Abortion is one of the most compelling public policy issues facing government and the public in the United States today. Most societies have enacted laws and statutes regarding abortion, and most societies have strong feelings regarding birth control and abortion. But the legal statutes and attitudes follow markedly different approaches. Simon examines how this issue is being faced in the United States, Canada, a sample of Western and Eastern European countries, Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American societies, and, among Asian countries, Japan, China, and India, along with Australia.

After a brief historical introduction, Simon examines the legal statutes pertaining to abortion in the selected countries and then reviews public attitudes toward abortion based on responses to national public opinion polls. She concludes by discussing the relationships between the laws and statutes pertaining to abortion and the nations' policies vis- DEGREESDa-vis population growth and control. "Abortion" is the first volume in a series that will examine major public policy issues using an explicitly comparative approach. Each will serve as a handbook for students, researchers, and scholars, containing basic empirical data and comprehensive references on the social issue or practice under examination.

After the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to "end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all," researchers and policy makers highlighted the importance of targeted investment in science, technology, and innovation (STI) to make tangible progress. Science, Technology, and Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals showcases the roles that STI solutions can play in meeting on-the-ground socio-economic and environmental challenges among domestic and international organizations concerned with the SDGs in three overlapping areas: agriculture, health, and environment/energy. Authors and researchers from 31 countries tackle both big-picture questions, such as scaling up the adoption and diffusion of new sustainable technologies, and specific, localized case studies, focusing on developing and middle-income countries and specific STI solutions and policies. Issues addressed include renewable energy, automated vehicles, vaccines, digital health, agricultural biotechnology, and precision agriculture. In bringing together diverse voices from both policy and academic spheres, this volume provides practical and relevant insights and advice to support policy makers and managers seeking to enhance the roles of STI in sustainable development.

The arguments over the economic policies of the Reagan Administration will continue until sufficient time has elapsed for a consensus to be possible. In the meantime, it is necessary for contemporary scholars to record their opinions as a base for the consensus. Campagna has recorded his conclusions based on considerable research on Reagan Administration policies. He begins by describing what was planned by the government. From there, he discusses what actually happened, and devotes the remainder of the work to his opinion of what has been left with which the future must deal. Campagna concludes that the Reagan economic policies failed. He establishes a position for others to attack or defend in their own publications in the continuing argument.

China is going nuclear. It is planning to increase its nuclear generation capacity by building two or three nuclear power plants every year for the next ten years, as one step towards meeting its rapidly rising energy demand. Will China be able to expand its nuclear capacity sufficiently and quickly enough to beat the urgent twin challenges it faces -- energy security and climate change? If history is the judge, perhaps not. The Politics of Nuclear Energy in China seeks to provide an answer to this question by examining the forces in China that have shaped its nuclear energy development. It highlights the economic, technical, environmental and, most importantly, political challenges facing nuclear energy development in China.

Now a 6-part mini-series called Why the Rest of Us Die airing on VICE TV! The shocking truth about the government's secret plans to survive a catastrophic attack on US soil--even if the rest of us die--is "a frightening eye-opener" (Kirkus Reviews) that spans the dawn of the nuclear age to today, and "contains everything one could possibly want to know" (The Wall Street Journal). Every day in Washington, DC, the blue-and-gold first Helicopter Squadron, codenamed "MUSSEL," flies over the Potomac River. As obvious as the Presidential motorcade, most people assume the squadron is a travel perk for VIPs. They're only half right: while the helicopters do provide transport, the unit exists to evacuate high-ranking officials in the event of a terrorist or nuclear attack on the capital. In the event of an attack, select officials would be whisked by helicopters to a ring of secret bunkers around Washington, even as ordinary citizens were left to fend for themselves. "In exploring the incredible lengths (and depths) that successive administrations have gone to in planning for the aftermath of a nuclear assault, Graff deftly weaves a tale of secrecy and paranoia" (The New York Times Book Review) with details "that read like they've been ripped from the pages of a pulp spy novel" (Vice). For more than sixty years, the US government has been developing secret Doomsday strategies to protect itself, and the multibillion-dollar Continuity of Government (COG) program takes numerous forms--from its potential to evacuate the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to the plans to launch nuclear missiles from a Boeing-747 jet flying high over Nebraska. Garrett M. Graff sheds light on the inner workings of the 650-acre compound, called Raven Rock, just miles from Camp David, as well as dozens of other bunkers the government built for its top leaders during the Cold War, from the White House lawn to Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado to Palm Beach, Florida, and the secret plans that would have kicked in after a Cold War nuclear attack to round up foreigners and dissidents and nationalize industries. Equal parts a presidential, military, and cultural history, Raven Rock tracks the evolution of the government plan and the threats of global war from the dawn of the nuclear era through the War on Terror.

In this timely book about the current state of research and practice of emergency management in China, the authors take as their basic premises that we now live in a risk society and that our collective ability to deal with disasters and their aftermath is more important than ever. Set within a multi-disciplinary framework that places risk, disaster and crisis, the three phases of emergency management, on an analytical continuum, and drawing on empirical data obtained through surveys, observations, and interviews, the study not only provides a thorough overview of recent progress in our theoretical understanding of the subject but also offers insights on how scientifically informed policies can improve the way emergency management is done in China.

This A–Z encyclopedia provides a detailed overview of America's 11th president and connects Polk's public and personal life to his historical significance. In 1844, James K. Polk was not a promising presidential nominee—he was not popular, charismatic, or even well known. But by the time he left office in 1849, he had acquired the enormous Oregon Territory by negotiation and had taken by force more than half of Mexico's territory, an area of about 500,000 square miles. Yet Polk's territorial successes inspired the rancorous debate over whether slavery should be allowed in the new territories—a debate that ended in civil war. Modern critics charge that Polk's actions toward Mexico were amoral if not immoral. In this comprehensive examination of Polk's life and career, our 11th president emerges as a complex man and a skillful politician who pursued power relentlessly.

This text addresses methods of evaluating technology in education and covers such topics as: how we know if technology works; collaborative learning; learner-centred design; multiple stakeholder needs; and that data that influence educational technology policy.

This reference offers a comprehensive overview of public policies and programs related to child care in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, Europe, and North America. Individual chapters profile policies and programs in 29 countries. Each chapter contains a description of existing policies and programs, presented against a particular historical, cultural, and ideological backdrop. The chapters are arranged in alphabetical order to facilitate use as a reference, and each includes a list of works for further reading.

The volume begins with an introductory essay that overviews recent trends and developments around the world. The chapters that follow discuss the background and history of child care, demographic characteristics of the country profiled, the socioeconomic context of child care, and the extent and nature of government intervention. A final chapter synthesizes the information presented and makes crossnational comparisons of policies and programs. Appendices provide demographic data and describe maternity and parental leave policies. A general bibliography concludes the work, making it a useful and current reference tool.

Over the past 25 years, the United States government has developed, through trial and error, both an understanding of terrorism and the means to deal with it. Using information collected in interviews with key decisionmakers from the Nixon to the Clinton administrations, David Tucker draws both strategic and tactical lessons from the United States' encounters with various terrorist groups. These lessons can be usefully applied to future counterterrorism efforts, as well as to other aspects of national security policy in a post-Cold War world where major conflicts will continue to be played out in numerous small struggles. This study will be must-reading for scholars and professionals in international relations, foreign policy, and military/political affairs.

This edited collection shows how the spread of HIV infection has been followed, represented, and managed in nine countries between 1982 and 1988. The countries cited in this study have been chosen to emphasize contrasts in the social and epidemiological profiles of AIDS, and to suggest the diversity of the problems constituted by HIV/AIDS in different national contexts. The juxtaposition of sequences of national response will raise questions about the range of policy options actually available to political and social policy-makers in a given context, and will invite further examination of the factors determining the acceptance or rejection of specific measures. Following the introduction, which outlines the choices that national governments confront in formulating AIDS policies, the successive chapters cover the reactions to HIV/AIDS in the United States, Brazil, France, Belgium, West Germany, Italy, Poland, Australia, and Africa. The final chapter compares the patterns of national response, identifies their common and divergent features, and points out tensions in policy-making caused by current changes in the spread of infection and in the understanding of the virus. This book makes informative reading for those who want to learn more about international variation in the political, social, and economic aspects of the AIDS epidemic.

Bill Clinton is a man whose inconsistencies have profoundly puzzled reporters, pundits, and this reviewer. The author sets out to make sense of these contradictions. He looks at President Clinton's character form the perspective of ambition, integrity, and his relationship with others. It is in Renshon's examination of these characteristics that make High Hopes so intriguing and educational. --The American Reporter Book Review The Clinton presidency is pivotal, occurring at a particularly sensitive time in American and world history. The Cold War has ended; yet Americans face daunting social and economic problems and are increasingly divided about how to address them. In this perceptive psychological portrait of Clinton and his presidency, expert Stanley Renshon investigates whether Clinton has demonstrated the requisite qualities of judgment, vision, character, and skill to meet the challenges he faces, domestically and internationally, and whether he merits another term. Renshon incisively analyzes Clinton's sweeping ambitions, his enormous confidence in himself and his goals, and his success in convincing people that he genuinely cares about them. He reveals a Bill Clinton whose capacity for political success is often undermined by the very traits for which many praise him. His unusually high self-confidence, for instance, leads him to believe that he can accomplish what others have not, that he can, for instance, reconcile polar opposites such as liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans. Remarkably persistent throughout Clinton's career are certain character traits which have defined him to the public--his tendency to make promises he can't keep, his ability to win people over in person, his sudden blind rages. Renshon traces the development of Clinton's character from his early family experiences to his highly successful adolescence and long political career. He illustrates how each step along the way--Clinton's inconsistent experiences as an adored but disregarded child, his attempt to avoid the draft and the consequences of doing so, his marriage to Hillary Rodham whose own psychology has both helped and hurt him, and his tenure as governor during which his character first became a political issue--is crucial to understanding his erratic and controversial presidency. Renshon explores the nature of the Clinton marriage as a political partnership and looks at Hillary Clinton as an associate president. High Hopes gives us a new understanding of why a man with so many talents has become a president whose performance has not measured up to his promise.

Addressing the specific contexts of communal leadership, educational policy, inter-communal relations, legal reform, media production, public discourse, public opinion, and responses to government policy, this volume examines Western-Muslim relations and makes proposals for enhancing Self-Other interaction to improve societal harmony.

After the introduction of a new economic policy of 1991, India is increasingly portrayed as a big emerging market for consumer goods and for broadcasting and communications services. Policies for telecommunications, computer software and television broadcasting in India have also shifted fundamentally. The book considers communications policies in light of the role of communications in social and economic development and global patterns of trade and investment in communications and services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has offered the world and its governments many challenges in how they will conduct their responsibilities and best assist their citizens. The COVID-19 pandemic not only brought a global health emergency, but also helped to shed light on systemic inequalities, caused conspiracy and distrust within the masses, and exhausted global health services. The government and nonprofit sector, including healthcare, education, and social service organizations, will have to utilize the best practices, greater collaboration, and joint venturing to survive post pandemic. Transforming Government, Nonprofits, and Healthcare in a Post-Pandemic Era serves as a resource for those in education, healthcare, government, social service, and other nonprofit organizations who wish to advance their missions in an age of uncertainty. It further discusses how democracy can continue to advance the world, its countries, and the way that we see one another. Covering topics such as BIPOC academic leaders, economic development, and health science education, this premier reference source is an essential resource for government officials, public administration, community leaders, advocacy networks, social service organizations, hospital administrators, health officials, medical professionals, students and faculty of higher education, researchers, and academicians.

Examining the complex nature of state apologies for past injustices, this title probes the various functions they fulfil within contemporary democracies. Cutting-edge theoretical and empirical research and insightful philosophical analyses are supplemented by real-life case studies, providing a normative and balanced account of states saying 'sorry'.

Important lessons for policy makers are provided here as contributors evaluate the effectiveness of domestic economic policies and the recommendations of international organizations such as the World Bank regarding the economic development of developing countries. Challenges posed by debt problems, corruption, population dynamics, poverty, and the absence of adequate human and physical capital are highlighted. Contributors cast doubts on the conclusions of the prevailing theories of economic development with patterns of economic change over the course of the 20th century. Their findings point out the issue of inadequate social capability as a critical factor in understanding the lack of economic development in many developing countries. They suggest that contemporary theorizing tends to pinpoint necessary but insufficient conditions for the successful implementation of development strategies in these countries.

Counties generally fulfill three service roles: traditional or state-mandated; local or municipal; and regional or urban. Benton has written the first scholarly treatment of county governments as providers of all three of these types of services, dispelling the notion that counties are mere providers of services they are mandated to perform by their state governments. County governments in the United States have become increasingly important as service providers over the past several decades, vis-a-vis municipalities and townships. These services change over time and vary from region to region.

Variations in the roles that county governments play in the provision of traditional, local, and regional service are explained. Therefore, in addition to examining multiple indicators of service roles for all 3,043 counties in the United States, the analysis is extended to investigate the influence of political, state constitutions, statutes, and financial aid, population growth patterns, metropolitan/non-metropolitan status, and form of government.

This revised edition of Arnold Birenbaum's important book brings the work up to date through the end of 1994 and the close of the 103rd Congress. It offers a comprehensive, provocative, and completely new assessment of health care reform with a focus on financing and coverage. A fine primer...on the health care debate (JAMA), the book examines such topics as the changing doctor-patient relationship, the growth of managed care, the rise and decline of hospitals, American business and health benefits, and the uninsured in America. This new edition takes particular heed to the failure of health care reform in 1994. In responding to the first edition, Victor Sidel, M.D., former president of the American Public Health Association, called it, "A wonderfully far-ranging, meticulously documented, insightfully analyzed and remarkably well written challenge to professionals, patients, and community members to work for effective change in a bizarre, expensive, inefficient, and often unresponsive medical care system."

Regulatory change has come to characterize global telecommunications in the 1990s. In this timely book, contributors of recognized distinction and knowledge provide a range of perspectives and discuss a variety of approaches to telecommunications issues, providing broad coverage of telecommunications regulatory policies. In its analysis of public policies for deregulating telecommunications services, the work emphasizes the business strategy implications entailed by each public policy. The volume argues that globalization and interdependence are forcing governments to adjust their policies; that technology often eclipses voluntary government policies; and that all multinational corporations, through their investment strategies and R&D efforts, are important actors in regulatory policy, as are national and international agencies.

This book is an examination of the central role of incumbency in the televised world of American presidential elections and analyzes how an individual incumbent, Bill Clinton, influenced the recurring and predictable patterns of televised news in ways that secured his reelection. Dover advances a theoretical perspective on the importance of incumbency and links it to the institutional and rhetorical features of the presidential office. He describes how television news media responds to incumbency by depicting a strong incumbent, one who leads in the polls and eventually wins, as a statesman deserving of reelection, and by showing a weak incumbent, one who trails in the polls and eventually loses, as a troubled politician unqualified for office. Professor Dover demonstrates that the uniquely appearing events of the 1996 Campaign were not unique, but were instead additional manifestations of the recurring patterns by which incumbency and television news operate in American politics. Clinton became a strong incumbent before the election began and TV news media responded predictably. After examining how Clinton became a strong incumbent by defeating the Republicans in a highly televised series of battles in 1995 over Medicare and the federal budget, he then describes how the news media responded to Clinton's strength by directing attention to the most divisive aspects of the Republican nomination campaign while presenting Clinton as a statesman. He also examines the general election campaign from the same perspective, while demonstrating how TV news media constantly depicted Clinton as a likely winner while focusing on Dole as the probable loser. An important analysis for all students and researchers of presidential elections and political journalism.

This volume provides a systematic framework for energy suppliers, policy makers, academics, students, and all others interested in energy security, and analyzes key issues concerning energy, security and sustainability with the help of a wealth of data. While sustainability is the broadest objective, energy security is an important part of it, at the global, national and societal levels. The development of a sustainable, long-term solution to meeting the world's energy needs is a defining issue of our time, since central global challenges that the world faces-poverty alleviation, climate change, and environmental degradation-are directly linked to energy security. The contributions cover key issues in sustainable energy and illustrate that the insecurity of a majority of countries owes to internal factors which have more to do with market forces, inefficient technologies, lack of institutions, environmental insecurity, pricing mechanisms, etc., and less to do with the international situation. The links between energy and development are both direct and indirect. Directly, energy provides several services and utilities to maintain human well-being, and also does so indirectly through stakeholders. This volume addresses both the direct and indirect links and provides sustainable alternatives, helping readers to better grasp the resilience of both socio-economic and resource sub-systems in the process. The issues affecting energy supply and demand, including technology portfolios, environmental considerations and consumer attitudes are thoroughly discussed. One of the critical questions that arises is how to facilitate energy investment. The investment climate and the key issues involved are analyzed, including: the capital flows with reasonable and stable investment frameworks, timely decision-making by governments, and open markets. The broad objective of the volume is to foster a deeper understanding of the concept of energy security and to identify the methods of analysis, policy initiatives and future research needed to generate a balanced pattern of energy use and mitigate its impact on humanity and the environment.