing the commodification and depoliticization of security, while ABL's use of security methods for political purposes and a business approach to politics have profoundly transformed the field of politics. Reflecting the growing interest in the privatization of security, this timely study unpacks the relationship between politics, business and security in the Czech Republic.

This concise volume outlines developments in Hungarian foreign policy since the end of the Communist regime and the formation of the country's democratic coalition. After briefly reviewing Hungary's foreign relations between the wars, the Stalinist period, and the foreign policy principles of Prime Minister Imre Nagy during the 1956 Revolution, Joseph Kun discusses the 1990 elections that confirmed the rejection of Communist rule and the formation of a coalition government with Jozsef Antall as prime minister. Kun describes how the new government's foreign policy is oriented toward the West with the primary aim of establishing closer political and economic ties with the industrial nations. At the same time, Hungary is endeavoring to forge regional alliances in Central Europe to protect the large ethnic Hungarian communities who live in the neighboring Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, and the former Yugoslavia. The continuing tensions in Eastern Europe and the Soviet successor states demand the formulation of a firm but flexible foreign policy line. This study gives the specialist and student a sense of the achievements of the Antall government during its first years in office as well as an understanding of the disappointements that a new democracy experiences in its search for contacts in a well-meaning but pragmatic world.

This book reviews the state of knowledge on men and masculinities between ten European countries, emphasising both the differences and the similarities between them. The volume draws upon the outcomes of a recently-completed major research exercise undertaken by network funded by the European Commission-funded Research Network on Men in Europe. It contains contributions by some of Europe's leading scholars in the field. Special emphasis is placed on four key themes: home and work, social exclusion, violences, and health. There is also a particular focus on the fundamental changes taking place in Central and Eastern Europe in the post-socialist period; and to the questions of politics and ethnicity in contemporary Europe. Addressing politics, policy and analysis around men and masculinities in relation to these and other matters is an immensely urgent task not only for European and Trans-European political structures but also for European societies themselves. In the past, masculinity and men's powers and practices were taken for granted. Gender was largely seen as a matter of and for women. This is now changing in the face of rapid but contradictory social change. This book will be essential reading for anyone, whether academic, policymaker, or concerned citizen, who wishes to understand these social processes and their implications for the societies of Europe. Contents: Estonia Voldemar Kolga, Professor of Personality and Developmental Psychology, Head of the Women's Studies Centre, University of Tallinn Finland Jeff Hearn, Professor in the Swedish School of Economics, Helsinki; Emmi Lattu, Doctoral Student at the University of Tampere; Teemu Tallberg, Doctoral Student at the Swedish School of Economics, Helsinki; Hertta Niemi, Research Assistant and Doctoral Student at the Swedish School of Economics, Helsinki Germany Ursula Muller, Full Professor of Sociology and Director of the Interdisciplinary Women's Studies Centre, University of Bielefeld Ireland Harry Ferguson, Professor of Social Work, University of the West of England Latvia Irina Novikova, Director of the Centre for Gender Studies, University of Latvia Poland Elzbieta Oleksy, Full Professor of Humanities and Director of the Women's Studies Centre, University of Lodz and Joanna Rydzewska, Doctoral Candidate, Women's Studies Centre, University of Lodz United Kingdom Keith Pringle, Professor of Social Work, Aalborg University Bulgaria Dimitar Kambourov, Associate Professor in Literary Theory, Sofia University Czech Republic Iva Smidova, Doctoral Researcher, Sociology Department, Masaryk University Sweden Marie Nordberg, Doctoral Student in Ethnology, Goteborgs University

This volume of "Research in Political Sociology" focuses on one of the central themes in political sociology: the relationship between political power and the policy formation process. The first section examines the exercise of power in two distinct policy arenas: the interlocking networks among policy-planning organizations, and the effects of PACs on the voting behavior of elected officials in Canada and the U.S. In contrast to corporate interlocking directorates, although a shift to the right occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, board interlocks of policy-planning organizations are relatively stable over time. The second article shows that PACs affect voting behavior of U.S. elected officials, but they have little influence on voting in Canada's House of Commons. This suggests that the structure of the state affects the capacity of elites to exercise power over it.The second section examines the capacity of theories in economic sociology to explain the social organization of capitalism. The authors move beyond the current institutional frameworks by elaborating how the generic tendencies and contradictions of capitalism generate political conflicts and outcomes. This framework also stresses how organizational and institutional structures, class conflict, logics of action, and the contradictions of capitalism shape and limit the options that are available to social actors. The articles in the third section examine the effects of labor and community based political strategies on policy outcomes. These articles identify the contingent basis of political behavior and show how social structures and historical conditions create both opportunities for and limitations on the exercise power.Whereas the legal structure of labor relations in the U.S. limited the capacity of workers to mobilize, the flexibility of community-based coalitions increased their capacity to form coalitions to mobilize politically. Together, the articles in this volume show that political struggles are integral to capitalist society. These struggles take a range of forms and the outcomes are affected by the historically specific organizational and institutional arrangements in which they are embedded.

This book assembles and organizes a selected range of methods and techniques that every planning practitioner should know to be successful in the contemporary global urban landscape. The book is unique because it links different aspects of the planning/policy-making enterprise with the appropriate methods and approaches, thus contextualizing the use of specific methods and techniques within a sociopolitical and ethical framework. This volume familiarizes readers with the diverse range of methods, techniques, and skills that must be applied at different scales in dynamic workplace environments where planning policies and programs are developed and implemented. This book is an invaluable resource in helping new entrants to the planning discourse and profession set aside their own disciplinary biases and empowering them to use their expert knowledge to address societal concerns.

George Bush's 1988 campaign pledge, "Read my lips: no new taxes," has become a mantra for those who distrust politicians and bureaucrats. The gulf between what political leaders say and do seems to be widening, and in democratic societies around the world, contributing to an atmosphere of cynicism and apathy among the citizenry. Understanding the characteristics and functions of speech in policy processes is a requirement for trying to overcome this problem; indeed, politicians and bureaucrats spend a good proportion of their time and resources discoursing, i.e., writing, speaking, and publishing. However, there has been scant analysis of political discourse; the aim of this book is to fill this analytical gap, by exploring political speech from a variety of perspectives, including normative, epistemological, and empirical. Incorporating insights from economics, political science, philosophy, and law, and evidence from the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Turkey, and the EU, the book addresses a wide variety of timely issues, including:. Fiscal discipline in speeches vs budget balance: Is an improvement (deterioration) of the budget balance preceded by a more (less) fiscally disciplined discourse? Revenues and spending forecasted in budget speeches vs realised budget outcomes: Is there a systematic bias? If so, how can we explain it? Electoral pledges vs actual realisations: Do governments follow up on their electoral pledges? Ideological stance in party publications vs spending and revenues of party governments: Do parties of the right and the left speak different languages? How can we validly classify a government as of the left or of the right? Is there a systematic difference between governments of the right and of the left in terms of their policy? Speeches by central bank officers vs monetary policy: Can changes in monetary policy be predicted by official speeches? The political business cycle: How can taking into consideration the speech-action relationship strengthen (or threaten) our knowledge about electoral and partisan cycles in public spending? Other questions explored include: Should policy makers always tell the truth and all the truth? What are the benefits and the costs of transparency? How can we resolve the apparent contradiction between the democratic demand for transparency and the efficiency requirement of secrecy in many policy areas (budget preparation, monetary policy, foreign policy, security, etc.)? Under which conditions is secrecy acceptable in a democratic society? To what extent may deception and lies lead to a breach of trust or to power abuse? What are the most efficient institutional mechanisms to prevent such abuse? Collectively, the authors present new insights for understanding political process and government activity, and suggest avenues for further research.

Information Communication Technologies (ICT) have become an increasingly prevalent part of everyday life. Today, there are many cases in which ICT assist the elderly and people with disabilities to complete tasks once thought impossible. Enhancing the Human Experience through Assistive Technologies and E-Accessibility discusses trends in ICT in relation to assistive technologies and their impact on everyday tasks for those with disabilities. This reference work provides different perspectives on upcoming technologies and their impact on e-accessibility and e-inclusion, essential topics for researchers, businesses, and ICT product developers in the field of assistive technologies.

Monique Taylor analyses the policy rationale and institutional underpinnings of China's state-led or neomercantilist oil strategy, and its development, set against the wider context of economic transformation as the country transitions from a centrally planned to market economy.

Established by the Mexican government in 1965 to provide employment for Mexican citizens in the cities along the U.S. border, the maquiladora program is now one of the fastest growing industries in that area. This pioneering volume presents an in-depth examination of the maquiladora phenomenon written by experts on the subject. The contributors focus on three vital dimensions of the maquiladora issue: the impact of the maquilas on workers and economic development in both the United States and Mexico; the success or failure of the maquilas on an industry by industry basis; and the strategic aspects of the maquiladora program from geopoltical and macroeconomic perspectives. The controversial aspects of the maquilas--their impact on local pollution, unemployment, and labor market exploitation--also receive extended coverage.

Divided into six sections, the volume begins with descriptive essays on the history and current status of maquilas and the special provisions of U.S. and Mexican laws dealing with production sharing. The bulk of the volume is devoted to an analysis of the industry from various perspectives. The contributors examine the impact of maquilas on United States and Mexican border regions; describe the financial issues involved, including debt-equity swaps and other types of foreign investment; explore the use of maquiladoras by non-American countries; and look at the impact of maquiladoras on Mexico's balance of payments. A series of chapters assess the impact of maquilas in particular industries, including the automobile and apparel industries. Finally, the contributors turn toward the future of the maquiladora industry, addressing key issues such as the sociological impact of the maquiladoras, and the managerial issues facing maquiladora executives responsible for training and motivating workers in a multicultural environment. Scholars in Latin American studies, and development economics will find this volume a timely and provocative look at a subject of profound economic significance for both Mexico and the United States.

Universal health care was on the national political agenda for nearly a hundred years until a comprehensive (but not universal) health care reform bill supported by President Obama passed in 2010. The most common explanation for the failure of past reform efforts is that special interests were continually able to block reform by lobbying lawmakers. Yet, beginning in the 1970s, accelerating with the failure of the Clinton health care plan, and continuing through the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, health policy reform was alive and well at the state level. Interest Groups and Health Care Reform across the United States assesses the impact of interest groups to determine if collectively they are capable of shaping policy in their own interests or whether they influence policy only at the margins. What can this tell us about the true power of interest groups in this policy arena? The fact that state governments took action in health policy in spite of opposing interests, where the national government could not, offers a compelling puzzle that will be of special interest to scholars and students of public policy, health policy, and state politics.

The Annual Report objectively reflects the year's developments in terms of politics, the economy, society, culture, the environment, innovation and reform, and describes the problems, challenges and countermeasures in both traditional and new special economic zones. It provides an analysis of China's special economic zones, including a review of the year's developments in the form of experimental zones. It also presents new special economic zones and focuses on analyzing the transformation of these zones; the use of resources; sustainable, economic and social development; social security and technical innovation in the context of current developments. It also offers a comparative analysis and makes policy and development suggestions for each issue.

A review of the dissemination of spatial data. Topics addressed include: spatial information infrastructure and innovation; designing information policy research; and evaluating information use, access and dissemination. The work also contains comparative case studies of information dissemination.

At all levels of government--from the international to the local--public policies are formulated mainly by men, but their impacts are felt, sometimes differently, by women, men, and children. This book considers the impact of public policy on various aspects of women's lives, including sex and birth, marriage and death, work and child rearing, and women's responses to those policies. Written by scholars who have lived on five continents, the chapters span the First and Third Worlds, with several providing case illustrations of policies affecting women in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Written by scholars from several disciplines, the volume includes the fields of economics, politics, and planning. Literature also is covered, along with women's fiction as a source of women's opinions. The work is divided into two sections. The first section, Economic Policies and Migration, considers the impact of economic and demographic policies. The second section, Sex and Marriage, Violence and Control, considers policies relating to women's interpersonal relationships. Urban culture is discussed in an epilogue.

Scholars from around the world have contributed to the first major reference book to be published on female prostitution as an international phenomenon. Experts survey and analyze the historical background, current problems and policies, and future possible directions in 16 representative countries. The volume belongs in college, university, and institutional libraries and collections dealing with social problems, women's studies, international relations, and world history. The volume opens with a lengthy introduction by the editor, Nanette Davis, defining the situation in general, pointing to current trends and future concerns. Country chapters, primarily by native writers, include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England and Wales, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Taiwan, United States, Vietnam, and the former Yugoslavia. Each chapter provides references, and the index makes the volume easily accessible to researchers in various disciplines.

This book explores the Arctic as a rapidly evolving phenomenon in international affairs of a rising number of stakeholders. For decades, Arctic studies used to be an affair of a relatively narrow group of experts from northern countries. This time is over due to a new Chinese Arctic policy, as well as growing regional interests from South Korea, Singapore, India and Japan. Contributors reflect on new roles for the Arctic region: both as a playground for the old school nation state competition and even confrontation, and a new source for international cooperation in energy, logistics and natural sciences. Climate change, political tensions and economic competition make Arctic a hotter venue of international relations. This new Arctic fever, studied through a comparative analysis of different regional agendas, especially with a focus on the US-China-Russia triangle, represents the main subject of our book, which will be of interest to scholars of geopolitics, of climate change, and of 21st century energy economics.

This book presents a perspective on the role of modeling that has relevance to both practice and theory. The authors provide an empirical assessment of the role of computer models in urban policy decisions, presenting a survey and four detailed case studies focusing on the use of a specific class of computer-based fiscal impact models in American logical governments. The findings are interpreted in light of this perspeectiv on the social and political dynamics of models in the policy process. From this perspective, called "consensus modeling," a model is viewed as a tool for facilitating negotiation, and, thereby, consensus in the policymaking process.

An entrepreneur and educator highlights the surprising influence of humanities scholarship on biomedical research and civil liberties. This spirited defence urges society to support the humanities to obtain continued guidance for public policy decisions, and challenges scholars to consider how best to fulfil their role in serving the common good.

Governments around the world are turning over more of their services to private or charitable organizations, as politicians and pundits celebrate participation in civic activities. But can nonprofits provide more and higher-quality services than governments or for-profit businesses? Will nonprofits really increase social connectedness and civic engagement? This book, a sequel to Walter W. Powell's widely acclaimed The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook, brings together an original collection of writings that explore the nature of the "public good" and how private nonprofit organizations relate to it.

The contributors to this book -- eminent sociologists, political scientists, management scholars, historians, and economists -- examine the nonprofit sector through a variety of theoretical and methodological lenses. They consider the tensions between the provision of public goods and the interests of members and donors in nonprofit organizations. They contrast religious and secular nonprofits, as well as private and nonprofit provision of child care, mental health services, and health care. And they explore the growing role of nonprofits in the United States, France, Germany, and Eastern Europe, the contribution of nonprofits to economic development, and the forms and strategies of private action.

"This volume addresses an extremely important topic from an academic standpoint and from a public policy perspective -- how nonprofits might contribute to the collective good, why they often fail, and some of the consequences for the larger society of their pursuit of the public good". -- Joseph Galaskiewicz, University of Minnesota