Seeking to define the ways various cultures view pregnancy, miscarriage, and abortion, this multidisciplinary collection of essays seeks to illustrate how these views influence policy decisions and practices regarding abortion around the world. Putting questions of pro-life and pro-choice aside, the contributors provide demographic coverage of the issues involved and contextualize some of the personal realities that underlie the approximately 50 million abortions that are believed to take place yearly worldwide. While the political and social climates in which women seek abortions vary from place to place, many of the chapters try to understand the moral implications that guide the decision to end a pregnancy from the perspective of the those who seek to do so.

Focusing primarily on developing nations, this important contribution to the literature on abortion provides readers with a careful overview of the different meanings attached to abortion depending on the cultural, social, and political climate. Areas covered include Tanzania, Bangladesh, West Africa, Ghana, Romania, Russia, Mexico, and Nigeria. General chapters on induced abortion, demographic research and abortion policy, and social pressures to abort are also included. This unique approach to the study of abortion will contribute to a greater understanding of a prominent social issue.

Through critical analysis of Turkey's transformation under the AKP, this book explores the relationship between domestic transformations and global/regional dynamics. It also discusses the relationship between the Turkish transformation and the Arab uprisings and the implications of the Turkish case for regime transitions in the Arab world.

What options are available now or in the future for students interested in a public policy career? How do they train, network, and advance in the field? Students, parents, professors, guidance counselors, and department chairs are often frustrated by the absence of a solid, readable book on policy careers and options. This book presents the career stories of twenty scholars and policy practitioners who have worked in Congress, the State Department, the CIA, Defense, international agencies, think tanks, the media, and major law firms--all of whom have been influential in shaping public policy--to give readers an accurate and realistic view of life outside the academic world.

No other book provides this type of solid advice for young policy professionals and for older scholars considering career changes. As such, it is vital reading in guidance and department collections, and an essential addition to the personal bookshelves of individual students, scholars, and researchers.

Japan is shifting onto a new trajectory for a more muscular national security policy, US-Japan alliance ties functioning for regional and global security, and the encirclement of China's influence in East Asia. The author explores how PM Abe Shinz?'s doctrine may prove contradictory and counter-productive to Japanese national interests.

This volume seeks to explore bureaucratic forms of administration in the Third World and alternatives to them. A variety of unconventional approaches are included and an argument is made for gendered, ecological and spiritual views. The contributors deal with issues of reform, indigenization, and desirable futures. Overall perspectives are provided dealing with models of development, non-governmental organizations, feminist critiques, and ecological thinking, as well as chapters on world areas.

Based on interviews with officials, requesters and journalists, as well as a survey of FOI requesters and a study of stories in the national media, this book offers a unique insight into how the Freedom of Information Act 2000 really works.

In the early 1920s, with the nation still recovering from World War I, President Warren G. Harding founded a huge new organization to treat disabled veterans: the US Veterans Bureau, now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs. He appointed his friend, decorated veteran Colonel Charles R. Forbes, as founding director. Forbes lasted in the position for only eighteen months before stepping down under a cloud of criticism and suspicion. In 1926-after being convicted of conspiracy to defraud the federal government by rigging government contracts-he was sent to Leavenworth Penitentiary. Although he was known in his day as a drunken womanizer, and as a corrupt, betraying toady of a weak, blind-sided president, the question persists: was Forbes a criminal or a scapegoat? Historian Rosemary Stevens tells Forbes's story anew, drawing on previously untapped records to reveal his role in America's initial and ongoing commitment to veterans. She explores how Forbes's rise and fall in Washington illuminates President Harding's efforts to bring business efficiency to government. She also examines the Veterans Bureau scandal in the context of class, professionalism, ethics, and etiquette in a rapidly changing world. Most significantly, Stevens proposes a fascinating revisionist view of both Forbes and Harding-and raises questions about not only the validity but the source of their respective reputations. They did not defraud the government of billions of dollars, Stevens convincingly documents, and do not deserve the reputation they have carried for a hundred years. Packed with vibrant characters-conniving friends, FBI agents, and rival politicians split by sectional and ideological interests as well as gamblers, revelers, and wronged wives- A Time of Scandal will appeal to anyone interested in political gossip, presidential politics, the "Ohio Gang," and the 1920s.

Since the early 1900s, the manager form of municipal government has had enthusiastic support. Today, it is one of the most popular forms of municipal government and brought greater efficiency and accountability to municipal operations. However, as Coppa makes clear, this wave of reform has not fully impacted the counties. The commission form, widely criticized for its lack of accountability, remains the most popular form of county government. Coppa suggests greater accountability and efficiency can be achieved if the commission form is replaced with the Union plan and existing county administrators are given greater executive power. The manager plan in Union County can serve as a model for counties without an elected executive, much the same way the Lakewood plan in California symbolizes county and municipal cooperation.

Although Coppa provides a guide to efficient and accountable county government, the book goes beyond its subtitle. It treats neglected topics, such as the legal status of counties, forms of county government, row officers, autonomous bodies, and the central role played by counties in reapportionment litigation. Supreme Court cases involving counties and critical issues such as free speech, elections, tax immunity, and the commerce clause are analyzed. Major issues such as the battle over ratables, revenue limits, and declining population are explored as well. Coppa examines the most critical issues faced by counties today--such as mandated expenditures--and raises the possibility of a constitutional amendment to treat unfunded federal mandates. Coppa recommends creative programs as well as an agenda for achieving efficient and accountable county government. To this end, he examines charter revision and the noncharter route as approaches to achieving economical and responsible county government. This work is an important analysis for students, scholars, researchers, and policy makers involved with local and state government issues.

This book examines the course of official criticism of republican leaderships in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from Stalin's death until the collapse of central control in the late 1980s. It focuses upon five republics, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belorussia. The extraordinary power of the central leadership to replace particular republican leaders is contrasted with the continuing dominance of elite politics in these republics by local cliques with substantial and increasing autonomy from Moscow.

This study focuses on the regimes that governed Brazil over the twenty-one-year span ending in 1985. The book examines the organization and the record established by the military during that period, with attention also given to the ideologic tendencies and internal divisions within the military elite. It also considers what obstacles the regimes could not overcome, and where that resistance came from in each of the five regimes. The term mission used in the title of the book, is chosen by the author to describe the non-military mission the leaders accepted-- to them a duty-oriented commitment to the people of Brazil in seizing the reins of the government from President Goulart in 1964. The other part of the title,mufti, also relates to what appears unique: each incumbent in the presidency permanently severed his hierarchical control over the armed forces by retirement from active duty, donning civilian clothes and never again appearing in uniform. The first chapter of the book attempts to identify the factors that motivated and unified the Brazilian forces to remove President Goulart, and to retain authority under an unelected president from their own ranks. Chapters that follow explore such themes as the role--so often ascribed as of primary importance--of the ESG as the mentor and initiator of national policymaking under the military regimes, the degree and direction of service and seniority-based divisions due to ideologic beliefs which may have existed in each regime, and the deeper ideologic splits between pro-American moderates and independence-minded authoritarians regarding the nation's needs for industrialization/urbanization and eradication of radical, antiregime insurgencies. Additional chapters take up the five regimes' policies, and the progress made toward national development and industrialization. Finally there is a summarization and postera assessment, aided by the perspective afforded after several years' passage of time. This book should be valuable to researchers and students of Brazilian history and political affairs.

This is a complete update and revision of Stoetzer's classic reference work on the Organization of American States (OAS), first published by Praeger in 1965. The work will provide the reader with an understanding of the OAS in today's world and will give a realistic and indepth interpretation of the inter-american system, its background, and its development. The work not only deals with basic information, such as the activities and organization of the most important organs and institutions of the OAS, its commissions and agencies; it also covers the changes that have taken place over the last forty-five years, since the founding of the OAS in 1948, including much material not readily available from other sources.

This comprehensive work on the OAS will be a mandatory reference for all those involved in inter-american and world affairs and international organizations. It will also appeal to scholars in inter-American history and affairs, Latin American studies, and political science.

The main theme of this book is the complex relationship between government servants and the world around them and this is explored in a number of ways. The essays include studies of the people who played an important part in the development of 19th century government: there is a chapter on the transmission of Benthamite ideas, an ccount of John Stuart Mill and his views on utilitarianism and bureaucracy, and of the work of Charles Trevelyan on the Northcote-Trevelyan Report. The Treasury, the Colonial and Foreign Offices, the Labour Department of the Board of Trade are also examined in relation to government growth in the period.

"British Parliamentary Lists, 1660-1800" identifies all known lists - division lists, forecasts, management, and propaganda lists - for the House of Commons between 1660 and 1761; for the House of Lords between 1660 and 1800; and for the Scottish Parliament between 1660 and 1707. This new listing entirely supersedes the 1979 Register of Parliamentary Lists, containing many new lists and additions and corrections to those previously listed. It will also be a useful adjunct to Donald E. Ginter's Voting Records of the British House of Commons, 1761-1820.

Raising the Eleventh Pillar brings to life the debates surrounding ratification of the U.S. Constitution. Delegates to the New York State Ratifying Convention first debate the nature of representative government before considering issues such as the size of the lower house and recall. Drawing on primary sources, Federalists and Antifederalists must convince undecided voters-and the ending could prove explosive. From the award-winning Reacting to the Past community, Flashpoints is a new series of immersive role-playing activities designed to help students bring historical ideas and forces to life. Games are designed to take about one week of class time in a survey course, between two and four class sessions. Drawing on primary sources to craft arguments and inform debates, students develop critical thinking and historical empathy. Classroom-tested materials for students and instructors ensure a smooth "flipped classroom" experience.

This book gathers the most influential authors on role research and legislative studies to examine the different roles that MPs are playing in modern-day legislatures. It provides a comprehensive and critical overview of current research on legislative roles, summarises previous research, presents a large variety of methodological approaches and also explores the latest developing approaches to role theory. The concept of political roles has become increasingly relevant for understanding contemporary political systems. Parliamentary, legislative and representative roles are professional roles that provide a way of connecting the individual legislator to their institution that can also explain a legislator's attitude and behaviour. Drawing upon case studies with as much as 40 years of data that include Germany, the Netherlands, UK, Austria, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand and the European Parliament, this book examines the link between representative roles, different institutional settings and parliamentary behaviour. It argues that the roles MPs play depend of who they think they should represent; between their voters, their party, the people of their country and also themselves, conflicts of loyalty can occur. This book provides a framework to analyse MPs' choices by searching both the reasons for their views about representation, and the consequences of those views in parliament. Parliamentary Roles in Modern Legislatures will be of strong interest to students and scholars of government, legislative studies, political parties, comparative politics, political sociology and deliberative democracy.

In this book, Miguel Basanez presents a provocative look at the impact of culture on global development. Drawing on data from governments, NGOs, the World Values Survey and more addressing over one hundred countries, he argues that values, as the "building blocks" of culture, are directly related to the speed with which social, cultural and economic development occurs. Basanez utilizes quantitative survey data to delineate three cultural hyperclusters across the globe: cultures of honor, which prioritize political authority; cultures of achievement, which emphasize economic advancement; and cultures of joy, which focus on social interactions. According to Basanez, these cultures evolved chronologically, mirroring the development of agrarian, industrial and service societies. He argues that a country's developmental path is profoundly influenced by its people's values and culture, as crystallized through its formal and informal governing institutions. Culture is passed down over generations through families, schools, the media, religious institutions, leadership, and the law. Although culture and values are in a permanent state of evolution, leaders and policymakers can also push cultural change in order to promote desirable goals such as economic growth, democratization, and equality. Over the course of the book, Basanez introduces two new measures of development: the Objective Development Index (which blends rubrics such as health, education, income, gender equality, political rights and civil liberties, and economic inequality) and the Subjective Development Index (which uses responses to the World Values Survey to classify countries according to their values).

While not specifically defined, electronic government has become a common term to describe all of the processes, administrative and democratic, that combine to constitute public sector operations. Electronic Government: Design, Applications and Management examines the changes faced by the public sector, as the use of IT significantly increases. This book, geared toward practitioners, professionals, decision makers and students strives to examine the challenges and opportunities involved in the implementation and use of IT into organizations.

The volume provides a retrospective analysis of Putin's eight years as president between 2000 and 2008. An international group of leading specialists examine Putin's leadership in an informed and balanced manner. The authors are drawn from Russia itself, as well as from Europe, America and Australasia. Coverage includes general analysis of the Putin presidency, the ideology underlying the thinking of the regime, issues of institutional development including coverage of parties, parliament and elections, developments in the federal system, corruption and changes in the configuration of the elite. The impact of energy on changes in political economy provides the background to an assessment of Russia's re-emergence as a great power in international affairs, accompanied by analysis of the difficulties in Russia's relations with its former Soviet neighbours and the European Union. The authors examine the interaction between power and policy, and draw some conclusions about the dynamics of Putin's system of government and thus of the fate of Russia. This book was published as a special issue of Europe-Asia Studies.

Few would have imagined the developments and the extent of reforms that occurred under Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero between 2004 and 2008. Under Zapatero, Spain rapidly withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq, held a very public political debate on the Spanish Civil War and the Franco dictatorship, passed very progressive social legislation that included gay marriage and adoption as well as a sweeping gender equality act, and expanded autonomy in six of Spain's 17 regions. It has become quite common to refer to some or all of these developments as a 'second transition' that alters or revisits policies, institutional arrangements and political strategies that were established during Spain's transition to democracy. This book analyzes the patterns of continuity and change and provides a nuanced, critical evaluation of the concept of a 'second transition'. Three broad questions are addressed. First, to what degree do the developments under Zapatero's Socialist government represent a departure from prior patterns of Spanish politics? Second, what accounts for the continuities and departures? Finally, the project begins to assess the implications of these developments. Are there lasting effects, for example, on political participation, electoral alignments, interparty and inter-regional relations more broadly? This book was published as a special issue of South European Society & Politics.

This book presents an overview of the political occurrences that have affected the regulation of conflict of interest in government. Exploring the far-reaching consequences of the conduct and misconduct of past administrations, this provocative study traces the development of standards-of-conduct regulations and the implementation of regulatory laws, beginning with the Truman presidency, followed by the Eisenhower years, the New Frontier, the Ethical Nightmare of the Nixon administration, Carter and Ethics Reform, and Ronald Reagan.

This book analyses institutional reforms implemented by Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, under his second administration from 2012 to 2020. Also examined is the evolution in the role of such actors in Japanese politics as bureaucrats, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) factions, and backbenchers of the ruling party. Chapters offer multi-dimensional explanations for the preconditions of successful gradual institutional change in political systems, characterized by relatively strong veto players, rigid governmental structures, and numerous unofficial decision-making rules. It is argued that enhancement of the prime minister's position was implemented through the creative use of pre-existing policy venues, coupled with minor institutional changes in decision-making bodies. Using three illustrated case studies, it is demonstrated how the prime minister managed to centralize the decision-making process: a result of strategic appointment of ministers, empowerment of the Cabinet Secretariat and also taking advantage of wider advisory organs, largely circumventing deliberations on key policies in the ruling party. Seemingly minor changes thus manifested in a major redefinition of decision-making patterns: a result of the long-term perspective of the Abe administration. Gradual Institutional Change in Japan: Kantei Leadership under the Abe Administration will be useful for students seeking to understand the process of successful gradual institutional change and for scholars of Japanese studies and political science.

This book examines the Labour Party's approach to constitutional reforms in historical context, and how these have been pursued more to 'modernize' political institutions, rather that radically transform them. Dorey explains the reasons for this constitutional conservatism, and the debates which specific reform proposals have prompted in the Party.

Based upon a sampling of some 800 public agency heads, division and bureau chiefs in 10 states, this study explores the world of state public management. It examines and reflects practicing public managers' judgments concerning the factors that contribute to and impede effective agency performance. It also looks at the role of state administrative units in shaping state policy and the impact of various nonadministrative actors on the conduct of state management. While a variety of problems are seen to be severe in the eyes of these managers--especially those that involve the adequacy and use of fiscal and human resources--most state administrative units seem to function despite impediments. While state managers are very important players in the processes of state policymaking, they and their organizations also must function within a highly complex influence matrix which substantially limits their automony.

The depth and breadth of this study provide a major contribution to the literature on state management. Its findings will be of interest to scholars and practitioners in public administration, public policy, and government.