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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political structure & processes > General
This edited volume seeks to provide guidance on how we can approach
questions of governing and agency-particularly those who endeavour
to embark on grounded empirical research- by rendering explicit
some key challenges, tensions, dilemmas, and confluences that such
endeavours elicit. Indeed, the contributions in this volume reflect
the growing tendency in governmentality studies to shift focus to
empirically grounded studies. The volume thus explicitly aims to
move from theory to practice, and to step back from the more
top-down governmentality studies approach to one that examines how
one can/does study how relations of power affect lives, experience
and agency. This book offers insight into the intricate relations
between the workings of governing and (the possibility for)
people's agency on the one hand, and about the possible effects of
our attempts to engage in such studies on the other. In numerous
ways, and from different starting points, the contributions to this
volume provide thoughtful insights into, and creative suggestions
for, how to work with the methodological challenges of studying the
agency of being governed. This work will be of great interest to
students and scholars of international relations, global governance
and research methods.
Bakken addresses important issues of constitutional history in the
context of a seminal period in the history of the American West. He
describes the challenges which faced the participants in eight
Western constitutional conventions. His analysis answers questions
of how consensus was reached and how that consensus reflected the
compromise between the particular needs of the states and
fundamental principles. Bakken outlines the issues of public policy
which the constitution makers faced: issues ranging from resource
allocation and taxation to the role of corporations in the
community. He also explains how the delegates attempted to express
the values of their constituencies while striving to define the
concept of the public good.
The conclusions in this book challenge most traditional and
conventional American political scientific thinking on the value
and practicality of direct citizen participation in agenda setting,
planning, and policy making. It does this not only by applying a
new physically-based paradigm of political theory to the problem,
but also by offering a wealth of original, empirical evidence to
support its conclusion.
Basing her arguments on research in a new method of
public-opinion/citizen-participation experiments, Slaton's book:
(1) provides a new theoretical and practical response to those
opposed to increasing direct democracy in the United States; (2)
introduces a new method by which to promote and measure informed
and deliberated public opinion; (3) proposes a new methodology that
stimulates citizen participation toward and involvement in complex
policy issues; and (4) applies analogies to the paradigms of
quantum physics to new theories and techniques designed to promote
citizen participation in a democracy.
This collection is concerned with revisiting and redefining the
political economy - both empirical and theoretical - of 'foreign
policy' in the South as we approach the twenty-first century: the
position of post-colonial states and societies in the post-Bretton
Woods and Cold War world. With a focus on Africa, Asia, the
Caribbean and Latin America, this collection comparatively examines
the impact of changing political and economic structures upon
policy-makers and civil societies in the South.
Federalism is often described as the greatest of the American
contributions to the art of government, but it has been an evolving
and protean entity since its original establishment in the
Constitution. Based on the contributions of international scholars,
this volume explores three facets of modern federalism: the
vertical tensions over the distribution of authority between
national and sub-national governments; the tensions between the
national government's role as the instrument of policy uniformity
throughout the nation and the inclination of the states to take
different approaches to similar issues in light of their own
political cultures; and the changing context of federalism in the
more conservative political context of recent times. In addition, a
number of the essays explore the Canadian model of federalism,
which helps to place the U.S. model in comparative context.
Community foundations bring together the resources of individuals,
families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their
communities. Over the years, foundations have come to engage
community problem-solving through more than just grant-making. They
have added a rich array of other activities, including programs of
community capacity building, active modes of advocacy, and centres
for meeting. In 2011, the 700+ institutions in the United States
gave an estimated $4.2 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities
in fields that included the arts and education, health and human
services, the environment, and disaster relief. The origins of this
book stem from conversations among the leadership of community
foundations about the challenges they must overcome in order to
make such "foundational" contributions to their communities. As
community foundations enter the second century of their existence
(the first foundation was formed in Cleveland in 1914), the need
for knowledge and best practices has never been greater. This book,
with expert authors representing the best and the brightest in this
important field, fills that need.
"Democracy and Northern Ireland" examines the influence of liberal
theories of democracy on recent developments in the Northern Irish
peace process. In so doing it analyzes the applicability of
theories such as political liberalism, multiculturalism and
deliberative democracy to deeply divided societies. Little contends
that these models need to build upon recent critiques provided by
feminists and civil society theorists in the construction of a more
radical interpretation of democracy that can provide a framework
for democratic politics in Northern Ireland.
This book explains the creation of the European Union's Security
and Defence Policy--to this day the most ambitious project of
peacetime military integration. Whether hailed as a vital step in
the integration of Europe or berated as a wasteful threat to U.S.
power, European citizens are increasingly interested in the common
defense policy. Today, "European Defence" is more popular than the
European Union itself, even in Great Britain.
Merand addresses the fundamental challenge posed by military
integration to the way we think about the state in the 21st
Century. Looking back over the past 50 years, he shows how
statesmen, diplomats and soldiers have converged towards Brussels
as a "natural" solution to their concerns but also as something
worth fighting over. The actors most closely associated to the
formation of nation-states are now shaping a transgovernmental
security and defense arena. As a result, defense policy is being
denationalized. Exploring the complex relations between the state,
the military, and citizenship in today's Europe, Merand argues that
European Defence is a symptom, but not a cause, of the
transformation of the state.
This book is an original contribution to the theory of European
integration. Drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu, Merand
develops a political sociology of international relations which
seeks to bridge institutionalism and constructivism. His careful
study of practices, social representations and power structures
sheds new light on security and defence cooperation, but also on
European cooperation more generally.
Azerbaijan's Soviet and post-Soviet political history has been
tumultuous and varied, particularly with regard to the struggle for
independence, democracy and sovereignty. Suha Bolukbasi here
illustrates how post-Stalin resilience, the tolerance shown toward
subtle nationalist expression and Gorbachev's relaxation of central
control from Moscow were all-in-part responsible for the initial
emergence of a more liberal atmosphere in Azerbaijan. As a result,
issues such as Moscow's responsibility for environmental
degradation, the depletion of Azerbaijan's oil, and unfavourable
terms of trade have all begun to be freely discussed. However, the
Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over Karabagh has had a dramatic impact
on the political discourse. The dispute has become not only an
international conflict, but one which involves the lives of more
than one million refugees. This book shows how Azerbaijan's recent
political history - both domestic and international - has
influenced the development of the country and the history of the
surrounding region.
This work provides readers with a fresh analysis of the Arab state
by using a new theoretical framework: hybrid sovereignty. The
author examines various areas to make his argument: citizenship,
the issue of minorities, electoral engineering, the failure of
central rule, tribalism, and the lack of impersonal bureaucratic
mechanism.
This book provides a comprehensive analysis on the design of
institutions for the new Europe. Addressing critical issues such as
the appropriate distribution of political powers, the next step in
the constitution process, allocation of taxing powers and
distribution of policy-making responsibilities.
Party and Government is an eleven-country study of the relationship
between the governments of liberal democracies, mainly from Western
Europe, but also including the United States and India, and the
parties which support these governments. It examines this
relationship at the three levels at which governments and parties
connect: appointments, policy-making, and patronage. The emphasis
is on a two-way relationship: parties influence governments but
governments also influence parties. The extent and the direction of
this influence varies from country to country. In some cases,
governments and parties are almost autonomous from each other, as
in the United States; in other cases, on the contrary, there is
considerable power of one over the other: sometimes the party
dominates, sometimes the government.
In the 80 years since gaining the right to vote, women have
continued to make their political voices heard. This is the first
comprehensive work to describe the political struggles and
achievements of American women, who were historically
underrepresented in a system dominated by men. Containing over 700
entries in an A-to-Z format, this single volume provides balanced
coverage of the people, issues, and events that shape any
discussion of women in U.S. politics.
Thirteen chapters present the debate among Sengalese academics
undertaking a multi-facetted analysis of the social, political and
economic development of their country, with the aim of finding
innovative answers Senegal's current predicament. The major trends
from 1960-1990 are identified, and factors contributing to the
shift from a state intervention system to a "liberalism" which
deconstructs some of the achievements of the immediate post
independence period. The different discourses of politicians and
the various stakes underlying these are revealed here plainly. The
book also displays the complex relations between the political,
economic and social areas, the conflicts/alliances between various
legitimate bodies. Within this context, a reconstruction of the
self-delusions on which some groups fed and still feed, is made.
With this novel light shed on the specificities of the Senegalese
crisis, the ways and means whereby the ruling class faces this
situation can be identified, although its manouvering margin has
severely shrunk.
Originally published between 1920-70,The History of Civilization
was a landmark in early twentieth century publishing. It was
published at a formative time within the social sciences, and
during a period of decisive historical discovery. The aim of the
general editor, C.K. Ogden, was to summarize the most up-to-date
findings and theories of historians, anthropologists,
archaeologists and sociologists. This reprinted material is
available as a set or in the following groupings, or as individual
volumes: * Prehistory and Historical Ethnography Set of 12:
0-415-15611-4: GBP800.00 * Greek Civilization Set of 7:
0-415-15612-2: GBP450.00 * Roman Civilization Set of 6:
0-415-15613-0: GBP400.00 * Eastern Civilizations Set of 10:
0-415-15614-9: GBP650.00 * Judaeo-Christian Civilization Set of 4:
0-415-15615-7: GBP250.00 * European Civilization Set of 11:
0-415-15616-5: GBP700.00
This documentary history critiques major Supreme Court decisions on
litigations that Asian Americans brought before the Court over the
past 150 years. In eight sections, contributing scholars all
consider cases within three conceptual frameworks; (1) the commonly
held belief that Asian Americans could not become members of the
American community because of their race, (2) the once widely held
belief that Orientals are mysterious and inferior, and (3) the
assumption that all Asians in America are foreigners. The book
begins with an overview by editor Kim. In section 2, Braeman treats
major cases concerning the question of the government's right to
exclude, expel, or deport persons of Asian ancestry. In the next
section, Hull focuses on major cases on the constitutional question
of U.S. citizenship for persons of Asian ancestry. Stuen then
discusses cases dealing with the alien land laws of California and
Washington. The Japanese internment cases are discussed by Minami
and Bannai; and cases dealing with Asian Americans' legal fight to
claim their rights for employment, language, and education follow.
Next, Gotanda casts the problem of denying Asian Americans their
constitutional rights within the analytical framework of the Asian
American identity. In the final chapter Tamayo covers the latest
changes in America's immigration policies, reviewing major
immigration laws passed by Congress during the 20th century and
discussing implications of the Immigration Act of 1990. The volume
concludes with a case index, a name index, and a subject index.
This book provides students with the most comprehensive and
incisive introduction available to the intricacies of the Italian
political system. Written in an accessible and student-friendly
style, this up-to-date textbook features: * an introduction to
Italian political history from 1943 to the present day * an
explanation of the governmental system, the constitutional
framework, the core institutions, the electoral system and the key
parties * analysis of the role of the contemporary pressure groups
and social movements including environmental, labour and
anti-globalization organizations * discussion of important topical
issues such as corruption, organized crime, the role of the media
and freedom of the press * an exploration of Italian foreign policy
towards the EU, the US and the 'War on Terrorism' * innovative use
of photographs, boxed biographies, figures, annotated further
reading and lists of websites to enliven the text. Contemporary
Italian Politics is the perfect introduction for students reading
Italian politics, Italian studies and European studies.
In the late 1990s, prominent scholars of civil-military relations
detected a decline in the political significance of the armed
forces across Southeast Asia. A decade later, however, this trend
seems to have been reversed. The Thai military launched a coup in
2006, the Philippine armed forces expanded their political
privileges under the Arroyo presidency, and the Burmese junta
successfully engineered pseudo-democratic elections in 2010. This
book discusses the political resurgence of the military in
Southeast Asia throughout the 2000s. Written by distinguished
experts on military affairs, the individual chapters explore
developments in Burma, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, East
Timor, Indonesia and Singapore. They not only assess, but also
offer explanations for the level of military involvement in
politics in each country. Consequently, the book also makes a
significant contribution to the comparative debate about militaries
in politics. Whilst conditions obviously differ from country to
country, most authors in this book conclude that the shape of
civil-military relations is not predetermined by historic, economic
or cultural factors, but is often the result of intra-civilian
conflicts and divisive or ineffective political leadership.
The economy's struggles to overcome the lingering effects of the
Great Recession presented unique but essential questions. This book
considers a full range of data which considers how this recent
experience has impacted households, providing a thorough and
contemporary treatment of how the assets perspective has prompted
changes within social policy.
In this groundbreaking study, Janusz Bugajski evaluates the impact
of Sandinista political, economic, and social programs. The book
focuses on the confrontations between the regime and Nicaragua's
rural population, particularly the Ladino peasantry and the Indian
and black indigenous minorities of the Atlantic coast region. The
book concentrates on the Sandinista's agrarian strategies in order
to distinguish between short-term policies and long-term programs.
It addresses the question of whether any durable and novel
ideological, political, and economic elements have been introduced
in Nicaragua in terms of Marxist-Leninist models of state
socialism--expecially vis-a-vis peasantry and the country's ethnic
minorities. Upon seizing power in July 1979, the Sandinistas
embarked on a socialist transformation of Nicaraguan society. This
book concludes that in confronting major internal and external
obstacles, the regime opted for a degree of economic flexibility
without abandoning its long-term political objectives. The regime's
Leninist political arrangements, claims Bugajski, were therefore
combined with a quasi-Communist economic program. The Sandinistas
captured and remodeled all levers of social control, including the
state apparatus, the armed forces, and the security network, and
fortified those mechanisms that could most effectively extend their
domination. But in order to minimize economic dislocation,
political opposition, and social unrest, to uphold productivity, to
obtain vital agro-export revenues, and to prevent international
isolation, Managua implemented a transitory mixed economy and
continued to tolerate a politically weakened private sector.
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