Focusing on the formative 1974-1981 years, the central theme of this book is the building of democracy in contemporary Greece and the role played in it by the newly-emergent political parties. Although all main parties are examined according to their importance, attention is chiefly given to conservative New Democracy which, led for the greatest part by charismatic Karamanlis, held office during these years of democratic transition. This study also offers a systematic analysis of today's political system in Greece, its strengths and deficiencies, and its prospects for the future.

Focusing on the formative 1974-81 years, the central theme of this book is the building of democracy in contemporary Greece and the role played in it by the newly-emergent political parties. Although all main parties are examined according to their importance, attention is chiefly given to conservative "New Democracy" which, led for the greatest part by charismatic Karamanlis, held office during these years of democratic transition. This study offers a systematic analysis of today's political system in Greece, its strengths and deficiencies, and its prospects for the future.

The 1970's witnessed the institution of political liberalism in Greece, which went hand in hand with significant social and economic advancement. Four decades later, the same country is a latter-day 'sick man of Europe'. What went wrong? And why did the more recent global crisis plunge Greece into abject misery? This study provides compelling and original answers to these questions through putting populism at center stage. By introducing new concepts, focusing on micro-mechanisms, and empirically analyzing a large variety of sources, the author shows how populism became predominant in Greek politics and contaminated all major political parties, eventually causing a major polity crisis. Besides its particular interest in the specific case of Greece, the text offers new insights about how states may fail, how populism develops at single-nation level, and what could happen when it reigns supreme. It also makes a strong statement about the corrosive power of populism on modern liberal democracy

A collection of letters to the editor, Even Custer Had Better Odds: Being Blue in a Red (Hendricks) County reflects Dean Pappas' divergent political opinions on contemporary issues. Topics range from the attacks of "911" to Hurricane Katrina. Pappas makes his opinions known even to those who strongly disagree. Pappas spends a lot of time showing the fallacy of the Bush Administration's tax cuts and the reckless government spending of "borrow and spend." He points out that Bush wants to do away with the Estate Tax and the billions of dollars that it provides-just at a time when we desperately need revenue, especially to finance the war in Iraq. Also, he points out that there is not enough money to adequately fund programs for veterans, education, and health care. Furthermore, he describes Bush's philosophy as "No Millionaire Left Behind." Pappas also discusses other issues such as gay marriage, abortion, high gas prices, and Supreme Court nominees. He shows his own religious beliefs when he opposes gay marriage and abortion. Also, he is critical of Bush's Supreme Court nominees and has a strategy for what the Democrats need to do to win the next presidential election. Overall, Even Custer Had Better Odds: Being Blue in a Red (Hendricks) County reflects one man's divergent political views and is available from authorhouse.com.

Focusing on the formative 1974-1981 years, the central theme of this book is the building of democracy in contemporary Greece and the role played in it by the newly-emergent political parties. Although all main parties are examined according to their importance, attention is chiefly given to conservative New Democracy which, led for the greatest part by charismatic Karamanlis, held office during these years of democratic transition. This study also offers a systematic analysis of today's political system in Greece, its strengths and deficiencies, and its prospects for the future.