The proliferation of regional institutions and initiatives in Asia over the past decade is unmatched in any other region of the world. The authors in this collection explore the distinctive features of these institutions by comparing them for the first time to the experience of other regions; from the elaborate institution-building of Europe to the more modest regional projects of the Americas. It is an opportune moment for this reassessment, as the European regional model faces a sovereign debt crisis while Asian economies see more secure sources of growth from their immediate neighbors. Asia's regional institutions display a distinctive combination of decision rules, commitment devices, and membership practices, shaped by underlying features of the region, the dynamics of regional integration, and the availability of institutional substitutes. Within this context, the authors propose changes that will better sustain the prosperity and peace that have marked Asia in recent decades.

The financial crisis that swept across East Asia during 1997 1998 was devastating not only in its economic impact but also in its social and political effects. The explosive growth and sociopolitical modernization that had powered the region for much of the preceding decade suddenly were dramatically interrupted. East Asia is economically outperforming the rest of the developing world once again and has become a leading force in the global economy. In the wake of the crisis, East Asia changed in important ways. Crisis as Catalyst contains assessments of these changes-both ephemeral and permanent- by a wide range of specialists in Asian economics and politics.The crisis, as the contributors to this volume show, catalyzed changes across political, corporate, and social arenas both in the countries hit hard by the crisis and in others throughout the region. The authors of Crisis as Catalyst examine what has changed (as well as what has not changed) in East Asia since the crisis, explain these variations, and reflect on the long-term significance of these developments."

Conventional wisdom holds that "institutions matter." Here, Andrew MacIntyre reveals exactly how they matter in the developing world. Combining an eye for current concerns in international politics with a deep knowledge of Southeast Asia, MacIntyre explores the impact of institutions on effective governance. He examines the "national political architecture" the complex of rules that determine how leadership of a state is constituted and how state authority is exercised. The Power of Institutions sets out an intriguing conundrum: one well-established body of literature decries the evils of highly centralized political systems, while an equally vigorous school of thought outlines the dangers of political fragmentation. MacIntyre presents the problems associated with institutional extremes, common in developing countries, as the "power concentration paradox." Either extreme is likely to be associated with distinctive governance problems. MacIntyre illustrates his wider arguments by focusing on Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. He shows how their diverse political architectures influenced their responses to the Asian economic crisis and played into pressures for political reform. The Power of Institutions makes clear why the configuration of political institutions is one of the most pressing challenges in many parts of the developing world today."

Written by an expert team of authors, this clear and comprehensive guide explains all the basic principles relating to Scots criminal law, taking account of ongoing changes in substantive law, including the continuing influence of human rights. This well-established text is an essential reference source for both law students and legal practitioners and includes coverage of: - developments in case law and statute reflecting the prominence of statutory offences - analysis of the meaning of 'wicked' in the context of recklessness - an examination of perjury - reflections upon diminished responsibility - the interaction between provocation and self-defence - the continuing influence of the European Convention on Human Rights and related jurisprudence - an analysis of how Scotland has sought to address the right to die issue and the age of criminal responsibility The main common law and statutory offences are covered under the following sections: - Offences against the person including homicide and sexual offences - Social protection offences including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and road traffic offences - Property offences including theft, robbery, embezzlement and malicious mischief - Offences against the state and administration of justice including contempt of court and interfering with the course of justice

A collection of imaginative Christmas poems written for a new audience. These words are for now they have a message and meaning ,which i wont disclose.That you have to find within your heart and soul.

A collection of poems filled with the inspiration of my ancient ancestors.Those who fought for freedom and injustice.They lived and stood by Wallace,Bruce and Moray.

A personal collection of poems based on my memories.These days in the sixties were a special time especially for someone growing up. Cullen is a mgical place and anyone who has ever visited will attest to.It is a small village on the Moray Firth in the North East of Scotland.Fishing was once the mainstay employment of Cullen, nowadays it is totally different. Although the main road from inverness to Fraserburgh road runs through the town ,it still retains a air of being somehow different and cut off from the world. On the shore of Cullen bay stands rock formations, of a rich reddish rock,called the "Three KIngs" so named after a battle fought there in the past.The legend states that three kings died in this battle.In history a battle did take place there called "Battle of Bauds"fought between scots and norsemen.Indulph was the scots leader not much is known about the Norsemen suffice to say they probably came from Orkney.In the village of Portknockie nearby a Pictish stronghold once flourished.A magical place

The contributions in this book are a representative cross-section of recent research on verb-particle constructions. The syntactic, semantic, morphological, and psycholinguistic phenomena associated with the constructions in English, Dutch, German, and Swedish are analyzed from the various different theoretical viewpoints.