Labour's 1997 victory was widely credited to the party's reinvention of itself as New Labour. This book argues that the transformation of the Labour Party is best understood as the product of Thatcherism, and marks the emergence of a new consensus in British politics. Despite Labour's claim to be re-applying traditional values, Tony Blair's politics owe more to neo liberalism than any traditional social democratic perspective. This wide ranging and controversial assessment of both Thatcherism and New Labour is used to illustrate a new theory as to how the process of political change takes place in practice.

This book explores the relationship between the religious beliefs of presidents and their foreign policymaking. Through the application of a new methodological approach that provides a cognetic narrative of each president, this study reveals the significance of religion's impact on U.S. foreign policy.

When the post-war relationship between Spain and America began, Hitler's old ally was an unlikely candidate for US influence. The Cold War changed all this. Soon there were US bases on Spanish territory and a political conjuring trick was under way. This volume examines the public diplomacy strategies that the US government employed to accomplish an almost impossible mission: to keep a warm relationship with a tyrant without drifting apart from his opponents, and to somehow pave the way for a transition to democracy. The book's focus on the perspective of soft power breaks new ground in understanding US-Spanish relations. In so doing, it offers valuable lessons for understanding how public diplomacy has functioned in the past and can function today and tomorrow in transitions to democracy.

In the last half century, the rule of law has increasingly been appealed to as a common global value. The Handbook on the Rule of Law analyses the appeal of this idea, its context, and background through a range of questions about the character, history and global reach of the rule of law, offering readers a definitive understanding of this central global norm. Original contributions from leading academics explore the rule of law conceptually and historically through its associated institutions, as well as examine detailed cases evaluating how the everyday application of the rule of law impacts society as a whole. Exploring a wide range of research on the social, political and economic dimensions of the rule of law, this Handbook clearly illustrates the link between the rule of law and the global political system. This informative Handbook will be key reading for post-graduate students of international relations, global politics, and law, as well as for legal scholars wanting to build upon their knowledge with a wider account of the rule of law. Researchers in areas impacted by the rule of law will also find this volume to be stimulating reading. Contributors include: J. Allison, T. Almeida Cravo, D. Banik, A. Bedner, P. Costa, C. Cutler, D.l. Desai, C. Feinaugle, J. Flood, T. Ginsburg, J. Gutmann, S. Hinderling, D. Howath, T. Kellogg, T. Krever, M. Krygier, A. Loretoni, F. Macaulay, A. Magen, C. May, J. Moller, P. Nicholson, L. Pech, M.M. Prado, M. Rishmawi, C. Schwoebel-Patel, L.B. Tiede, V. Vadi, S. Voigt, C. Walker, A. Wiener, A. Winchester, P. Zumbansen

This book tackles questions related to democracy, populism and truth, with results that are sure to inform pressing academic and popular debates. It is common to describe many of today's most energizing politicians and political movements as populist. Some are progressive advocates of greater economic democracy or individual rights, while others are recognizably authoritarian and anti-democratic, even while claiming to defend democracy. What all populist leaders share in common is a rhetorical approach: their ability to articulate, or at least profess to channel, the wishes of 'the people', a group that populist leaders claim a unique ability to understand and govern, especially with regard to their dissatisfaction with ruling elites. They decry corruption (although not necessarily with any sincerity), and they sometimes identify more mainstream politicians and bureaucrats as 'enemies of the people.' The rise of populist politics raises pressing questions about the nature of populism, but also about relationships between populism and democratic institutions. For example, is populism ever a democratic tendency, or does its invocation of a monolithic demos ('the people') signify a fundamentally anti-democratic worldview? Populist political rhetoric also raises concerns about the relationship between truth, democracy, and journalistic integrity. While the history of anti-democratic advocacy (famously illustrated by Plato) has often highlighted the tendency of a democratic style of politics to prioritize popularity over truth, the development of social media-and evolving norms of journalistic communication and public political discourse-raise these misgivings in new forms.

The evolution of economic organization, political authority, and social values in post-Mao China is the focus of this distinguished investigation which challenges standard interpretations of contemporary China. Mao's death in 1976 made possible a shift from movement politics that produced a gradual dissolution of pre-existing factions and allowed a redefined political agenda to emerge. This post-Mao agenda, in which the notion of class struggle as the key link was explicitly repudiated, formed the foundation for China's post-1978 modernization program. Burton describes this program as post-socialist, arguing that socialism as a definitive category has become irrelevant. He contends that demands for the reform of China's system of economic organization were the direct result of the failure of the Party's post-revolutionary political agenda and that subsequent economic improvements led to calls for modernization of the nation's structure of political authority. The author also describes the dramatic transformation of prevalent social values that has occurred during the same period. The original research and extensive use of vernacular sources, as well as Burton's multi-disciplinary and integrative approach make this volume required reading for students and scholars of contemporary politics, the sociology of China, and contemporary Chinese thought. Political and Social Change in China Since 1978 will fill the background information gap for generalists intrigued by recent events in China.

For the first time in their modern history, the Kurds in Iraq and Turkey at least are cautiously ascending. This is because of two major reasons. (1) In northern Iraq the two U.S. wars against Saddam Hussein have had the fortuitous side effect of helping to create a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The KRG has become an island of democratic stability, peace, and burgeoning economic progress, as well as an autonomous part of a projected federal, democratic, post-Saddam-Hussein Iraq. If such an Iraq proves impossible to construct, as it well may, the KRG is positioned to become independent. Either way, the evolution of a solution to the Kurdish problem in Iraq is clear. (2) Furthermore, Turkey's successful EU candidacy would have the additional fortuitous side effect of granting that country's ethnic Kurds their full democratic rights that have hitherto been denied. Although this evolving solution to the Kurdish problem in Iraq and Turkey remains cautiously fragile and would not apply to the Kurds in Iran and Syria because they have not experienced the recent developments their co-nationals in Iraq and Turkey have, it does represent a strikingly positive future that until recently seemed so bleak.

This volume addresses a recurring and seemingly intractable problem of the U.S. political system: the nonparticipation of significant numbers of citizens in the political process. Specifically, the contributors explore the reasons why half of our eligible voters fail to exercise this most basic right, even in presidential elections. Among the questions the contributors explore are: Is there a fundamental and systematic basis in participation patterns? Does social condition, class status, and social identity relate to the likelihood of voting? Does political knowledge and information relate to participation? Do patterns of participation vary among minority and politically under-represented groups? By analyzing these and other topics related to political participation, the contributors shed new light on an issue that, until now, has received only modest attention in the social scientific literature. The volume is comprised of eight chapters, each examining a particular aspect of voter participation. Following an introduction that compares turnout rates in the United States with other countries, the contributors discuss how registration practices have served to depress participation, analyze the reasons for weak participation by under-represented groups, and present a theoretical and empirical evaluation of the factors that contribute to the decision to vote or not to vote. They go on to assess the Supreme Court's role in electoral participation patterns, whether the timing of elections influences participation, and the impact of electoral arrangements on participation. The concluding chapter evaluates the policy consequences of nonvoting and the potential effects of significantly higher voter turnout in future elections. An ideal set of readings for courses in American politics, this volume offers the most comprehensive treatment yet available of the issues surrounding voter participation in the United States.

Political legitimacy has become a scarce resource in Russia and other post-Soviet states. Their capacity to deliver prosperity has suffered from economic crisis, war in Ukraine and confrontation with the West. Will nationalism and repression enable political regimes to survive? This book studies the politics of legitimation in Post-Soviet Eurasia.

The Critical Black Studies Series celebrates its third volume, "Transnational Blackness," The series, under the general supervision of Manning Marable, features readers and anthologies examining challenging topics within the contemporary black experience--in the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, and across the African Diaspora. Previously published in the series are "Racializing Justice, Disenfranchising Lives: The Racism, Criminal Justice, and Law Reader" (September 2007) and "Seeking Higher Ground: The Hurricane Katrina Crisis, Race, and Public Policy Reader "(January 2008).

Celebrating the third volume of

CRITICAL BLACK STUDIES

Series Editor: Manning Marable

For many decades, black intellectuals in the United States have thought of racism as a global phenomenon. "Transnational Blackness" presents, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the history, critical analysis, and theoretical perspectives of key black scholars and activists on the transnational dynamics of modern race and racism throughout the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Europe. The book examines the social thought of, among others: W.E.B. DuBois, Eslanda Goode Robeson, Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton, and Michael Manley.

Recent political developments in Spain regarding Catalonia have prompted scholars from several disciplines to research the singularity of this region and of the territories of the old Crown of Aragon. Against the backdrop of the pro-independence movement, those in favor and against have insisted on the particularity or commonality of Catalonia and the Paisos Catalans (Catalan-speaking areas) within the Spanish State. From the Catalan point of view, their singularity is not sufficiently recognized, and respect for their institutions and their autonomy is at stake to the point that many prefer to secede from Spain. Singularity or its absence play a relevant role in the construction of identity, which seems to be key in understanding many Catalans' attitudes towards the central government, a fluid concept that allows for a variety of interpretations. History of Catalonia and Its Implications for Contemporary Nationalism and Cultural Conflict is a critical reference book that centers around the topic of Catalan cultural and linguistic identity. With input from renowned scholars in several fields, the chapters explore the issue of Catalan identity from a variety of perspectives. While highlighting the legal and historical component to identity and also sociolinguistics and political linguistics, this book is ideally intended for scholars in the fields of Hispanic studies, history, linguistics, political science, and literary studies as well as practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in contemporary politics and the political developments in Spain regarding Catalonia.

This book focuses on a reading of Frantz Fanon's work and life, asking how the work of a revolutionary writer such as Fanon might be best appropriated for contemporary political and cultural issues. Separate chapters introduce Fanon's life and examine the question of Fanon as our contemporary; review the field of "Fanon studies" that has grown up around his work; bring Fanon into conversation with the critical contemporary figures Edward Said, Michel Foucault, Jamaica Kincaid, and Paul Gilroy; and turn to Fanon's work to think through the contemporary popular uprisings that have come to be known as the "Arab Spring." The book concludes by arguing that a reevaluation of Fanon's life and work can provide us with a particular set of lessons about solidarity-lessons that are crucial for the contemporary political struggles that face us today and that will continue to confront us in the future. Finding Something Different: Frantz Fanon and the Future of Cultural Politics is inspired by Fanon's unsparing struggle against the depredations of racism and colonialism, and his lifelong commitment to finding something different.

Since the war in Iraq of 2003, relations between the USA and the EU have been strained and the UK has been increasingly regarded as the US Government's only dependable ally. In this new book John Redwood examines the growing conflicts between an EU flexing its muscles against the USA, and the dominance of the US global economy and military machine. He points to the phenomenal rise of China to say that whilst eyes are fixed on the EU superstate experiment the real events that will shape the world in the next 50 years are unfolding on the other side of the globe. To maintain a position of influence in the world, he writes that the UK must renegotiate with the EU and keep open its links to Asia and the USA: the true battle for supremacy will not be between the EU and the USA but between Asia and the USA, and it is already underway.

The expert essays in this volume deal with critically important topics concerning Islam and politics in both the pre-modern and modern periods, such as the nature of government, the relationship between politics and theology, Shi'i conceptions of statecraft, notions of public duty, and the compatibility of Islam and democratic governance.

As a wave of popular unrest toppled autocratic rulers across the Middle East and North Africa, many in the West watched with growing concern as Islamists came to power. The continued prominence of Islam in the struggle for democracy in the Muslim world has confounded Western democracy theorists, who largely consider secularism a prerequisite for democratic transition. In Political Islam in the Age of Democratization, Kamran Bokhari and Farid Senzai offer a comprehensive view of the complex nature of contemporary political Islam and its relationship to democracy. With a useful theoretical framework, classification of Islamists, and rich historical context, this book is a compelling and insightful analysis of Islamism and the role that religion is likely to play in any future Muslim democracy.

For many decades after the American Revolution, the image of the Republic shaped people's thinking and influenced events. Yet the simple republic and a growing, increasingly complex, capitalist America represented a clear paradox in American thinking. James Kirke Paulding was at one pole of that paradox. The first American writer to devote his career to describing America and Americans, to social commentary and social criticism, Paulding came to his subject as a crusader, his cause being the defense of the republic as a way of life, an economic and social system, and an ethical code. Although this book is Paulding's story, it is even more an attempt to describe America as Paulding saw it. Chapter 1 focuses on Paulding's part in urging the ongoing reasons for liberation from England and the protection of a unique American society. In Chapter 2, the discussion shifts to Paulding's view of the simple republic, and Chapter 3 considers the role of the West in preserving the simple republic. Although Paulding considered the West to be America's future, the South became for him its present. Chapter 4 considers his focus on the South in his struggle to save the heritage of the Revolution. Yet society was changing, and Chapter 5 focuses on Paulding's role in politics and his relationship with politicians in his last efforts to have both a noble past and a rapidly changing present. As the Civil War approached, the country, in Paulding's eyes, fell into the hands of fanatics who would sacrifice its heritage for the sake of a cause. His efforts to resist that fanaticism are the subject of the final chapter.

The product of a unique collaboration between a literary critic (Van Delden) and a political scientist (Grenier), this book looks at the relationship between literature and politics in Latin America, a region where these two domains exist in closer proximity than perhaps anywhere else in the Western world. The apparently seamless blending of literature and politics is reflected in the explicitly political content of much of the continent's writing, as well as in the highly visible political roles played by many Latin American intellectuals.

Yet the authors of this book argue that the relationship between the two realms is much more complex and fraught with tension than is nowadays recognized. In examining these tensions, and in revealing the diverse ways in which literature and politics intersect in the Latin American cultural tradition, Gunshots at the Fiesta offers a lively challenge to the current tendency--especially strong in the U.S. academy--to read Latin American literature through a narrowly political prism.

The authors argue that one can only understand the nature of the dialogue between literature and politics if one begins by recognizing the different logics that operate in these different domains. Using this idea of the different logics of politics and literature as a guiding thread, Van Delden and Grenier offer bold new readings of major authors such as Jose Marti, Octavio Paz, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Mario Vargas Llosa, as well as compelling interpretations of works by less-frequently-discussed figures such as Claribel Alegria, Marisol Martin del Campo and Victor Hugo Rascon Banda."

Aiming to transcend the conflict between Left and Right, the Third Way was welcomed by leading figures on the world stage. Its program of modernization, flexibility, and community regeneration indicated a way forward for many societies. Within a firm market emphasis, equality of opportunity and social inclusion were given a prominent place. However, its leaders' lack of direction and disinclination to face hard decisions have left its promise unfulfilled. This book puts forward a rigorous rethinking towards making the Third Way an effective instrument of progress for Britain as well as abroad.

The traditional class analysis of politics in industrial societies described a conflict that pitted the well-off business class against the working class in a "democratic class struggle." This book holds that economic development has produced a New Class which rivals the business class in the politics of post-industrial societies.

Beyond the Western Liberal Order explores the international thought of Yanaihara Tadao (1893-1961), the most prominent Japanese social scientist of empire, population migration, and colonial policy during the 1920s and 1930s. Nakano provides a detailed analysis of Yanaihara's study of empire, including global migration, economic disparity and hierarchy, ethnic conflict, and regionalism. This comprehensive work concludes by demonstrating the contemporary relevance of Yanaihara's ideas to current debates and discussion in International Relations.

Why, when and where did global Socialism fall? In a challenge to the dominant interpretations of North-centric writing, this left perspective from the Third World argues that the battle for Socialism was fought in the global South whilst analysis thereafter has been from the North.Jayatilleka's critical exploration of significant twentieth century revolutions: the Cold War, the Sino-Soviet equation, and the dramatic defeat of the left project, examines a range of themes including political ideas and behaviour, international relations and diplomacy, political violence and armed conflict. This re-interpretation of twentieth century history and its trajectory provides a unique contribution to left and radical thinking and political practice.

This volume aims to reconstruct and debate a contemporary Christian realist framework, while also applying such a perspective to the issues of contemporary politics such as the Bush Doctrine, the laws of war, democracy and democratization, U.S. participation in international institutions, and apocalyptic terrorism.

German Ideologies since 1945 explores the development of German political thought in the post-war period. The contributors analyze to what extent the much debated Westernization and Americanization of German political culture was reflected in or even driven by political thinkers. They also illuminate the complex ways in which older German traditions were abandoned or adapted to the situation after 1945, while Western traditions were appropriated (or misappropriated) to suit German needs. This volume is the first comprehensively to chart the paths of post-war conservatism and neo-conservatism; the first to make sense of the political thinking of the student rebels of 1968; and the first to analyze the development of distinctively German brands of civic republicanism and multiculturalism. The contributors also pay particular attention to the shifting cultural contexts and institutional bases of political thought, such as the peculiar German university culture and the world of intellectual magazines.

"The book traces the rise of Islamism in Lebanon and its attempt to Islamize society and state by the reverse integration of society and state into the project of Islamism. Against a background of weak and contested national identity and capricious interaction between religious affiliation and confessional politics, this book attempts to illustrate in detailed analysis this "comprehensive" project of Islamism according to its ideological and practical evolutionary change. The book demonstrates that, despite ideological, political and confessional incongruities and concerns, Islamism, in both its Sunni and Shi'a variants, has maintained a unity of purpose in pursuing its project: Jihad against Israel and abolishment of political sectarianism"--