Dragon in the Tropics


Book Description

"This new and expanded edition of Dragon in the Tropics—the widely acclaimed account of how president Hugo Chávez (1999–2013) revamped Venezuela’s political economy—examines the electoral decline of Chavismo after Chavez’s death and the policies adopted by his successor, Nicolás Maduro, to cope with the economic chaos inherited from previous radical populist policies. Corrales and Penfold argue that Maduro has had to struggle with the inherent contradictions of a large and heterogeneous social coalition, a declining oil sector, the strength of entrenched military interests, and fewer resources to appease international allies, which have strenghtened the autocratic features of an already consolidated hybrid regime. In examining the new political realities of Venezuela, the authors offer lessons on the dynamics of succession in hybrid regimes. This book is a must-read for scholars and analysts of Latin America. "







Comunicación política y gobierno de coalición


Book Description

La presente obra analiza, desde el punto de vista teórico y práctico, la problemática que presenta la comunicación de los gobiernos de coalición. No en vano, el fenómeno coalicional ha ido adquiriendo un interés creciente, especialmente tras los cambios experimentados por el sistema de partidos y la irrupción de gobiernos de signo plural. En este contexto, cobran relieve las pautas de funcionamiento interno acordadas y, en especial, la comunicación política. Sin duda, los partidos coaligados deben priorizar la elaboración de planes que permitan relacionar el gobierno con la sociedad, y asegurar una buena sintonía entre la emisión y recepción de los mensajes por parte de las bases electorales. De ahí que la profesionalizaciónestratégica de las estructuras comunicativas de los ejecutivos o un buen manejo de las nuevas tecnologías coadyuve a que estos gobiernos sean más creíbles, duraderos y gocen de mayor reputación.










Rivalling Disaster Experiences


Book Description

People experience disasters very differently. Conflicts about a »correct« interpretation of the risks might arise. The side-by-side of different truths lead to people seeing mismanagement and disinformation. The volcanic crisis of El Hierro shows how rivalling interpretations amongst affected islanders, the media, sciences, and disaster response institutions cause great social tensions and scepticism towards scientific information. Thus, to fully understand disaster risk, the focus must shift to the rifts between established convictions and the individuals' creativity to overcome them, taking into account their embeddedness in various fields of practice, each with their own rationales and ruptures.







Policing Life and Death


Book Description

In her exciting new book, Marisol LeBrón traces the rise of punitive governance in Puerto Rico over the course of the twentieth century and up to the present. Punitive governance emerged as a way for the Puerto Rican state to manage the deep and ongoing crises stemming from the archipelago’s incorporation into the United States as a colonial territory. A structuring component of everyday life for many Puerto Ricans, police power has reinforced social inequality and worsened conditions of vulnerability in marginalized communities. This book provides powerful examples of how Puerto Ricans negotiate and resist their subjection to increased levels of segregation, criminalization, discrimination, and harm. Policing Life and Death shows how Puerto Ricans are actively rejecting punitive solutions and working toward alternative understandings of safety and a more just future.




Claims Upon Mexico


Book Description