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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Central government
Introduction of a common European currency has been, and is, a process bristling with difficulties. Will establishing European science be any easier? The contributors to the volume have treated this question with the seriousness it deserves. The results steer away from an easy optimism, but emphasize the importance of such enterprise. This insightful text should be of interest to policy makers and scientists alike, not the least because it shows how the two groups influence each other.' - Barbara Czarniawska, University of Gothenburg, SwedenSince the European Research Area was launched at the beginning of the century, significant efforts have been made to realise the vision of a coherent space for science and research in Europe. But how does one define such a space and measure its development? This timely book analyses the dynamics of change in the policy and governance of science and research within Europe over the past decade. It widens the scope of traditional policy analysis by focusing attention on the interaction between policy rationales, new governance mechanisms, and the organisational dynamics of the scientific field. The contributors build a novel analytical framework to understand the European research space as one shifting from a fragmented space of 'Science in Europe' to one that is labeled 'European Science'. The chapters explore the dynamics of this shift through the lenses of political science, organisation theory, science policy and related analytical traditions. Towards European Science is an interdisciplinary book which will attract a wide set of scholars and professionals interested in science policy, governance and scientific practice. It will also be of use to university leaders and managers, as well as policy-makers and practitioners working on issues of internationalisation and the Europeanisation of science. Contributors: I. Bleiklie, D. Braun, L. Cruz-Castro, J. Enders, L. Engwall, A. Gornitzka, T. Hedmo, K. Jonkers, B. Lepori, T. Luukkonen, G. Mathisen Nyhagen, M. Nedeva, L. Sanz-Menendez, L. Wedlin
The 27 articles reprinted in this volume are among Peter Mieszkowski's most important contributions to public, urban and regional economics. Several of these pieces concern income distribution theory and policies for promoting equality in wages, housing and education.The first part of this book includes studies of labour markets, tax incidence and the distributive effects of trade unions and wage subsidies. Two important conclusions presented in these papers concern the local property tax: it is a tax on capital and it results in under-provision of local public goods. The second and third parts of the book address, respectively, the decentralization of cities and and tax reform. Issues discussed include: racial discrimination in housing markets, the design of land use regulation, the negative income tax, consumption taxes, and tax reform in transition countries, particularly Eastern European countries. These outstanding essays bring together, in an accessible form, the work of one of the most important scholars in the field of public finance and urban economics.
In the late 1980s a consensus appeared to have emerged that a level of unemployment around 1.6 million was satisfactory. The subsequent rise in unemployment showed that this satisfaction was misplaced. The British economy remains an "economy of unemployment", vulnerable to cyclical recession and large-scale job loss. Why this should be so, and what was wrong with policy towards unemployment and the labour market are the twin focuses of this book. Its emphasisis on the analysis of the structure of unemployment and through this the identification of responsible policies which could address unemployment. "Understanding Unemployment" includes contributions from economics, sociology, social policy, law, psychology and geography. It addresses such issues as the nature of labour supply and demand, employer recruitment practices, the effect of unemployment on individuals and families and the potential impact of European integration. Taken together, they offer new and positive perspectives on unemployment and on the nature of effective, active labour market policies.
How the optimism gap between rich and poor is creating an increasingly divided society The Declaration of Independence states that all people are endowed with certain unalienable rights, and that among these is the pursuit of happiness. But is happiness available equally to everyone in America today? How about elsewhere in the world? Carol Graham draws on cutting-edge research linking income inequality with well-being to show how the widening prosperity gap has led to rising inequality in people's beliefs, hopes, and aspirations. For the United States and other developed countries, the high costs of being poor are most evident not in material deprivation but rather in stress, insecurity, and lack of hope. The result is an optimism gap between rich and poor that, if left unchecked, could lead to an increasingly divided society. Graham reveals how people who do not believe in their own futures are unlikely to invest in them, and how the consequences can range from job instability and poor education to greater mortality rates, failed marriages, and higher rates of incarceration. She describes how the optimism gap is reflected in the very words people use--the wealthy use words that reflect knowledge acquisition and healthy behaviors, while the words of the poor reflect desperation, short-term outlooks, and patchwork solutions. She also explains why the least optimistic people in America are poor whites, not poor blacks or Hispanics. Happiness for All? highlights the importance of well-being measures in identifying and monitoring trends in life satisfaction and optimism--and misery and despair--and demonstrates how hope and happiness can lead to improved economic outcomes.
People magazine's top reason for Hope in America. Curated from a grassroots social movement, The Front Steps Project is an inspiring, uplifting portrait series capturing how people coped with living in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Front Steps Project™ demonstrates that even in the most challenging of circumstances, kindness, love, courage, and hope exist to build, bind, and connect communities around the globe. Created on March 18, 2020, The Front Steps Project™ began when friends Kristen Collins and Cara Soulia sought out to unite their neighbors through photographs of life in quarantine. In addition to incorporating work from other local photographers, the women traveled to neighborhoods around Needham, Massachusetts to photograph residents in front of their homes in exchange for donations to their local food pantry. Within days, #TheFrontStepsProject became a grassroots social mission, connecting thousands of people across the globe and raising over $3,250,000 for vital non-profit organizations and local businesses including food pantries, frontline workers, homeless and animal shelters, hospitals and so much more. Through their noble efforts, hundreds of thousands of images and stories of love, sacrifice, compassion, kindness, perseverance, and – ultimately hope – flooded social media. Featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, People Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and more, The Front Steps Project brings communities together virtually, despite being – and maybe feeling – isolated. The Front Steps Project contains over 400 photographs and dozens of stories of families during the COVID-19 pandemic. This heartwarming keepsake commemorates a massive effort of courage, unity, and goodwill. As a tribute to the good work of The Front Steps Project, a portion of book sales will be donated to The United Way to help people impacted by the pandemic.
Americans have become resigned to seeing Congress vote money for porkbarrel projects of all kinds-roads, dams, post offices, military installations-in the districts of influential legislators. In recent years Congress has, almost without public notice, extended this form of vote-buying and pandering into a new domain: science. Where formerly scientific funding proposals were evaluated by outside experts on the basis of merit, there is now an increasing consideration of congressional districts and "fair" geographical distribution. In this ground-breaking volume, Joseph P. Martino offers a critical examination of special-interest funding and the danger it poses to the integrity of American society as a whole, as well as to its scientific component. Science Funding is distinguished by its comprehensive approach to the structural and historical background of the current situation. It examines the history of science funding from the early twentieth century through present, public vs. to taxpayers, instances of fraud, and the effects of government funding for research in universities. Martino's survey demonstrates conclusively that government has been inefficient in its funding capacity and that the shortcomings are inherent: political criteria for the support of science, congressional micromanagement, freezing out of innovative ideas, and the favoring of massive projects-Big Science-over small, but significant experimental programs. In his concluding chapter Martino provides an agenda for new thinking on the funding of science. He proposes alternatives that suggest a plurality of approaches is preferable to the current monolithic model, and shows how industrial support, philanthropy, and contributions from the public can be made more effective. Science Funding is a major work on the interaction of science, politics, and society. It will be of interest to sociologists, policymakers, and political scientist, and the research science community.
First Published in 1992. This book examines the elements of continuity and change in Philip pine politics and government over the last quarter century. The period covered, from the early 1960s through 1988, encompasses three distinct phases: the decline of traditional elite democracy, the imposition of martial law and constitutional authoritarianism under Ferdinand Marcos, and, most recently, the restoration of democracy under Corazon Aquino.
A guide to the literature on corruption. The articles illustrate and explain the scope, incidence and consequences of corruption in a variety of political settings in the developed world, covering issues such as the American experience of sleaze and sleaze and the sense of malaise in Germany.
A collection of articles on corruption. It discusses the variety of prescriptions presented as ways of controlling corruption. Topics covered include: the political dimensions of corruption cleanups; redesigning the state to fight corruption; and the role of public administration.
The incredible, harrowing account of how American democracy was hacked by Moscow as part of a covert operation to influence the U.S. election and help Donald Trump gain the presidency. Russian Roulette is...the most thorough and riveting account. -- The New York Times Russian Roulette is a story of political skullduggery unprecedented in American history. It weaves together tales of international intrigue, cyber espionage, and superpower rivalry. After U.S.-Russia relations soured, as Vladimir Putin moved to reassert Russian strength on the global stage, Moscow trained its best hackers and trolls on U.S. political targets and exploited WikiLeaks to disseminate information that could affect the 2016 election. The Russians were wildly successful and the great break-in of 2016 was no third-rate burglary. It was far more sophisticated and sinister -- a brazen act of political espionage designed to interfere with American democracy. At the end of the day, Trump, the candidate who pursued business deals in Russia, won. And millions of Americans were left wondering, what the hell happened? This story of high-tech spying and multiple political feuds is told against the backdrop of Trump's strange relationship with Putin and the curious ties between members of his inner circle -- including Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn -- and Russia. Russian Roulette chronicles and explores this bizarre scandal, explains the stakes, and answers one of the biggest questions in American politics: How and why did a foreign government infiltrate the country's political process and gain influence in Washington?
Liz Truss's journey from schoolgirl revolutionary to Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister The Sunday Times Politics Book of the Year 'An insightful and at times riotously entertaining account of the lengthy rise and abrupt fall of Britain's 56th Prime Minister. What was intended as a prologue to her premiership is now a riveting political obituary in which every page drips with the seeds of both triumph and disaster. Cole and Heale have produced a meticulously reported account of Truss's drive, impulsiveness, eccentricity and ideological certainty which reads like a warning from history. It has elements of tragedy but is frequently very, very funny.' Tim Shipman 'Make sure you put your seat belt on. Heale and Cole put you in the passenger seat of the fastest car crash in recent political history. It's an unmissable romp through Liz Truss's long journey to the top, fuelled by ambition and espresso. The clues that foretold the extraordinary catastrophe are all there, as the authors reveal in gory detail how Liz Truss nearly had the last laugh, before finally, as her government imploded, the joke was on her.' Laura Kuenssberg Despite being written off and mocked by even her closest colleagues, Liz Truss slowly but determinedly achieved her goal of taking over 10 Downing Street - only to instantly plunge her administration into chaos and announce her resignation after a record-breaking 44 days. How did she do it? And what exactly went so wrong? With unrivalled access and insight, award-winning political journalists Harry Cole and James Heale provide the answers, drawing on interviews with Truss's friends and supporters, as well as her worst critics and rivals, from Kwasi Kwarteng to Michael Gove. Tracking Truss's transformation from geeky teenage Lib Dem to Tory PM, with the inside scoop on her first - and only - month in office, Out of the Blue is the unmissable behind-the-scenes account of Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister.
Government policies to reduce environmental pollution and global warming are often criticized as damaging to the economy, particularly by reducing international competitiveness. This book addresses the issue by examining many of the policies concerned, and their effects on competitiveness. It demonstrates that well-designed, market-oriented environmental policies may be expected to improve both domestic and international competitiveness. The authors dismiss the fear that environmental policies will damage competitiveness by approaching the issue from four different perspectives: the economic analysis of competitiveness; a geo-economic approach to trade and foreign investment between Europe, NAFTA and Southeast Asia; studies of the effects of environmental policies on competitiveness; and the formal modelling of carbon taxation, international competitiveness and carbon leakage. The book also includes results from a global econometric model on the potential for carbon leakage, a detailed case study of German national policies, an examination of life cycle analysis and competitiveness, and an empirical study of green product development. This book will be of great interest to academics working in the field of environmental economics and researchers involved in environmental policy.
Select committees are generally faced by those at the very top of their game: high-flying CEOs, powerful executives and industry experts. Why, then, do the very words send shivers down the spines of even our most senior representatives? Perhaps it is the unblinking eye of the television cameras, the hawkish interrogation of the committee chair or simply the knowledge of those Goliaths who have fallen before. After twenty years of advising big-name clients on how to take on this gruelling ordeal, Scott Colvin argues that it needn't be this way. Based on interviews with those on the front line, he offers a freshperspective on how the process could be improved for committee members and witnesses alike. Steeped in exclusive inside knowledge and expert tips, and with a step-by-step manual on how to prepare for a hearing, this is the essential guide to not only surviving but thriving in the hot seat.
A commitment to acceptable levels of accommodation for all has meant that housing has normally enjoyed a high place on the agendas of most socialist countries. However this place has not always been undisputed, and housing has to compete with other welfare and economic requirements. As a result the housing policies in the Eastern bloc have not been uniform. This book examines issues related to housing in Eastern Europe. It describes the broad similarities and differences between Eastern and Western Europe, outlines trends in housing conditions since World War II, and discusses the relevance of factors external to housing. The system of housing provision is seen to be contingent on various economic and social factors, and so the current changes in so many aspects of the Eastern European political scene are seen to be of vital significance for the future of housing.
By now, it is commonly accepted that investments in information and communication technologies (ICTs) can facilitate macroeconomic growth in developed countries. Research standards in ICT for development (ICT4D) are high, and it is a basic expectation that a theoretically sound conceptual investigation should yield actionable results. An additional expectation is that an on-the-ground study conducted in each setting should add to the common body of knowledge based on theory. In other words, one is expected to make a connection between the world of concepts and the world of reality. Middle-range theories and frameworks could help connect the case studies with grand theories, by helping to create a theoretically sound and practically applicable research architecture of ICT4D. This book demonstrates how creative use of various data analysis methods (e.g., data mining [DM], data envelopment analysis [DEA], and structural equation modeling [SEM]) and conceptual frameworks (e.g., neoclassical growth accounting, chaos and complexity theories) may be utilized for inductive and deductive purposes to develop and to test, in step-by-step fashion, theoretically sound frameworks for a large subset of ICT4D research questions. Specifically, this book showcases the utilization of DM, DEA, and SEM for the following purposes: Identification of the relevant context-specific constructs (inductive application) Identification of the relationships between the constructs (inductive application) Development of a framework incorporating the constructs and relationships discovered (inductive application) Testing of the constructed framework (deductive application) The book takes a multi-theoretical perspective to economic development research. It starts with an overview of ICT4D. Next it covers such frameworks and theories as neoclassical growth accounting and the theory of complementarity, complex systems and chaos theories, and the product life cycle (PLC) theory. There are also nontechnical overviews of the DM and data analytic methods that can be used in this research. Also presented is evidence that human capital and investment capital are complementary and are reliable sources of economic growth. The book concludes with methodological frameworks to guide investment decisions and the formulation of strategic policy.
This book presents the findings of new empirical research regarding shifts in public discourses and attitudes in Greek society as a result of the crisis. These findings have shown different shades of Euroscepticism and anti-German sentiments, but they have also revealed a normative conflict within Greek society itself. The book shows how economic crises and strict policy conditionality, causing or deepening economic recession in the countries receiving it, has the potential to set in motion a fragmentation process, which transcends standard material stratification and relates to broader political and even cultural rifts among the population. With this, the book serves as a case study of the impact of wider pressures and shifts weighing upon the European Union (EU) and the way European societies perceive the integration process. This text will be of key interest to scholars and students of EU politics, Greek and Southern European studies and more broadly to cultural and comparative politics and political economy and European politics.
Health care reform has dominated public discourse over the past several years, and the recent passage of the Affordable Care Act, rather than quell the rhetoric, has sparked even more debate. Donald A. Barr reviews the current structure of the American health care system, describing the historical and political contexts in which it developed and the core policy issues that continue to confront us today. This comprehensive analysis introduces the various organizations and institutions that make the U.S. health care system work--or fail to work, as the case may be. A principal message of the book is the seeming paradox of the quality of health care in this country--on the one hand it is the best medical care system in the world, on the other it is one of the worst among developed countries because of how it is organized. Barr introduces readers to broad cultural issues surrounding health care policy, such as access, affordability, and quality. He discusses specific elements of U.S. health care, including insurance, especially Medicare and Medicaid, the shift to for-profit managed care, the pharmaceutical industry, issues of long-term care, the plight of the uninsured, medical errors, and nursing shortages. The latest edition of this widely adopted text updates the description and discussion of key sectors of America's health care system in light of the Affordable Care Act.
In 1908 Ellen Wilkinson, a fiery adolescent from a working-class family in Manchester, was "the only girl who talks in school debates." By midcentury, Wilkinson had helped found Britain's Communist Party, earned a seat in Parliament, and become a renowned advocate for the poor and dispossessed at home and abroad. She was one of the first female delegates to the United Nations, and she played a central role in Britain's postwar Labour government. In Laura Beers's account of Wilkinson's remarkable life, we have a richly detailed portrait of a time when Left-leaning British men and women from a range of backgrounds sought to reshape domestic, imperial, and international affairs. Wilkinson is best remembered as the leader of the Jarrow Crusade, the 300-mile march of two hundred unemployed shipwrights and steelworkers to petition the British government for assistance. But this was just one small part of Red Ellen's larger transnational fight for social justice. She was involved in a range of campaigns, from the quest for official recognition of the Spanish Republican government, to the fight for Indian independence, to the effort to smuggle Jewish refugees out of Germany. During Wilkinson's lifetime, many British radicals viewed themselves as members of an international socialist community, and some, like her, became involved in socialist, feminist, and pacifist movements that spanned the globe. By focusing on the extent to which Wilkinson's activism transcended Britain's borders, Red Ellen adjusts our perception of the British Left in the early twentieth century.
This book, first published in 1946, collects documents illustrating the foreign policy of the Soviet Union during the Second World War. They show how the fighting alliance of the USSR, Britain and the USA came into being and grew stronger, how relations were restored with other anti-Nazi countries, and how diplomatic relations were extended between the USSR and hitherto un-connected countries. The collection of three parts of translated documents: statements and speeches made by Stalin; documents, treaties, agreements; appendices including press statements and telegrams.
The Politics of Energy Research and Development examines and evaluates U.S. research and development policies to promote nuclear, solar, conservation, and other technology options. This volume is the third in the series "Energy Policy Studies, "which explores fundamental, long-term social, political, and economic dimensions of energy technology, resources, and use. Contributions represent a wide range of theoretical and policy perspectives, including sociology, economics, political science, urban and regional studies, environmental analysis, and history and philosophy of technology. Contents: Richard L. Ottinger, "Introduction: The Tragedy of U.S. Energy R&D Policy"; Amor DEGREES B. Lovins, "The Origins of the Nuclear Power Fiasco"; Richard T. Sylves, "Nuclear Exotica: Peaceful Use of Nuclear Explosives"; Eugene Frankel, "Technology, Politics and Ideology: The Vicissitudes of Federal Solar Energy Policy, 1974-1983"; Maxine Savitz, "The Federal Role in Conservation Research and Development"; J. David Roessner, "Commercialization Issues in Energy Technology Policy"; John Byrne and Daniel Rich, "In Search of the Abundant Energy Machine"; and Grant P. Thompson, "Energy Policy in the Interim: Waiting for the Next Shoe to Drop."
Biteback Publishing is delighted to announce a major new project, a two volume series of biographies of every female MP ever to be elected to the House of Commons. When Constance Markievicz stood as the Sinn Fein candidate for Dublin St Patrick's in 1918, few people believed she would win the election to become the first woman MP - but she did. Now, just over 100 years later, women following the path she paved are increasingly winning, and filling, the hallowed seats of Parliament. The past two decades have seen more and more women stepping up to fight for the interests of their constituents and redressing the unequal gender balance in the Commons. Since the huge influx of female Labour MPs with the election of Tony Blair (unfortunately referred to as 'Blair's Babes'), there are now women standing for a wide range of parties across the political spectrum. Alongside the ever-growing representation of BAME members in Parliament, these women are revolutionising Britain's political landscape like never before. Highlighting the profiles of each woman MP elected from 1997 to 2019, and written by an impressive array of solely female contributors, such as Emily Thornberry, Edwina Currie, Ayesha Hazarika, Natalie Bennett and Dia Chakravarty, The Honourable Ladies: Volume II is the second instalment in a compelling and comprehensive project to honour the lives and achievements of these unforgettable women.
First Published in 1984. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. |
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