This Reader contains the five most influential books ever written about political strategy and philosophy. Plato's "Republic" is a Socratic dialogue written c380 BC. It focusses on the definition of justice and the order and character of the just city-state and the just man. It is Plato's most famous work and is one of the most influential works of philosophy and political theory. Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is an ancient Chinese military treatise. It was written by a high-ranking military general, strategist and tactician, probably between. 481 BC and 403 BC. The book has thirteen chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is the definitive work on military strategy and tactics of its time and has continued to inspire leaders through the ages. Thomas More's Utopia was published in 1516 and is a fictional work exploring political philosophy. The story depicts a fictional island society and its religious, social and political customs. Machiavelli's "The Prince" was published in 1532 and is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist. It is one of the first works of modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. Hobbes' Leviathan is concerned with the structure of society and legitimate government, and is regarded as one of the earliest and most influential examples of social contract theory. It was written during the English Civil War (1642-1651) and argues for a social contract and rule by an absolute sovereign.

Globalization has, within academic, political and business circles alike, become the buzz word of the 1990s, conjuring an ever growing diversity of associations, connotations and attendant mythologies. In this volume an array of international academics assess the contribution of the globalization thesis, in its various guises, to our understanding of social, political and economic change in contemporary societies. They expose, challenge and demystify many of the exaggerated and over-generalized claims made about globalization, whilst developing a distinctive "third wave" perspective on the world we inhabit and the processes currently reconfiguring it.

Eleanor Roosevelt was an American influencer. Using her own words, personal documents, past perspectives, and new biographical research, this book introduces young adult readers to Roosevelt not only within her own historical context, but connected to contemporary issues. Using Eleanor Roosevelt's own words, personal correspondences, private documents, and a wide range of past perspectives and new biographical research, this book tells the intimate story of a real woman who struggled with a lack of self confidence but built a supportive network of like-minded activist women to realize change. One hundred years ago, Roosevelt was drawn into politics and public service by events that seem ripped from current events-an opiate crisis, a global pandemic, unsafe working conditions for immigrant women, and the human costs of war. Roosevelt's story mirrors the challenges of the 21st century and offers real examples of how change is possible. For students of history, politics, and women's studies, this book brings together past perspectives with new biographical scholarship, primary resources, and Roosevelt's own words to understand the female role models who shaped her and how Roosevelt in turn built a women's network of friends and activists that changed U.S. politics and society. Brings together a wide range of new resources and primary sources to peel away Eleanor Roosevelt's crafted public persona and reveal the real woman-her vulnerabilities, priorities, heartbreaks, and triumphs Provides readers with historical context in an easy-to-understand writing style to understand the important social changes Roosevelt contributed to and how her work continues to impact American lives in the 21st century Includes a timeline that places Roosevelt's life within historical context Includes primary documents that give voice to Roosevelt and her influence Introduces readers to the private Eleanor Roosevelt, the women who mentored her, and the network of female activists she led to open the door for American women in politics, government, and international diplomacy

This book contains five electoral essays and five discourses which explore issues impacting on free, fair and credible election organisation and conduct, with special attention on best practices in the Commonwealth and the African Union. The essays constitute part 1 and the discourses part 2 of the book. It describes and analyses the slow and cautious restart of the process of democratic elections in Nigeria, examining the missteps along the way from the first to the fourth electoral cycle which ended in 2011, which constitute essay I. Essay II deals with the development of election observation, together with mechanisms to strengthen the effectiveness thereof in the African Union and promote the technical capabilities of African Union electoral management bodies. Essay III seeks to compare aspects of election observation by the Commonwealth and the African Union. Essay IV examines best electoral practices in the Commonwealth and the African Union and essay V with the potential use of alternative dispute resolution in elections in the Commonwealth and the African Union. The discourses vigorously explore current electoral issues that slant towards further development in the near future. Discourse A is about youth and elections. It discusses how youth can participate more effectively in elections. Discourse B looks at the dimensions of political finance with particular attention to campaign financing. Discourse C is about incumbency and elections and discusses the nature and impact of incumbency on elections. Discourse D is about the culture of impunity which affects many electoral management bodies and in particular as it pertains to election violence. Discourse E deals with the impact of social media on election preparation and conduct.

"Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings," declared German poet Heinrich Heine. This book identifies the regime-sponsored, ideologically driven, and systemic destruction of books and libraries in the 20th century that often served as a prelude or accompaniment to the massive human tragedies that have characterized a most violent century. Using case studies of libricide committed by Nazis, Serbs in Bosnia, Iraqis in Kuwait, Maoists during the Cultural Revolution in China, and Chinese Communists in Tibet, Knuth argues that the destruction of books and libraries by authoritarian regimes was sparked by the same impulses toward negation that provoked acts of genocide or ethnocide. Readers will learn why some people--even those not subject to authoritarian regimes--consider the destruction of books a positive process. Knuth promotes understanding of the reasons behind extremism and patterns of cultural terrorism, and concludes that what is at stake with libricide is nothing less than the preservation and continuation of the common cultural heritage of the world. Anyone committed to freedom of expression and humanistic values will embrace this passionate and valuable book.

In the information age, telecommunications is the pillar of a strong economy. To developing countries, restructuring this industry is a necessary step toward integration into the world economy. Restructuring telecommunications, therefore, has been a pervasive issue in the economic reform programs of many countries in recent years. However, the nature of these changes has varied widely among these nations. "Unfinished Business" examines the process of reform in Mexico and contrasts it with that of the United States, Brazil, and New Zealand, examining both the economic and technological aspects of this highly complex situation.

Using interviews with key players in the policy process, Mariscal provides a detailed analysis of key elements and figures. Her multidisciplinary perspective allows for a full exploration of the international differences in telecommunications restructuring. Going beyond simply asking why privatization and deregulation policies were successfully implemented in Mexico, the work offers a comprehensive guide to the process and impact of policy choices on telecommunications development.

This book deals with the social, political, constitutional, moral, and economic developments which led to the implementation of a system of family allowances in Canada in July of 1945. The book focuses on when the idea first became identified in Canada; family allowances in relation to other social security measures of the time; the constitutional, moral, and financial obstacles to their implementation; the affect of family allowance legislation upon political parties; the reaction of the provinces to this legislation; and the timing of the legislation. Family allowances went through three stages in Canada: recommendations, official and unofficial, and subsequent public discussion; parliamentary debate and legislative enactment in August 1944; and the establishment of the administrative machinery leading to their implementation in July 1945.

Fear and hope are two hugely influential ideas in political life; here Stefan Skrimshire examines their relationship at a time where interest has exploded in the quasi-religious themes of apocalyptic protest and utopian politics.This book is about the relationship between two hugely influential ideas in political life: fear and hope. In distinction to a growing literature already grappling with these ideas, this book argues that responses to a politics of fear have coincided with an explosion of interest in the quasi-religious themes of apocalyptic protest and utopian politics in both scholarly interest and cultural and political life. As such, it makes a timely contribution to the rapidly growing study into the re-surfacing of religious reasons in our 'post secular' political culture.Whilst recent scholarly studies have drawn attention to the re-emergence of theological questions of, for example, political sovereignty; attitudes towards the body; universality; and transcendence, this book argues in addition that the subject of political orientations of the future should also be taken seriously, where political thought is engaged with theological themes such as eschatology, apocalypse and utopia, in order to generate resources for hope. In recent years the study of the nature and function of religion with respect to politics has seen enormous changes. This important series provides a range of books devoted to furthering this study, and aimed at those studying and researching in this area across both disciplines.Titles in this series look specifically at the relationship between religion and political culture. Drawing upon a broad range of religious perspectives, the series is open for studies of historical as well as current phenomena in political culture. It seeks not only to inform but to provoke debate at a time when religion is gaining increasing prominence in the public realm.

"The tipping point is here; something has to give. It is no longer tenable to argue that the labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain as a justification for Odi, Zaki Biam or Baga. Those scars on our history are actually a desecration of the collective memory of our heroes past... it is commonplace to see some of our leaders, past and present, sermonize on the imperative of national unity. Curiously, they would rather keep Nigeria together than promote unity amongst the diverse peoples of Nigeria. "It is necessary for all true patriots to appreciate that keeping Nigeria together does not and will never equate promoting peace among its peoples. For some odd reasons, many Nigerians do not see the difference; hence the consistent century-long failure in our approach to confronting the issues that contend with true nation-building."

With the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia in 1991, interest in Balkan history has increased and become emotionally charged. This balanced and engagingly written history of Serbia will help readers to understand the complex web of Serbian history, politics, society, and culture and how the Serbs have dealt with the many political, military, and socioeconomic challenges in their history. It attempts to remove the veil of stereotypes and myths obscuring the significant details and developmental processes in the history of Serbia and in its relations with its neighbors. In addition to examining the political history of Serbia in the context of Central Europe, the author, a specialist in Balkan history, shows how societal and cultural developments affected Serbian history and reflected political and economic events.

A timeline of significant events in the history of Serbia and an introductory chapter on Serbia today are followed by 12 chronologically organized narrative chapters that tell the story of this land from the splendor of medieval Serbia to a new beginning after the downfall of Slobodan Milosevic. Four historical maps, brief biographies of key figures in Serbian history, a glossary of terms, and a bibliographic essay provide valuable resource material for readers. Every library should update its collection of materials on Serbia with this current history.

Written in 1974 Murder From Within will show what actually happened to President Kennedy, the consequences of his murder, and what action Americans can take to protect their institutions from further internal assault. The problem of usurpation from within and illegitimate and bloody transfer of power is as old as political history itself. Betrayal from within from the leaders own inner circle dates all the way back to Julius Caesar and Jesus Christ. Centuries ago, several Roman Emperors were killed by their own Praetorian guards. This plot, which involved only a handful of high officials and a few Secret Service Agents, called for President Kennedy to be maneuvered to Dallas and executed in public. His body was then forcibly removed from the control of the Dallas Coroner and flown to Washingon, D.C., to a military hospital. There, autopsy findings were supervised to foil a later investigation and implicate a scapegoat. The plot required a high probability of success. Therefore, it was self-contained: carefully recruited members of the Secret Service- the President's guards- murdered him. The portability of a motorcade allowed the assassins to escape and the evidence to remain under their control. With their obvious cover as guards, the Secret Service could ensure that the planning would result in the replacement of one chief executive with another who now had the power to cover the crime up. The scapegoat for the crime was placed near the motorcade by being told to look for work at locations on one of two likely parade routes. Once he had a job, the motorcade was planned to pass in front of where he worked. In this way, it would appear that he had found his position by accident. To plan the route first and then place the scapegoat in position would raise serious questions in an investigation about his prior knowledge. Seven years in the making Murder From Within shows exactly and in detail how a small high level group within Kennedy's own Cabinet betrayed him and killed him to benefit an ambitious Vice President determined to become President no matter what.

Pan'gye surok (or "Pan'gye's Random Jottings") was written by the Korean scholar and social critic Yu Hyongwon(1622-1673), who proposed to reform the Joseon dynasty and realise an ideal Confucian society. It was recognised as a leading work of political science by Yu's contemporaries and continues to be a key text in understanding the intellectual culture of the late Joseon period. Yu describes the problems of the political and social realities of 17th Century Korea, reporting on his attempts to solve these problems using a Confucian philosophical approach. In doing so, he establishes most of the key terminology relating to politics and society in Korea in the late Joseon. His writings were used as a model for reforms within Korea over the following centuries, inspiring social pioneers like Yi Ik and Chong Yakyong. Pan'gye surok demonstrates how Confucian thought spread outside China and how it was modified to fit the situation on the Korean peninsula. Providing both the first English translation of the full Pan'gyesurok text as well as glossaries, notes and research papers on the importance of the text, this four volume set is an essential resource for international scholars of Korean and East Asian history.

How do nations make successful transitions to democracies? Our understanding of how democracy functions--and under what circumstances it can be consolidated and strengthened--remains highly uneven. Recent events underscore the critical importance of expanding our understanding of democratic institutions and operations. Here McMahon and his distinguished contributors demonstrate how the dynamic process of democratization is shaped by the specific contexts in which it occurs; how the internal community plays a key role in the development of democracy; and how the ability to understand democratization requires both internal and external perspectives.

The contributors seek to improve the definitions of what constitutes a democracy and to determine how the effectiveness of democratic institutions might best be judged in order to better serve the analysis of and policy approaches to building democratic institutions. With fewer overtly authoritarian states in the post-Cold War world, a wealth of raw information and experience has begun to accumulate. Our understanding of democratic institutional performance requires us to look closely at the performance of the institutions themselves. The book contains chapters on public opinion, civil society, domestic institutions of governance, elections, globalization, international standards of democratic development, international assistance and academic research. A concluding chapter summarizes what democratization processes can teach us about democracy in a broader context.

Camp David Presidents - Their Families and the World describes in non-sensational prose why Camp David is shrouded in secrecy, and why you can't go there. From its early beginnings as a CCC camp renamed Shangri-La by FDR to its current status as a favorite Presidential retreat, Jack Behrens takes the reader on a journey through the camp's history and explores each President's time at the camp.

Although Brazil and the United States have long regarded each other sympathetically, relations between the two countries have been adversely affected by geographical distance, language barriers, and cultural indifference. In this comprehensive overview, Joseph Smith examines the history of Brazil-U.S. relations from the early nineteenth century to the present day. With the exception of commerce, notably the coffee trade, there was relatively little contact between the countries during the nineteenth century. A convergence of national interests took place during the first decade of the twentieth century and was exemplified in Brazil's strategy of "approximating" its foreign policy to that pursued by the United States. In return, Brazil expected economic gains and diplomatic support for its ambition to be the leading power in South America. But U.S. leaders were cautious and self-serving. Brazil was treated as a special ally, according to Smith, but only at times of major crisis such as the two world wars. As the twentieth century progressed, friction developed over programs of U.S. financial assistance and efforts to deal with the threat of communism. Recently there have been disagreements over Brazil's determination to take its rightful place as a global economic player and regional leader. Nonetheless history reveals that these two giant nations of the Western Hemisphere share national interests that they realize are best served by maintaining a friendly, cooperative relationship.

Our world is undergoing immense changes. Never before have the conditions of life changed so swiftly and enormously as they have changed for mankind in the last fifty-plus years. We have been carried along...with no means of measuring the increasing swiftness in the succession of events. We are only now beginning to realize the force and strength of this storm of change that has come upon us.

Though none of us are yet clear as to the precise way in which this great changeover is to be effected, there is a worldwide feeling now that changeover or a vast upheaval is before us. Increasing multitudes participate in this uneasy sense of an insecure transition. In the course of one lifetime, mankind has passed from a state of affairs that seems to us now...to have been slow, dull, ill-provided, and limited, but at least picturesque and tranquil-minded, to a new phase of excitement, provocation, menace, urgency, and actual or potential distresses. More and more, our lives are intertwined with one another...a worldwide morass, and we cannot get away from that fact. We have become nothing more than nondescript, political pawns in a "winner-takes-all..".global chess game.

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti: The Artist and His Politics explores the politics of the leader of the Futurist art movement. Emerging in Italy in 1909, Futurism sought to propel Italy into the modern world, and is famously known for outlandish claims to want to destroy museums and libraries in order to speed this transition. Futurism, however, also had a much darker political side. It glorified war as the solution to many of Italy's ills, and was closely tied to the Fascist Regime. In this book, Ialongo focuses on Marinetti as the chief determinant of Futurist politics and explores how a seemingly revolutionary art movement, at one point having some support among revolutionary left-wing movements in Italy, could eventually become so intimately tied to the repressive Fascist regime. Ialongo traces Marinetti's politics from before the foundation of Futurism, through the Great War, and then throughout the twenty-year Fascist dictatorship, using a wide range of published and unpublished sources. Futurist politics are presented within the wider context of developments in Italy and Europe, and Ialongo further highlights how Marinetti's political choices influenced the art of his movement.