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Books > Social sciences > Politics & government > Political structure & processes
The American vice presidency, as the saying goes, 'is not worth a
bucket of warm spit.' Yet vice presidential candidates, many people
believe, can make all the difference in winning-or losing-a
presidential election. Is that true, though? Did Sarah Palin, for
example, sink John McCain's campaign in 2008? Did Joe Biden help
Barack Obama win? Do running mates actually matter? In the first
book to put this question to a rigorous test, Christopher J. Devine
and Kyle C. Kopko draw upon an unprecedented range of empirical
data to reveal how, and how much, running mates influence voting in
presidential elections. Building on their previous work in The VP
Advantage and evidence from over 200 statistical models spanning
the 1952 to 2016 presidential elections, the authors analyze three
pathways by which running mates might influence vote choice. First,
of course, they test for direct effects, or whether evaluations of
the running mate influence vote choice among voters in general.
Next, they test for targeted effects-if, that is, running mates win
votes among key subsets of voters who share their gender, religion,
ideology, or geographic identity. Finally, the authors examine
indirect effects-that is, whether running mates shape perceptions
of the presidential candidate who selected them, which in turn
influence vote choice. Here, in this last category, is where we see
running mates most clearly influencing presidential
voting-especially when it comes to their qualifications for holding
office and taking over as president, if necessary. Picking a
running mate from a key voting bloc probably won't make a
difference, the authors conclude. But picking an experienced,
well-qualified running mate will make the presidential candidate
look better to voters---and win some votes. With its wealth of data
and expert analysis, this finely crafted study, the most
comprehensive to date, finally provides clear answers to one of the
most enduring questions in presidential politics: can the running
mate make a difference in this election?
The Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental College (MAO), that became the
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1920 drew the Muslim elite into
its orbit and was a key site of a distinctively Muslim nationalism.
Located in New Dehli, the historic centre of Muslim rule, it was
home to many leading intellectuals and reformers in the years
leading up to Indian independence. During partition it was a hub of
pro-Pakistan activism. The graduates who came of age during the
anti-colonial struggle in India settled throughout the subcontinent
after the Partition. They carried with them the particular
experiences, values and histories that had defined their lives as
Aligarh students in a self-consciously Muslim environment,
surrounded by a non-Muslim majority. This new archive of oral
history narratives from seventy former AMU students reveals
histories of partition as yet unheard. In contrast to existing
studies, these stories lead across the boundaries of India,
Pakistan and Bangladesh. Partition in AMU is not defined by
international borders and migrations but by alienation from the
safety of familiar places. The book reframes Partition to draw
attention to the ways individuals experienced ongoing changes
associated with "partitioning"-the process through which familiar
spaces and places became strange and sometimes threatening-and they
highlight specific, never-before-studied sites of disturbance
distant from the borders.
The second edition of Democracy for All: Educator's Manual is aimed
at young people, adults, students and teachers. The books explain
how the international community understands democracy, and explores
what democracy means to each of us. Democracy for All also explains
how government works in a democracy, how the abuse of power is
checked, how human rights support democracy, how democratic
elections take place, and how citizens can participate in
democracy. The objectives of the book are: To improve students'
understanding of the fundamental principles and values underlying
democracy in society; To promote awareness of the current issues
and controversies relating to democracy; To show students that
their participation can make a difference to how democracy
functions in their country; To foster justice, tolerance and
fairness; To develop students' willingness and ability to resolve
disputes and differences without resorting to violence; To improve
basic skills, including critical thinking and reasoning,
communication, observation and problem-solving. Democracy for All
uses a variety of student-centred activities, including case
studies, role-plays, simulations, small-group discussions, opinion
polls and debates. Democracy for All: Educator's Manual explains
how the lessons in the Learner's Manual can be conducted and
provides solutions to the problems.
This insightful and timely book introduces an explanatory theory
for surveying global and international politics. Describing the
nature and effects of democracy beyond the state, Hans Agne
explores peace and conflict, migration politics, resource
distribution, regime effectiveness, foreign policy and posthuman
politics through the lens of democratism to both supplement and
challenge established research paradigms. Transcending the
conventional limitations of domestic politics in empirical studies,
Agne presents novel ways of thinking about democracy,
reconstructing received normative theories of democracy in global
and international politics into an innovative framework for causal
explanation. Rigorously testing this framework both empirically and
theoretically, this book goes to the very heart of contemporary
political issues, illustrating new solutions to problems of
inequality, social recognition, global governance, environment
politics and human rights protections. Opening up new avenues for
exploring contemporary paradigms in international studies, this
book is crucial reading for scholars and students of political
science, particularly those interested in democratic and
international theory. It will also benefit policymakers and
political analysts, offering a wealth of new ideas concerning the
key drivers of modern democratic politics and critical insights for
changing its direction.
On 8 January 2012 the African National Congress (ANC) of South
Africa, the oldest African nationalist organisation on the
continent, celebrated its one hundredth anniversary. This historic
event has generated significant public debate within both the ANC
and South African society at large. There is no better time to
critically reflect on the ANC's historical trajectory and struggle
against colonialism and apartheid than in its centennial year. One
Hundred Years of the ANC is a collection of new work by renowned
South African and international scholars. Covering a broad
chronological and geographical spectrum and using a diverse range
of sources, the contributors build upon but also extend the
historiography of the ANC by tapping into marginal spaces in ANC
history. By moving away from the celebratory mode that has
characterised much of the contemporary discussions on the
centenary, the contributors suggest that the relationship between
the histories of earlier struggles and the present needs to be
rethought in more complex terms. Collectively, the book chapters
challenge hegemonic narratives that have become an established part
of South Africa's national discourse since 1994. By opening up
debate around controversial or obscured aspects of the ANC's
century-long history, One hundred years of the ANC sets out an
agenda for future research. The book is directed at a wide
readership with an interest in understanding the historical roots
of South Africa's current politics will find this volume
informative. This book is based on a selection of papers presented
at the One Hundred Years of the ANC: Debating Liberation Histories
and Democracy Today Conference held at the University of
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg from 20-23 September 2011.
Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in April 1889, and shot himself in
a bunker in Berlin in April 1945 with Russian soldiers beating at
the door, surrounded by the ruins of the country he had vowed to
restore to greatness. Adolf Hitler: The Curious and Macabre
Anecdotes - part biography, part miscellany, part historical
overview - presents the life and times of der Fuhrer in a unique
and compelling manner. The early life of the loner son of an
Austrian customs official gave little clue as to his later years.
As a decorated, twice-wounded soldier of the First World War,
through shrewd manipulation of Germany's offended national pride
after the war, Hitler ascended rapidly through the political
system, rousing the masses behind him with a thundering rhetoric
that amplified the nation's growing resentment and brought him the
adulation of millions. By the age of 44, he had become both a
millionaire with secret bank accounts in Switzerland and Holland,
and the unrivalled leader of Germany, whose military might he had
resurrected; six years later, he provoked the world to war. Patrick
Delaforce's book is a masterly assessment of Hitler's life, career
and beliefs, drawn not only from its subject's own writings,
speeches, conversation, poetry and art, but also from the accounts
of those who knew him, loved him, or loathed him. The journey of an
ordinary young man to callous dictator and architect of the 'Final
Solution' makes for provocative and important - thought not always
comfortable - reading.
In Dead Presidents, public radio host and reporter Brady Carlson
takes readers on an epic trip to presidential gravesites,
monuments, and memorials from sea to shining sea. With an engaging
mix of history and contemporary reporting, Carlson explores the
death stories of our greatest leaders, and shows that the ways we
memorialize our presidents reveal as much about us as they do about
the men themselves.
Prominent scholars across the political divide and academic
disciplines analyse how the dominant political parties in Malaysia
and Singapore, United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the
People's Action Party (PAP), have stayed in power. With a focus on
developments in the last decade and the tenures of Prime Ministers
Najib Tun Razak and Lee Hsien Loong, the authors offer a range of
explanations for how these regimes have remained politically
resilient.
Racism Postcolonialism Europe turns the postcolonial critical gaze
that had previously been most likely to train itself on regions
other than Europe, and sometimes those perceived to be most
culturally or geographically distant from Europe, back on Europe
itself. The book argues that racism is alive and dangerously well
in Europe, and examines this racism through the lens of
postcolonial criticism. Postcolonial racism can be a racism of
reaction, based on the perceived threat to traditional social and
cultural identities; or a racism of (false) respect, based on
mainstream liberals' desire to hold at arm's length 'different'
cultures they are anxious not to offend. Most of all, postcolonial
racism, at least within the contemporary European context, is a
racism of surveillance, whereby 'foreigners' become 'aliens',
'protection' disguises 'preference', and 'cultural difference'
slides into 'racial stigmatization' --all in the interests of
representing the European people, which is a very different entity
to the European population as a whole. Boasting a broad
multidisciplinary approach and a range of distinguished
contributors - including Philomena Essed, Michel Wieviorka and
Griselda Pollock - Racism Postcolonialism Europe will be required
reading for scholars and students of race, postcolonial studies,
sociology, European history and literary and cultural studies.
The third edition of the manual for community organizers tells
readers how to most effectively implement community action for
social change, clearly laying out grassroots organizing principles,
methods, and best practices. Written for those who want to improve
their own lives or the lives of others, this thoroughly revised
how-to manual presents techniques groups can use to organize
successfully in pursuit of their dreams. The book combines
time-tested, universal principles and methods with cutting-edge
material addressing new opportunities and challenges. It covers
basic concepts and best practices and offers step-by-step
guidelines on things an organizer needs to know, such as how to
identify issues, formulate strategies, set goals, recruit
participants, and much more. The work focuses on six organizing
arenas: turf/geography, failth-based, issue, identity, shared
experience, and work-related. It offers new or expanded material
addressing community development, use of social media, internal
organizational dynamics, electoral organizing,
evaluation/assessment, and prevention of burnout for key leaders.
There are also nuts-and-bolts articles by experts who address
topics such as action research, lobbying, legal tactics, and
grassroots fundraising. Numerous case examples, charts, worksheets,
and small group exercises enrich the discussion and bring the
material to life. Provides clear, step-by-step guidelines for
building grassroots organizations, selecting and framing issues,
establishing goals, developing leadership, planning and
implementing actions, and assessing results Explores the distinct
roles of members, leaders, and organizers Shares case materials
that demonstrate community organizing strategies and tactics used
to leverage institutions at the state, regional, and national
levels Discusses why some strategies succeed while others fail
Includes campaign-planning worksheets and small-group exercises
suitable for community-based training sessions and workshops as
well as for undergraduate or graduate level courses
A TIME TO BETRAY
This exhilarating, award-winning memoir of a secret double life
reveals the heart-wrenching story of a man who spied for the
American government in the ranks of the notorious Revolutionary
Guards of Iran, risking everything by betraying his homeland in
order to save it.
Reza Kahlili grew up in Tehran surrounded by his close-knit family
and friends. But the enlightened Iran of his youth vanished
forever, as Reza discovered upon returning home from studying
computer science in the United States, when the revolution of 1979
ushered in Ayatollah Khomeini's dark age of religious
fundamentalism. Clinging to the hope of a Persian Renaissance, Reza
joined the Ayatollah's elite Revolutionary Guards. As Khomeini's
tyrannies unfolded, as fellow countrymen turned on each other, and
after the deeply personal horrors he witnessed firsthand inside
Evin Prison, a shattered and disillusioned Reza returned to America
to dangerously become "Wally," a spy for the CIA.
In "A Time to Betray," Reza not only relates his razor's-edge,
undercover existence from moment to heart-pounding moment as he
supplies vital information from the Iran-Iraq War, the bombing of
Pan Am Flight 103, the Iran-Contra affair, and more; he also
documents a chain of incredible events that culminates in a
nation's fight for freedom that continues to this very day, making
this a timely and vital perspective on the future of Iran and the
fate of the world.
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