Understanding the Political World


Book Description

241 The Prevalence of Elite-Based Political Systems p. 244 Focus In 9 Elite Politics in Swaziland p. 242 The Class Approach p. 244 The Public Policy Process p. 245 The Pluralist Approach p. 246 The Policymaking Process p. 247 The Debate In 9 p. 250 The Three Approaches Compared p. 251 Which Approach Is Correct? p. 251 Essential Similarities and Differences p. 252 Chapter 10 Change and Political Development p. 257 Change p. 259 Development p. 260? Characteristics of "'More Developed" Human Systems p. 260 The Process of Development p. 262 The Dynamics of Economic Development p. 264 Political Development p. 268 Characteristics of Political Development p. 268 The Process of Political Development p. 269 Focus In 10 Political Development and Modernization in Turkey p. 270 Political Development as Democratization p. 272 Debate In 10 Is Economic Development a Necessary Prerequisite for Democracy? p. 273 World of Changes p. 275 Compare In 10 p. 276 Concluding Observations p. 279 Chapter 11 Politics Across Borders p. 283 Perspectives on States' Behavior p. 286 Realist and Idealist Perspectives on the States' "Motives" p. 286 A Geopolitical Perspective p. 287 Compare In 11 Geopolitics in Two Countries p. 288 Mechanisms of Political Cooperation Across Borders p. 289 Diplomacy and Interstate Agreements p. 290 International Law p. 293 International Organizations p. 295 Political Competition Across Borders p. 300 Transnational Systems of Power p. 301 Domination and Dependence p. 303 Focus In 11 The Faces of Colonialism: Congo p. 305 Globalization? p. 306 The Debate In 11 p. 308 Competition in the Globalizing World p. 309 Chapter 12 Political Violence p. 315 Violence p. 317 Political Society p. 318 Types of Political Violence p. 319 State Violence Against Individuals or Groups p. 319 Individual Violence Against an Individual p. 321 Group Violence Against an Individual p. 322 Group Violence Against a Group p. 325 The Debate In 12 Is Terrorism Ever a Justifiable Form of Political Violence? p. 326 Individual or Group Violence Against the State p. 330 Use of Force Between States p. 334 War p. 335 What Causes War? p. 336 Focus In 12 p. 337 Compare In 12 p. 339 Evaluating Political Violence: Means and Ends p. 342 Part V Politics Among States Chapter 13 The Developed Countries of the Global North p. 349 Grouping the States in the Contemporary World p. 351 The Developed Countries of the Global North p. 352 The Developing Countries of the Global South p. 353 The Transitional Developed Countries p. 354 Goal: Prosperity p. 355 Mixed Economy p. 355 Compare In 13 Sweden and Switzerland p. 357 Performance p. 358 Challenges to Prosperity p. 360 The Debate In 13 Are the Social Democracies Dying? p. 362 Goal: Stability p. 363 Liberal Democracies p. 363 Political Institutionalization p. 364 Order Maintenance p. 365 Focus In 13 Welcome to the Brave New World: Singapore p. 365 Challenges to Stability p. 367 Goal: Security p. 369 The Era of Colonialism p. 369 The Cold War Period p. 370 The Post-Cold War Period p. 370 Challenges to Security p. 371 The Developed Countries Overall p. 372 Chapter 14 The Developing Countries of the Global South p. 376 Grouping Countries in the Developing World p. 379 Developmental Classification p. 379 Regional Classification p. 380 Achieving Development in the Global South: Some Obstacles p. 382 Compare In 14 Obstacles to Development: Nigeria and the Philippines p. 384 Goal: Prosperity p. 386 The Quest for Prosperity: Strategic Choices p. 386 Focus In 14 Poor Women and Development: Microcredit in Bangladesh p. 391 Current Outcomes p. 392 Goal: Security p. 395 Interstate Violence p. 395 Economic Security p. 397 Goal: Stability p. 398 Inadequate Political Development p. 398 The Decline of Order p. 399 Democratization p. 400 Political Approaches p. 402 Is it Getting Better all the Time? p. 405 The Debate In 14 Will There Always Be a Third World? p. 407 Chapter 15 The Transitional Developed Countries p. 412 The Postcommunist Developed Countries p. 415 Compare In 15 Acid Test II p. 416 Goal: Prosperity p. 418 Strategy p. 418 Performance p. 418 Challenges p. 419 Goal: Stability p. 420 Strategies p420 Challenges p. 422 Social Disorder p. 422 Nationality Conflicts p. 423 Entry into Europe and Global Society p. 423 Goal: Security p. 424 The Newly Industrializing Countries p. 425 Goal: Prosperity p. 426 Approach p. 426 Performance p. 427 FocusIn 15 p. 431 Goal: Stability p. 433 Asian NICs p. 433 Latin American NICs p. 433 Democratization? p. 433 Goal: Security p. 434 Asian NICs p. 434 Latin American NICs p. 435 The Future of the Transitional Developed Countries p. 435 The Postcommunist Developed Countries p. 436 The NICs p. 436 Next? p. 437 So ... p. 437 The Final Debate What Time Is It? p. 438 Appendix: Political Analysis p. 443 Glossary p. 457 References p. 469 Photo Credits p. 485 Index p. 486.




Westminster's World


Book Description

From Policy Advocates to Whips to Ministers, the many roles within the British Parliament are shaped not only by institutional rules but also by the individuals who fill them, yet few observers have fully appreciated this vital aspect of governing in one of the world's oldest representative systems. Applying a new motivational role theory to materials from extensive first-hand interviews conducted during the eventful 1970s, Donald Searing deepens our understanding of how Members of Parliament understand their goals, their careers, and their impact on domestic and global issues. He explores how Westminster's world both controls and is created by individuals, illuminating the interplay of institutional constraints and individual choice in shaping roles within the political arena. No other book tells us so much about political life at Westminster. Searing has interviewed 521 Members of Parliament--including Conservative Ministers Margaret Thatcher, Peter Walker, and James Prior; Labour Ministers Harold Wilson, Barbara Castle, and Denis Healey; rising stars Michael Heseltine, Norman Tebbitt, David Owen, and Roy Hattersley; habitual outsiders, like Michael Foot, who eventually joined the inner circle; and former insiders, like Enoch Powell, who were shut out. Searing also gives voice to the vast number of Westminster's backbenchers, who play a key part in shaping political roles in Parliament but are less likely to be heard in the media: trade unionists, knights of the shires, owners of small businesses, and others. In this segment of his study, women, senior backbenchers, and newcomers are well represented. Searing adroitly blends quantitative with qualitative analysis and integrates social and economic theories about political behavior. He addresses concerns about power, duty, ambition, and representation, and skillfully joins these concerns with his critical discoveries about the desires, beliefs, and behaviors associated with roles in Parliament. Westminster's World offers political scientists, historians, anthropologists, political commentators, and the public rich new material about the House of Commons as well as a convincing model for understanding the structure and dynamics of political roles.




Understanding Third World Politics


Book Description

Praise for the first edition: "... this masterful and concise volume overviews the range of approaches social scientists have applied to explain events in the Third World." --Journal of Developing Areas Understanding Third World Politics is a comprehensive, critical introduction to political development and comparative politics in the non-Western world today. Beginning with an assessment of the shared factors that seem to determine underdevelopment, B. C. Smith introduces the major theories of development--development theory, modernization theory, neo-colonialism, and dependency theory--and examines the role and character of key political organizations, political parties, and the military in determining the fate of developing nations. This new edition gives special attention to the problems and challenges faced by developing nations as they become democratic states by addressing questions of political legitimacy, consensus building, religion, ethnicity, and class.




Understanding Political Ideas and Movements


Book Description

Underpinned by the work of major thinkers such as Marx, Locke, Weber, Hobbes and Foucault, the first half of the book looks at political concepts including: the state and sovereignty; the nation; democracy; representation and legitimacy; freedom; equiality and rights; obligation; and citizenship. There is also a specific chapter which addresses the role of ideology in the shaping of politics and society. The second half of the book addresses traditional theoretical subjects such as socialism, Marxism and nationalism, before moving on to more contemporary movements such as environmentalism, ecologism and feminism.




Understanding Political Development


Book Description




Why Don't Women Rule the World?


Book Description

Why don’t women have more influence over the way the world is structured? Written by four leaders within the national and international academic caucuses on women and politics, Why Don't Women Rule the World? by J. Cherie Strachan , Lori M. Poloni-Staudinger, Shannon Jenkins, and Candice D. Ortbals helps you to understand how the underrepresentation of women manifests within politics, and the impact this has on policy. Grounded in theory with practical, job-related activities, the book offers a thorough introduction to the study of women and politics, and will bolster your political interests, ambitions, and efficacy.




Global Political Economy


Book Description

This book is the eagerly awaited successor to Robert Gilpin's 1987 The Political Economy of International Relations, the classic statement of the field of international political economy that continues to command the attention of students, researchers, and policymakers. The world economy and political system have changed dramatically since the 1987 book was published. The end of the Cold War has unleashed new economic and political forces, and new regionalisms have emerged. Computing power is increasingly an impetus to the world economy, and technological developments have changed and are changing almost every aspect of contemporary economic affairs. Gilpin's Global Political Economy considers each of these developments. Reflecting a lifetime of scholarship, it offers a masterful survey of the approaches that have been used to understand international economic relations and the problems faced in the new economy. Gilpin focuses on the powerful economic, political, and technological forces that have transformed the world. He gives particular attention to economic globalization, its real and alleged implications for economic affairs, and the degree to which its nature, extent, and significance have been exaggerated and misunderstood. Moreover, he demonstrates that national policies and domestic economies remain the most critical determinants of economic affairs. The book also stresses the importance of economic regionalism, multinational corporations, and financial upheavals. Gilpin integrates economic and political analysis in his discussion of "global political economy." He employs the conventional theory of international trade, insights from the theory of industrial organization, and endogenous growth theory. In addition, ideas from political science, history, and other disciplines are employed to enrich understanding of the new international economic order. This wide-ranging book is destined to become a landmark in the field.




Understanding Political Islam


Book Description

Understanding Political Islam retraces the human and intellectual development that led François Burgat to a very firm conviction: that the roots of the tensions that afflict the Western world’s relationship with the Muslim world are political rather than ideological. In his compelling account of the interactions between personal life-history and professional research trajectories, Burgat examines how the rise of political Islam has been expressed: first in the Arab world, then in its interactions with European and Western societies. An essential continuation of his work on Islamism, Burgat’s unique field research and ‘political trespassing’ marks an overdue challenge to the academic mainstream.




Global Political Islam


Book Description

An accessible and comprehensive account of the global dimensions of political Islam in the twenty-first century, explaining political Islam, nationalism and globalization and providing a detailed account of Al Qaeda.




Understanding Singapore Politics (Second Edition)


Book Description

Understanding Singapore Politics, Second Edition, aims to present a structural-functional understanding of politics in Singapore. This textbook provides a foundational knowledge of Singapore's politics by discussing key topics including the country's history, political and party systems, role of parastatal organisations, nation building, political leadership, electoral politics, hot-button national issues and the role of Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore politics. Recommended for anyone who has an interest or a stake in the island republic, this introductory text provides insights on what drives, shapes and influences Singapore's politics and explains the political behaviour of Singaporeans.