From the author of "First in His Class," the definitive biography of Bill Clinton, this "New York Times" bestseller was hailed by critics as a groundbreaking multigenerational biography, a richly textured account of President Obama and the forces that shaped him and sustain him.
In "Barack Obama: The Story," David Maraniss has written a deeply reported generational biography teeming with fresh insights and revealing information, a masterly narrative drawn from hundreds of interviews, including with President Obama in the Oval Office, and a trove of letters, journals, diaries, and other documents.
The book unfolds in the small towns of Kansas and the remote villages of western Kenya, following the personal struggles of Obama's white and black ancestors through the swirl of the twentieth century. It is a roots story on a global scale, a saga of constant movement, frustration and accomplishment, strong women and weak men, hopes lost and deferred, people leaving and being left. Disparate family threads converge in the climactic chapters as Obama reaches adulthood and travels from Honolulu to Los Angeles to New York to Chicago, trying to make sense of his past, establish his own identity, and prepare for his political future.
"Barack Obama: The Story" chronicles as never before the forces that shaped the first black president of the United States and explains why he thinks and acts as he does. Much like the author's classic study of Bill Clinton, "First in His Class," this promises to become a seminal book that will redefine a president.

The last two decades have witnessed a substantial change in the media environment, growing polarization of the two dominant parties, and increasing inequality of wealth and income. These profound changes necessitate updating our understanding of political accountability. Accountability Reconsidered examines how political accountability functions in the US today given the dramatic changes in voting behavior, media, congressional dynamics, and relations between branches. With particular attention to policymaking, this volume uses original research to analyze micro-foundations of voter behavior, examining its implications for incentives and offering insight into the accountability relationships among voters, interest groups, legislators, and government bureaucracy. Combining contributions from leading experts who write about the political system synoptically with those who focus on specific elements, Accountability Reconsidered brings together distinct perspectives to focus on the effect of the informational environment on government officials, bridging up-to-date knowledge about accountability mechanisms with our overall understanding of political accountability.

George W. Bush is widely regarded as a president of transformative significance. This volume analyzes the ambitious but controversial agenda that he has pursued at home and abroad. The contributors assess Bush's presidency in terms of its historical context, first-term record, and second-term prospects. They consider his administration from the perspective of its engagement in an ideologically driven project to consolidate conservative ascendancy over U.S. politics and public policy and to promote America's interests and values in the unipolar world. They evaluate the elements of political change and continuity in George Bush's America. The book also focuses on the extent to which the Bush agenda is new or a continuation of previous trends. Contributors also examine how far Bush has succeeded in overcoming political, institutional, and international resistance to his conservative agenda, and they evaluate his prospects for further success. Contributors include John Dumbrell (University of Leicester, UK), Martin Durham (University of Wolverhampton, UK), Godfrey Hodgson (Rothermere American Institute, Oxford University, UK), Steven Hurst (Manchester Metropolitan University, UK), Klaus Larres (Royal Holloway College, University of London, UK), Bob McKeever (University of Reading, UK), John Owens (University of Westminster, UK), Rob Singh (Birkbeck College, University of London, UK), and Alex Waddan (University of Sunderland, UK).

This book is about the development of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) from a liberation movement to a national authority, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). Based on intensive fieldwork, this book analyses Palestinian internal politics and their institutional-building by looking at the development of the PLO. It has rare interviews with leading figures in the PLO and the PNA, the delegates to the negotiations with Israel, and the Palestinian political opposition. The author has spent more than a year in the Palestinian territories conducting his research and gathering data. It is, therefore, the latest account of the situation in the Middle East from the Palestinian political perspective.

Election Day, as it was once known, is no more. In 2020, with COVID-19 raging, over 60% of American voters cast early ballots. Even before the pandemic, more than one-third of voters routinely did so. Early voting represents a radical change in American elections. It means new options for voters, a new set of procedures and responsibilities for election clerks, and new challenges for political candidates and operatives. In Tuesday's Gone, Elliott Fullmer explores the effects of this new reality. Applying new data and innovative methods, he reports that early voting is bringing new citizens to the polls and enhancing the quality of American democracy. Examining four recent elections, he finds that both early in-person and absentee options increase turnout by several points when aggressively implemented by state and local officials. Like any new public policy, however, early voting does come with some notable side effects. Fullmer cautions that early voting increases down-ballot roll-off, widens racial disparities in voting access, and alters the competitive environment in presidential nomination contests. He argues that these complications can (and should) be addressed so that early voting can fully deliver upon its promise.

The 'Sunningdale experiment' of 1973-4 witnessed the first attempt to establish peace in Northern Ireland through power-sharing. However, its provisions, particularly the cross-border 'Council of Ireland', proved to be a step too far. The experiment floundered amid ongoing paramilitary-led violence, finally collapsing in May 1974 as a result of the Ulster Workers' Council strike. Drawing on new scholarship from some of the top political historians working on the period, this book presents a series of reflections on how key protagonists struggled with notions of power-sharing and the 'Irish dimension', and how those struggles inhibited a deepening of democracy and the ending of violence for so long. -- .

This book is unique as the only book on the Portuguese parliament in English. The Portuguese parliament is a valuable case study to understand the different stages of development of a newly democratic parliament. From Legislation to Legitimation shows that, as democracy developed, the role of the Portuguese parliament changed considerably. Whereas in the first years of democracy the Assembleia da Republica was centred on its legislative role, during the second decade its legitimation role expanded, making scrutiny parliament's main function.

The British polity has undergone a fundamental transformation in the last decade, and in 1998 this culminated in the most radical reform of the British state since its inception in 1707. Since 1998 devolution for Scotland and Wales and power sharing in Northern Ireland have fundamentally changed the balance of power between government at the centre and the new territorial polities.

Taking this profound change as its theme, "Devolution in British Politics" is an up-to date, comprehensive and effective review of the origins and development of the devolution process. In highly readable chapters crucial aspects of devolution are considered, and the process of constitutional change and its political and institutional consequences are the principal focus of enquiry by the contributors.

With clarity and passion, "Devolution in British Politics" examines the forces at work, both historical and contemporary, that are changing the British polity. It accounts for the emergence of the cultural and political movements in the Aother nationsA that since the 1960s have demanded significant devolution of power from Whitehall and challenged the control by Westminster parties and political elites over territorial politics. "Devolution" traces the residual legacy of deep-seated cultural differences and persistent territorial interests that gave rise during the nineteenth century to political resistance to government from London, even to the idea of shared nationhood.

A team of specialist writers provides a detailed assessment of the causes and demands of the devolution campaign as well as:

• a review of the significance of the newly devolved arrangements that have replaced the classicBritish unitary state;
• an assessment of the impact of the constitutional changes;
• consideration of devolutionAs importance for the present and future workings of British government and politics, both at the centre and in the new territorial polities;
• a detailed discussion of the idea of political identity in Britain, and in a wider European and global context.

The Editor
Michael OANeill is Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Politics at Nottingham Trent University.

China has witnessed numerous incidents of social protests over the past three decades. Protests create uncertainty for authoritarian governments, and the Chinese government has created, strengthened, and coordinated multiple dispute-resolution institutions to manage social conflicts and protests. Accommodating the aggrieved prevents the accumulation of grievances in society, but concessions require resources. As the frequency and scale of collective action are closely tied to the political opportunity for action, the Chinese government has also contained protest by shaping the political opportunity available to the aggrieved. Cai and Chen show that when the Chinese central government prioritizes social control, as it has under Xi Jinping's leadership, it signals that it will tolerate local governments' use of coercion. The result is an environment that is not conducive to the mobilization of collective action, large-scale occurrences of which have been uncommon in China in recent years.

A team of scholars from throughout the world joins together in this volume to discuss the changes and challenges for administrative structures at the beginning of the 21st century. Focusing on democratization movements, flexibilization tendencies, the inclusion or exclusion of minority groups and the restructuring of transitional or emerging states, it provides a differentiated spatial overview of key problems currently faced in public administration. Offering a wide range of regional case studies from Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East and Africa, it tests current theories and concepts of government and governance, space and place and society and community. In doing so, it offers valuable insights and makes policy implications.

World-class, commercial supply chain management standards are now exceptionally high. The best organizations measure order-to-receipt time in two days or less, with near perfect probability. This speed is backed up by nimble systems capable of rapidly responding to unexpected contingencies and surge requirements. Unfortunately, while the commercial sector has been rapidly adopting modern, information-based supply chain systems in order to remain competitive in the worldwide marketplace the shift to such systems in the public sector has met with significant resistance and has moved far more slowly. Transforming Government Supply Chain Management provides the insights and expertise to overcome this inertia. In Part I, the editors provide a primer on supply chain management, an overview of innovative practices and tools, and a blueprint for government-wide transformation. Part II consists of ten case studies of public and private sector 'success stories.' The intent of this book is to help speed-up the needed transformation in the public sector."

Contents:
1. Introduction: On governance Part 1: The Approach: On interpretation 2. An Interpretative Agenda 3. Governance in Britain 4. Decentring Governance Part 2: The Public Sector: On traditions and dilemmas 5. Comparing Britain and Denmark 6. Narratives of Thatcherism 7. New Labour's Civil Service Part 3: The Civil Service: On history and ethnography 8. The roots of Governance 9. The Meaning of Governance 10. Conclusions: On governance again

Most public administration texts overly compartmentalize the subject and don't interconnect the various specializations within government, which leaves a serious gap in preparing students for public service. Government: A Public Administration Perspective is designed to fill that void. It provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of government that includes perspectives from political science, political theory, international relations, organizational sociology, economics, and history. The text draws on classic and modern literature from all these areas to analyze government at four different levels - ideational, societal, organizational, and individual layers. It links public administration's various subfields - human resource management, budgeting, policy making, organizational theory, etc. - into a holistic framework for the study of government. It also includes an extensive bibliography drawing from American and European literature in support of the book's global, historical, and comparative approach.

Most public administration texts overly compartmentalize the subject and don't interconnect the various specializations within government, which leaves a serious gap in preparing students for public service. Government: A Public Administration Perspective is designed to fill that void. It provides a comprehensive, multidisciplinary view of government that includes perspectives from political science, political theory, international relations, organizational sociology, economics, and history. The text draws on classic and modern literature from all these areas to analyze government at four different levels - ideational, societal, organizational, and individual layers. It links public administration's various subfields - human resource management, budgeting, policy making, organizational theory, etc. - into a holistic framework for the study of government. It also includes an extensive bibliography drawing from American and European literature in support of the book's global, historical, and comparative approach.

'Eye-popping analysis of politicians' finances... a ground-breaking study... a fascinating and important work.' Sunday Times 'Immaculately researched... A powerful reminder that reporters can serve the public good... Should make journalists proud - and may even help to make the world a better place' Peter Oborne, New Statesman Who do our politicians work for? The public, or big business? If you want to understand why British politics isn't working, the first place to start is here. Parliament Ltd reveals the financial interests that British politicians would rather you didn't hear about. From banks and private corporations, to lobbying and the arms trade, there are MPs making millions by moonlighting in second jobs. Where does their loyalty belong - to us or to their paymasters? Meanwhile - years after the expenses scandal - they are now claiming more than ever before. In his enthralling journey to the dark heart of British politics, Martin Williams exposes a hidden, shocking culture of greed and corruption.

Drawing on more than a decade of fieldwork, The Logic of Governance in China develops a unified theoretical framework to explain how China's centralized political system maintains governance and how this process produces recognizable policy cycles that are obstacles to bureaucratic rationalization, professionalism, and rule of law. The book is unique for the overarching framework it develops; one that sheds light on the interconnectedness among apparently disparate phenomena such as the mobilizational state, bureaucratic muddling through, collusive behaviors, variable coupling between policymaking and implementation, inverted soft budget constraints, and collective action based on unorganized interests. An exemplary combination of theory-motivated fieldwork and empirically-informed theory development, this book offers an in-depth analysis of the institutions and mechanisms in the governance of China.

Drawing on more than a decade of fieldwork, The Logic of Governance in China develops a unified theoretical framework to explain how China's centralized political system maintains governance and how this process produces recognizable policy cycles that are obstacles to bureaucratic rationalization, professionalism, and rule of law. The book is unique for the overarching framework it develops; one that sheds light on the interconnectedness among apparently disparate phenomena such as the mobilizational state, bureaucratic muddling through, collusive behaviors, variable coupling between policymaking and implementation, inverted soft budget constraints, and collective action based on unorganized interests. An exemplary combination of theory-motivated fieldwork and empirically-informed theory development, this book offers an in-depth analysis of the institutions and mechanisms in the governance of China.

Comprised of a series of national case studies, this book critically examines initiatives in public participation and their relationship to developments in community governance. As such, the case studies enable national perspectives to be applied to crucial features of modern public policy and politics. Focusing on case studies in areas which are undergoing major social and institutional transformation and/or which raise particular issues because of the marginal position of the areas within their nation-states, the book also concerns itself with developments in Western European countries and why people should logically support some but not other initiatives in public participation. This book will be very useful for students and academics in areas such as politics, public administration, social policy and sociology. It should also be of interest to local activists such as councillors, members of pressure groups and those concerned about modern trends in democracy.

The first local history of Napoleonic France to appear in the English language, Inside Napoleonic France: State and Society in Rouen, 1800-1815 redresses the traditional neglect of regional history during this period. Relying on extensive French archival sources, Gavin Daly sets out to investigate the nature of the Napoleonic state and its short and longer-term impact upon local society. Specifically, it examines the question of state power and its implementation and reception at a local level, the relationship between central government and the regions, the social and economic impact of war and how the Napoleonic regime addressed Rouen's revolutionary past. Having carefully studied these issues, Daly argues that despite an unprecedented degree of social control, the Napoleonic state was not all-powerful, and that the central government's power was tempered by local considerations. It is this interaction between the representatives of central government and the regional elites which provides the central focus of the book.

Legislatures are vital to new democracies and to date no democracy has survived without one. Exploring the dynamics and mechanisms that facilitate or weaken the role of the Parliament, Ahmed Abdul Kareem Saif reinforces the importance of placing the Parliament in a context that shows how it reflects its socio-political surroundings. A detailed analysis of the development of the elected legislative body in Yemen, from its establishment after unification in 1990, this work enables researchers to clearly identify not only the similarities between societies, but also the crucial differences.

As chairman of the Federal Reserve (1979-1987), Paul Volcker slayed the inflation dragon that was consuming the American economy and restored the world's faith in central bankers. That extraordinary feat was just one pivotal episode in a decades-long career serving six presidents. Told with wit, humour, and down-to-earth erudition, the narrative of Volcker's career illuminates the changes that have taken place in American life, government, and the economy since World War II. He vibrantly illustrates the crises he managed alongside the world's leading politicians, central bankers, and financiers. Yet he first found his model for competent and ethical governance in his father, the town manager of Teaneck, NJ, who instilled Volcker's dedication to absolute integrity and his "three verities" of stable prices, sound finance, and good government.

The U.S. economy is generally considered to run on free market or laissez faire principles, implying that U.S. policy makers do not provide government support for industrial or commercial sectors. While mostly true, it is not the case with strategic industries, such as aerospace. Support for the aerospace sector has been viewed as essential, because aerospace technologies have been the material backbone of U.S. security systems. But American historic dominance in commercial aerospace, and particularly the large commercial aircraft sector, arose on the back of defence technology paid for by the US government. Aerospace Strategic Trade analyses the subsidy of the U.S. large commercial aircraft (LCA) industry and redefines the terms of the Airbus/Boeing subsidy debate. This is achieved by tracking the benefits to Boeing, of the Research and Technology contracts granted by the DoD and NASA. The book is characterized by a new level of methodological precision in the database upon which the factual claims rest and the analysis derives from an exhaustive search of U.S. public databases and also data on federal R&D contracts, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in the USA. The overall analysis brings together these two approaches and provides a balanced and highly informative account of U.S. federal funding of the American large commercial aircraft sector. This book is of interest to academics, industrialists and government officials concerned with the aerospace industry, to managers and executives in the aerospace industry.

Exploring a variety of methods for improving the economic performance of organizations, this multidisciplinary text covers macro- and micro-perspectives while considering strategic planning, systematic process analysis, leadership studies, group dynamics, and human motivation theories. It highlights "quality of relationships" as a guiding principle within the framework of public administration and stresses customer, client, and stakeholder satisfaction. With over 1000 literature references, tables, drawings, and equations, and appendices of laws and regulations, the book responds to the mandate for high performance and increased productivity.

This new book in the Exploring Corporate Strategy Series brings together a selection of 17 chapters which provide readers with material on a range of important strategic issues of particular relevance to the public sector. The chapters cover most of the major strategic themes from Exploring Corporate Strategy which is also reflected in the chapter sequence.

Jonathan W. Emord is one of the nation's foremost experts on constitutional and administrative law and has practiced before the federal courts and agencies for thirty-five years. In The Authoritarians, Emord reveals the untold story and largely hidden practices of Authoritarians who have worked inside the United States government to undermine the Constitution and override rights protections since the earliest days of the Progressive Era. Emord traces the intellectual origins of Authoritarianism to its Hegelian roots in Germany. He shows how legions of academics, trained to hate the American system of government, became predominant in the major universities of America, entered government as top advisors, and successfully orchestrated an overthrow of the Constitution's limits on power which put the rights of individuals in jeopardy from the Progressive Era through the New Deal to today. In The Authoritarians, readers learn how Authoritarians endorsed forced sterilization of 60,000 American citizens whom they deemed "undesirable" and "unfit". Readers also learn how Authoritarians selectively created monopolies and overcame the constitutional limits on government power the Founding Fathers put in the Constitution to prevent tyranny, thus ushering in the foundation for a socialist state. In The Authoritarians, Emord reveals the lies told by advocates of the Black Lives Matter organization, Antifa, and the 1619 Project. He presents the startling fact that the first slaves in the Jamestown Colony in 1619 were not blacks, but whites and that in the antebellum South slave owners were not only white, but black. Readers also learn the inherent failings of socialism; the tremendous cost it imposes on human lives; and the grave threat to the survival and success of liberty and justice in America posed by Authoritarians such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Ed Markey, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris. The Authoritarians unveils a detailed strategy for restoring constitutional protection for individual rights and fending off the horrors of a socialist tidal wave now drenching America.