Good infrastructure is essential for socio-economic growth and sustainable development. This book presents a comprehensive exploration of the state of infrastructure in Africa and provides an integrated analysis of the challenges the sector faces, based on extensive fieldwork across the continent. The book will be an important resource for researchers, students, early career development professionals as well as policymakers and NGOs.

Digital technology and the Internet have greatly affected the political realm in recent years, allowing citizens greater input and interaction in government processes. The mainstream media no longer holds all the power in political commentary. Transforming Politics and Policy in the Digital Age provides an updated assessment of the implications of technology for society and the realm of politics. The book covers issues presented by the technological changes on policy making and offers a wide array of perspectives. This publication will appeal to researchers, politicians, policy analysts, and academics working in e-government and politics.

Across the globe, more powers are being devolved to local and regional levels of government. This book provides an innovative analysis of such decentralisation in transition states in the Balkans. Using new and rich data, it shows how political elites use decentralisation strategically to ensure their access to state resources.

This book presents strategies for managing disasters and reducing risks in Asian countries. Given the dynamic changes in the natural environment as well as the patterns of land use and management, the growing populations of the developing nations in Asia, migration patterns, and other social-cultural aspects, the impacts of disasters have increased manifold in Asian countries. Against this backdrop, the book examines disaster management issues such as disaster preparedness, post-disaster reconstruction, peace, development and corruption. The views of different groups of stakeholders are incorporated in the discussion to ensure a comprehensive analysis of and findings on the governance process, as well as best practices in pre- and post-disaster management. The book also includes chapters focusing on aspects often overlooked in the context of disaster management, such as the need to invest in public education to improve public awareness, and approaches to supporting the disabled, the vulnerable and the elderly from disaster risks. In closing, the book presents research on disaster management methods employed by different countries in the Asian region. Acknowledgement: The editors acknowledge the role of the Network of Asia Pacific Schools and Institutes of Public Administration and Governance (NAPSIPAG), which is the largest governance research network in the Asia Pacific region,in bringing out this book. NAPSIPAG has been regularly organizing international meetings of administrators, academia and non-state bodies to provide a forum to the regional scholars to deliberate with the international governance experts. It has also helped the international policy organizations to have a better understanding about the region through a local lens of Asiatic anthropology, ethnography and culture of administration.

"The nature of governance is rapidly changing, due to new technologies which expand public sector capabilities. Modern Public Information Technology Systems: Issues and Challenges examines the most important dimensions of managing information technology in the public sector. It explores the impact of information technology on governmental accountability and distribution of power, the implications of privatization as an IT business model, and the global governance of information technology. Modern Public Information Technology Systems: Issues and Challenges provides a fresh look at the evolution of federal technology and political accountability in governmental information systems. Descriptions of general policy and technical applications, as well as practical implementation guidelines make this book a must-have for professors, students, and practitioners."

Executive Politics in Times of Crisis brings together leading international scholars to consider key trends and challenges that have defined executive politics over the past decade. It showcases key debates in executive politics and contributes to an understanding of the 'executive factor' in political life.

In the first volume of its kind, a collection of top policy scholars combine empirical and methodological analysis in the field of comparative policy studies to provide compelling insights into the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies across regional and national boundaries.

The main focus of the book is institutional change in the Scandinavian model, with special emphasis on Norway. There are many reasons to pay closer attention to the Norwegian case when it comes to analyses of changes in the public sphere. In the country's political history, the arts and the media played a particular role in the processes towards sovereignty at the beginning of the 20th century. On a par with the other Scandinavian countries, Norway is in the forefront in the world in the distribution and uses of Internet technology. As an extreme case, the most corporatist society within the family of the "Nordic Model", it offers an opportunity both for intriguing case studies and for challenging and refining existing theory on processes of institutional change in media policy and cultural policy. It supplements two recent, important books on political economy in Scandinavia: Varieties of Liberalization and the New Politics of Social Solidarity (Kathleen Thelen, 2014), and The Political Construction of Business Interests (Cathie Jo Martin and Duane Swank, 2013). There are further reasons to pay particular attention to the Scandinavian, and more specifically the Norwegian cases: (i) They are to varying degrees neo-corporatist societies, characterized by ongoing bargaining over social and political reform processes. From a theoretical perspective this invites reflections which, to some extent, are at odds with the dominant conceptions of institutional change. Neither models of path dependency nor models of aggregate, incremental change focus on the continuous social bargaining over institutional change. (ii) Despite recent processes of liberalization, common to the Western world as a whole, corporatism implies a close connection between state, public sphere, cultural life, and religion. This also means that institutions are closely bundled, in an even stronger way than assumed for example in the Varieties of Capitalism literature. Furthermore, we only have scarce insight in the way the different spheres of corporatism are connected and interact. In the proposed edited volume we have collected historical-institutional case studies from a broad set of social fields (a detailed outline of contents and contributors is attached): * Critical assessments of Jurgen Habermas' theory of the public sphere * Can the public sphere be considered an institution? * The central position of the public sphere in social and political change in Norway * Digital transformations and effects of the growing PR industry on the public sphere * Institutionalization of social media in local politics and voluntary organizations * Legitimation work in the public sphere * freedom of expression and warning in the workplace * "Return of religion" to the public sphere, and its effects

Evidence Versus Politics looks at a contentious area of UK criminal justice and drug policy making. Based on original research and presenting new arguments about policy making processes, the book contributes to the debate about policy making, especially highly politicized issues. It takes as its starting point the notion that evidence is a difficult concept and that there are always different ideas about what should count as evidence in any given context, as well as the widespread disagreement over the role evidence plays in policy making. Based on primary research, including observation and documentary analysis of the UK's Parliamentary Select Committee hearings, alongside qualitative 'elite' interviews with a wide-range of key policy actors, this book argues that there is a huge misunderstanding about the evidence and policy relationship.

Governments and international organizations increasingly use public-private partnerships to deliver essential public goods. This book presents a new model of accountability which ensures that these partnerships don't erode public accountability. It defines concrete accountability standards for different types of partnerships.

Policy-Driven Democratization offers a comprehensive conceptual analysis of each one of these fuzzy terms separately to then sew them together in one complete and coherent package of democratization.

What are the factors of Lukashenka's longevity at the helm of power? This question is addressed in the context of Belarusian history and identity, not as an outcome of a form of government deceitfully imposed on an allegedly benighted people whom better positioned and informed outsiders seek to enlighten and liberate.

Despite several decades of changing government policy to improve the 'criminal justice system', involving vast expenditure and the sustained efforts of practitioners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, there is a sense of poor returns and going round in circles. The formation of a coalition government, in May 2010 seemed to augur a genuine turning point, but more recent events have begun to follow the familiar pattern - more legislation, more reorganisation, more punishment. Where Next for Criminal Justice? reviews, first, policy shifts during the last thirty years, then recent developments in sentencing, policing, community sentences, prisons and governance of criminal justice, and the lessons that can be learnt from them; and offers a principled framework for the future development of policy, legislation and practice. It argues, with examples, for an approach to criminal justice which is focused first on people and their capacities, situations and relationships, on treating them with humanity and respect, and only then on reforming institutions, structures and systems. The inherent divisiveness in responses to crime has been exacerbated by its use for political advantage. The authors argue for the different perspectives to be acknowledged and make suggestions, based on ideas of procedural justice and legitimacy, for ways in which reconciliation might more often be achieved.

The relationship between civil servants and politicians is as fascinating as it is complex with their mutual interdependence requiring to cooperate despite the ever-present risk of tension and conflict. For reasons of efficiency it is important that the civil service has a certain degree of independence and detachment from the political process. The requirement of democratically legitimate and accountable decision-making however demands control at the political level.This comparative study focuses on the changing relations between civil servants and politicians in the European Union in the last two decades. As well as national case studies this book also looks into politico-administrative relations in supranational institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Why do policy actors create branded policy ideas like the big society and does launching them on Twitter extend or curtail their life? This book reveals how policy analysis can adapt in an increasingly mediatised world, offering interpretive insights into the life and death of policy ideas in an era of hashtag politics.

This important book is a response to crises of public policy. Offering an original contribution to a growing debate, the authors argue that traditional technocratic ways of designing policy are inadequate to cope with increasingly complex challenges, and suggest co-production as a more democratic alternative. Drawing on 12 compelling international contributions from practitioners, policy makers, activists and actively engaged academics, ideas of power are used to explore how genuine democratic involvement in the policy process from those outside the elites of politics can shape society for the better. The authors present insights on why and how to generate change in policy processes, arguing for increased experimentation in policy design. The book will be a valuable resource for researchers and students in public policy, public administration, sociology and politics.

There has been much attention paid to the idea of Smart Cities as researchers have sought to define and characterize the main aspects of the concept, including the role of creative industries in urban growth, the importance of social capital in urban development, and the role of urban sustainability. This book develops a critical view of the Smart City concept, the incentives and role of governments in promoting the development of Smart Cities and the analysis of experiences of e-government projects addressed to enhance Smart Cities. This book further analyzes the perceptions of stakeholders, such as public managers or politicians, regarding the incentives and role of governments in Smart Cities and the critical analysis of e-government projects to promote Smart Cities' development, making the book valuable to academics, researchers, policy-makers, public managers, international organizations and technical experts in understanding the role of government to enhance Smart Cities' projects.

The Yearbook on Space Policy, edited by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), is the reference publication analysing space policy developments. Each year it presents issues and trends in space policy and the space sector as a whole. Its scope is global and its perspective is European. The Yearbook also links space policy with other policy areas. It highlights specific events and issues, and provides useful insights, data and information on space activities. The first part of the Yearbook sets out a comprehensive overview of the economic, political, technological and institutional trends that have affected space activities. The second part of the Yearbook offers a more analytical perspective on the yearly ESPI theme and consists of external contributions written by professionals with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. The third part of the Yearbook carries forward the character of the Yearbook as an archive of space activities. The Yearbook is designed for government decision-makers and agencies, industry professionals, as well as the service sectors, researchers and scientists and the interested public.

Analyzes how border and immigration enforcement culminated in a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas. On August 3, 2019, a far-right extremist committed a deadly mass shooting at a major shopping center in El Paso, Texas, a city on the border of the United States and Mexico. In Unsettling, Gilberto Rosas situates this devastating shooting as the latest unsettling consequence of our border crisis and currents of deeply rooted white nationalism embedded in the United States. Tracing strict immigration policies and inhumane border treatment from the Clinton era through Democratic and Republican administrations alike, Rosas shows how the rhetoric around these policies helped lead to the Trump administration's brutal crackdown on migration--and the massacre in El Paso. Rosas draws on poignant stories and compelling testimonies from workers in immigrant justice organizations, federal public defenders, immigration attorneys, and human rights activists to document the cruelties and indignities inflicted on border crossers. Borders, as sites of crossings and spaces long inhabited by marginalized populations, generate deep anxiety across much of the contemporary world. Rosas demonstrates how the Trump administration amplified and weaponized immigration and border policy, including family separation, torture, and murder. None of this dehumanization and violence was inevitable, however. The border zone in El Paso (which translates to "the Pass") was once a very different place, one marked by frequent and inconsequential crossings to and from both sides--and with more humane immigration policies, it could become that once again.

Governments have developed a convenient habit of blaming social problems on their citizens, placing too much emphasis on personal responsibility and pursuing policies to 'nudge' their citizens to better behaviour. Keith Dowding shows that, in fact, responsibility for many of our biggest social crises - including homelessness, gun crime, obesity, drug addiction and problem gambling - should be laid at the feet of politicians. He calls for us to stop scapegoating fellow citizens and to demand more from our governments, who have the real power and responsibility to alleviate social problems and bring about lasting change.

This book examines the extent to which social position impacts exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and whether women with IPV exposure are more vulnerable to social inequities in health. At the intersection of sociological theories on health, gender, and policy, this book explores these issues against the social policy contexts of the United States, Germany, and Norway. It applies a conceptual framework which argues that differential exposure to IPV and differential vulnerability to poor health are two primary mechanisms driving health inequities for IPV survivors. Empirical analysis reveals context-specific nuances in the interactions of social position and IPV exposure in their impact on health, and suggests that encouraging women's economic independence and ensuring access to health care are vital policy intervention points for reducing the health inequities of IPV survivors. This book offers a cross-national comparative look at the role of social policy in the lives of IPV survivors, highlighting the effects of various policy approaches in three modern welfare states and suggesting policy implications.

Over the last fifteen years, the deregulation of Britain's labor market has led to economic growth, employment opportunities, and a more diverse workforce: the "fat years." However, now as Britain faces its lean years with job cuts, rising unemployment, income insecurity, and related social strains, how can and should the government and key labor market policy makers ensure the labor market provides job opportunities and reasonable levels of social justice?
The fundamental changes that have occurred in labor market institutions mean that 'solutions' of previous decades no longer work. This volume sets out to address the major challenges faced:
- Unemployment, immigration, housing and job subsidies
- Key institutional changes, such as the decline of collective regulation and the rise of occupational licensing
- Pay inequality and minimum wages
- Pay and subsidies in the private and public sector
Contributions from leading experts in the field employ the latest theory and empirical research to examine a different set of problems and the policies that could help to resolve them.

This first book-length study of the socialisation of MPs uses questionnaire data gathered over two Parliaments (1992-97 and 1997-2001) to find out how MPs learn about, and what their attitudes are towards, their role as a Member of Parliament. It analyzes their participation in debates, the use of Parliamentary Questions and committee work.

Whether post-modern or pre-industrial, the economic development of societies around the world is often influenced by the whims of a capricious international political environment. Globalization and Governance in the International Political Economy investigates the impact of diverse cultures on the development and actualization of global economic entities, exploring advanced methods and best practices for the effective utilization and management of financial organizations within a globalized political context. This essential reference provides readers in both political and economic fields with insights into the challenges and opportunities posed by the political economy.

The Internet and related technologies have dramatically changed the way we live, work, socialize, and even topple national governments. As the Internet becomes increasingly pervasive across societies, we find more often that governments adopt Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) as part of their toolbox for facilitating efficient and citizen-oriented service delivery at all levels of government. Local governments across the major industrialized democracies have not been an exception to this trend and have set sail into the age of digital government. Closest to their citizens, towns and cities have adopted ICTs to facilitate electronic government (e-government). While research on local e-government functionality in terms of information dissemination, service delivery, and citizen engagement continues at an impressive empirical and methodological pace, gaps in our knowledge remain. Cross-national comparative research on local e-government that covers a wide range of municipalities in combination with in-depth case study analyses is lacking. Informed by a comparative case study approach, this book seeks to narrow that gap and offer practical policy solutions to facilitate local e-government. We do so by pursuing both a macro and micro perspective of e-government functionality in the federal republics of Germany and the United States and unitary France and Japan. The macro perspective focuses on the state and scope of e-government functionality across a large number of randomly selected municipalities of all sizes in these advanced industrialized countries. Based on a small sample of case studies, the micro perspective analyzes the successful implementation of e-government in Seattle (United States), Nuremberg (Germany), Bordeaux (France), and Shizuoka City (Japan).