› › Csd Policy Brief No 43

Nations in Transit 2014

Author : Freedom House

Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield

Page : 687 pages

File Size : 10,70 MB

Release : 2014-09-24

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 1442242310

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Book Description

Since 1995, Freedom House’s Nations in Transit series has monitored the status of democratic change from Central Europe to Eurasia, pinpointing the region’s greatest reform opportunities and challenges for the benefit of policymakers, researchers, journalists, and democracy advocates alike. Covering twenty-nine countries, Nations in Transit provides comparative ratings and in-depth analysis of electoral process, civil society, independent media, national and local democratic governance, judicial framework, and corruption. Nations in Transit 2014 evaluates developments in these areas from January 1 to December 31, 2013.





Dirty Assets

Author : Colin King

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 480 pages

File Size : 21,65 MB

Release : 2016-05-23

Category : Law

ISBN : 1317150457

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Book Description

Adopting a multi-disciplinary and comparative approach, this book focuses on the emerging and innovative aspects of attempts to target the accumulated assets of those engaged in criminal and terrorist activity, organized crime and corruption. It examines the ’follow-the-money’ approach and explores the nature of criminal, civil and regulatory responses used to attack the financial assets of those engaged in financial crime in order to deter and disrupt future criminal activity as well as terrorism networks. With contributions from leading international academics and practitioners in the fields of law, economics, financial management, criminology, sociology and political science, the book explores law and practice in countries with significant problems and experiences, revealing new insights into these dilemmas. It also discusses the impact of the ’follow-the-money’ approach on human rights while also assessing effectiveness. The book will appeal to academics and researchers of financial crime, organized crime and terrorism as well as practitioners in the police, prosecution, financial and taxation agencies, policy-makers and lawyers.



Pan-Slavism and Slavophilia in Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe

Author : Mikhail Suslov

Publisher : Springer Nature

Page : 435 pages

File Size : 15,89 MB

Release : 2023-02-13

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 3031178750

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Book Description

This book explores origins, manifestations, and functions of Pan-Slavism in contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, arguing that despite the extinction of Pan-Slavism as an articulated Romantic-era geopolitical ideology, a number of related discourses, metaphors, and emotions have spilled over into the mainstream debates and popular imagination. Using the term Slavophilia to capture the range of representations, the volume analyses how geopolitical discourses shape the identity and policies of a community, providing a comparative analysis that covers a range of Slavic countries in order to understand how Pan-Slavism works and resonates across geographic and political contexts.



Post-Pandemic Welfare and Social Work

Author : Goetz Ottmann

Publisher : Taylor & Francis

Page : 239 pages

File Size : 18,55 MB

Release : 2023-08-04

Category : Social Science

ISBN : 1000921573

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Book Description

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a critical juncture in the development of the welfare state affirming its importance for its citizens’ economic, health and wellbeing, and safety, especially for its most vulnerable populations. It demonstrated that the crisis preparedness that is crucial for an effective protection of its citizens, the ultimate purpose of the welfare state, unquestionably exceeds the narrow horizon of a corporatised welfare industry with its singular focus on the maximisation of profit for the elites and cost containment for the government. Social workers need to engage with the contradictions and tensions that spring from underfunded welfare services and engage in the political struggle over a well-resourced welfare state. Contributors to this book take on this challenge. By tracing the various contradictions of the pandemic, the contributors reflect on new ways of thinking about welfare by exploring what to keep, what to challenge and what to change. By highlighting important challenges for a social justice-focused response as well as exploring the many challenges exposed by the pandemic facing social work for the coming decades, contributors critically outline pathways in social work that might contribute to the shaping of a less cruel and more capable welfare state. Using case-studies from Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia, Italy, Slovenia, Estonia, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, Canada, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, China and the United States, the book features 19 chapters by leading experts. This book will be of interest to all social work scholars, students and practitioners, as well as those working in social policy and health more broadly.



Financial Capability and Asset Building with Diverse Populations

Author : Julie Birkenmaier

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 144 pages

File Size : 48,73 MB

Release : 2018-12-07

Category : Social Science

ISBN : 1351202294

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Book Description

Global economic recovery in the aftermath of the Great Recession has not been experienced equally: while the share of wealth owned by the richest 3% has grown, the share owned by the poorest 90% continues to decline, as reported by Oxfam in 2016. This wealth divide disproportionately affects racial and ethnic minority communities. This book underscores the importance of financial capability and asset building (FCAB) practice, policy and research during a period when vulnerable populations face increasingly difficult economic and financial realities. At the same time, retrenchment and privatization of government-sponsored social services have eroded the safety net available for families experiencing poverty or near-poverty conditions. The proliferation of products and services available from both formal and informal financial institutions highlights the need to promote FCAB to avoid and/or recover from financial difficulties, crises and poverty. The contributors to this volume disseminate findings from interventions designed to increase financial knowledge, financial management and financial access across several vulnerable populations, including immigrant communities. Further, they demonstrate the need for culturally sensitive FCAB service delivery, considering opportunities and barriers posed by past and current life situations, experiences and environments experienced by different populations. The book is aimed at policymakers, researchers and practitioners who assist financially vulnerable people. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Community Practice.



Social Work and Social Welfare

Author : Marla Berg-Weger

Publisher : Taylor & Francis

Page : 688 pages

File Size : 43,70 MB

Release : 2022-06-19

Category : Social Science

ISBN : 1000570495

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Book Description

Social Work and Social Welfare: An Invitation is a best-selling text and website for introductory courses in social work. It provides students with the knowledge, skills, and values that are essential for working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, in a variety of practice settings. The sixth edition has been updated to reflect the contemporary world in which today’s social workers practice, with current demographic, statistical, legislative, policy, and research information; sensitive discussions of ethical dilemmas; and fresh profiles of social workers with first-person narratives to demonstrate the dynamic fi eld students will be joining. To address the dramatic changes in the world in which social workers practice since the fifth edition was released, we have revised and added content: Centering diversity, equity, and inclusion to elevate anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice, including a critical review of our profession’s history. Demonstrating how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and intensified inequities as well as ways in which social workers responded to the needs of their clients, organizations, and communities. Updating language to reflect commitment to and respect for inclusivity, gender identity, and nongendered identities. The content in this text is supported by a range of fully updated instructor led and student resources that are available on its companion website, www. routledgesw.com. Assignments, exercises, and readings that help instructors and students apply the concepts and theories the textbook reviews may be found there, as well as extensive interactive case studies to engage students in some of society’s most challenging issues.



Comparing Police Corruption

Author : Leslie Holmes

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 169 pages

File Size : 15,71 MB

Release : 2021-09-30

Category : Political Science

ISBN : 1000457338

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Book Description

This book analyses police corruption across four country case studies, exploring how the problem manifests in each country and how it can be reduced. The problem of police corruption ranges from having to pay a bribe to a traffic cop to avoid a speeding fine, right up to more serious forms, such as collusion with organised crime groups and terrorists. The issue therefore constitutes a significant security threat and a human rights issue, but it is often difficult to understand the extent of the problem, and how it varies across contexts. This book analyses the corruption situation in Bulgaria, Germany, Russia and Singapore, identifies similarities and differences across them, and analyses the various means of addressing the problem: punitive, incentivising, technological, administrative and imaging, and the role of civil society. Drawing on existing literature and research, the book also makes extensive use of local sources and original survey data across the four countries. As comparative literature on police corruption remains rare, this book’s survey of the situation in two developed states and two post-communist transition states will be of considerable interest to students and researchers across corruption studies, criminology, police studies and security studies, as well as practitioners working in anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies.



The Russian Economic Grip on Central and Eastern Europe

Author : Ognian Shentov

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 246 pages

File Size : 10,91 MB

Release : 2018-10-08

Category : Social Science

ISBN : 1351109375

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Book Description

This book is about the use of economic and state capture levers for achieving political clout. It details how Moscow has been able to exploit governance deficits and influence decision-making in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe through a range of economic means. The comparative country by country perspective on Russia’s corporate presence, trade, and investment in particular sectors of the region, especially energy, shows the patterns of the Kremlin’s use of economic presence and state capture tactics to amplify political and social leverage. By collating economic data with an analysis of governance loopholes and the political process, the authors reveal the Kremlin’s methods for swaying national policies, especially through the exploitation of governance failures in these countries. The book thereby highlights how Russia’s economic power is related to its wider strategic goals. It concludes that Russia’s economic grip, both direct and indirect, is tighter than official statistics imply.



Making Education Work for the Poor

Author : Willliam Elliott

Publisher : Oxford University Press

Page : 289 pages

File Size : 24,17 MB

Release : 2018-07-03

Category : Social Science

ISBN : 0190621575

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Book Description

Making Education Work for the Poor identifies wealth inequality as the gravest threat to the endangered American Dream. Though studies have clearly illustrated that education is the primary path to upward mobility, today, educational outcomes are more directly determined by wealth than innate ability and exerted effort. This accounting directly contradicts Americans' understanding of the promise the American Dream is supposed to offer: a level playing field and a path towards a more profitable future. In this book, the authors share their own stories of their journeys through the unequal U.S. education system. One started from relative privilege and had her way to prosperity paved and her individual efforts augmented by institutional and structural support. The other grew up in poverty and had to fight against currents to complete higher education, only to find his ability to profit from that degree compromised by student debt. To directly counter wealth inequality and make education the 'great equalizer' that Americans believe it to be, this book calls for a revolution in financial aid policy, from debt dependence to asset empowerment. The book examines the evidence base supporting Children's Savings Accounts, including CSAs' demonstrated potential to improve children's outcomes all along the 'opportunity pipeline': early education, school achievement, college access and completion, and post-college financial health. It then outlines a policy that builds on CSAs to incorporate a sizable, progressive wealth transfer. This new policy, Opportunity Investment Accounts, is framed as the cornerstone of the wealth-building agenda the nation needs in order to salvage the American Dream. Written by leading CSA researchers, the book includes overviews of the major children's savings legislation proposed in Congress and the key features of prominent CSA programs in operation around the country today, as well as new qualitative and quantitative CSA research. The book ultimately presents a critical development of the theories that, together, explain how universal, progressive, asset-based education financing could make education work equitably for all American children.