Competing for Legitimacy
This book answers the question of why and how people form bonds with each other and with insurgent groups in fragile state contexts. It develops an overarching framework depicting a political social contract, presents the Grievance-Driven Pathway as one way through which a reformist insurgency-society contract can form, and conducts a systematic comparison using two novel case studies not yet evaluated in insurgency literature, the UFDR in the Central African Republic and the SLM/A in Darfur, Sudan. The core claim is that perceptions of legitimacy across the four social contract elements lead to consent to form the intangible "bond" and foster societal and political trust. Studying social contracts--specifically the interaction between state-society contracts and reformist insurgency-society contracts--facilitates a greater understanding of what constitutes legitimacy in the twenty-first century and how perceptions of illegitimacy can lead to a breakdown of trust and the outbreak of violent conflict.
The Declaration’s Forgotten Liberties
Thomas Jefferson was not chosen to write the Declaration of Independence merely because he was well-liked or could turn a good phrase. He was selected because, two years earlier, he had already articulated every principle and nearly every grievance in his June 1774 "Summary View of the Rights of British America." Jefferson had even written all the grievances for the Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence, nearly word for word, almost a month before. Though thoroughly prepared, Jefferson experienced an epiphany while drafting the Declaration: he envisioned a new social contract, creating not just a new nation but a new kind of people-no longer "subjects" but "citizens."It is widely believed that Jefferson drew heavily from fellow Virginian George Mason for the principles in the Declaration. However, a comparative analysis of original source documents reveals a different story, thoroughly debunking this near-universal misconception.The Declaration of Independence is a powerful narrative asserting the inherent rights of man and making a compelling case for independence from Great Britain. Jefferson supported this case with 27 grievances, what he called "a long train of abuses," inflicted on the colonists by King George III. Each grievance tells a story of liberty, many of them long forgotten-until now.
The Trump Carnival
Donald Trump's campaign and presidency represented a radical departure from political norms that are often classified by media and researchers as 'populist'. Instead, this book theorizes Trump's campaign and presidency with reference to Mikhail Bakhtin's "carnival" - a medieval festival of transgression, ridicule, and renewal. In this book, Lisa Gaufman and Bharath Ganesh provide a closer insight into the Trump Carnival, developing interdisciplinary perspectives on populism, misogyny, misinformation, and far-right vernacular culture. Building on the idea of the carnivalesque, this book focuses on the laughing culture of the Trump campaigns and presidency that vilified minorities, disparaged women, and ultimately emboldened the far right. Bringing Bakhtin into dialogue with key developments in contemporary politics, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Trump phenomenon, American politics, and populism.
Visibly Invisible
Revealing the overlooked power of Black women in reshaping American democracy.Black women have written more of America's laws than most people realize-and yet, their names are missing from public memory. In Visibly Invisible, Dr. Sherice Janaye Nelson delivers a bold, data-rich account of the legislative leadership of Black women in Congress, from Shirley Chisholm to today's trailblazers.Nelson's research reveals that, per capita, Black women sponsors introduced more bills than any other group in the U.S. House across five decades-and often without recognition. Through combination profiles and thorough quantitative analysis, she uncovers how their visionary work shaped policy in education, healthcare, voting rights, and economic equity, even as institutions and media failed to credit them.Visibly Invisible is a lineage-defining political and historical study, and a corrective framework for understanding power, authorship, and representation in America.
Policy Space Conflicts in Global Trade Politics
Policy Space Conflicts in Global Trade Politics delves into the structure, driving forces, and contemporary influencing factors of trade relations dynamics, providing insights into the present and future trajectories of the global trade order.The post-pandemic global governance challenges combined with the concurrent, if not concomitant, escalation of economic rivalries between great powers are catalysing a weakening of the liberal international order, undermining the very foundations upon which contemporary global production network is built. Contemporaneous with the return of geopolitical tensions, the conflict over global governance vs state governance has again become the nexus where global trade politics are contested and negotiated. This book presents the Policy Space Conflict framework, an analytical framework that diverges from extant concepts of policy diffusion, power transition, socialisation and neo-liberal institutionalist models of analyses, and is instead advanced as a framework that renews the classic concept of 'policy space' - the space left for one to freely use preferred national policy instruments when integrated into the globalisation and institutionalisation process in the past decades. The tensions inherent in and arising from policy space can be captured in the term 'policy space conflict', illuminating the dynamic shifts regarding the convergence of rules under globalisation and de-convergence concerns of states. This book emphasises the underlying logic and motivating rationale that lie beneath the evolution of 'policy space conflict' by theoretically revisiting the concept, providing an overview of its forms in history since the Bretten Woods and transitions from market-oriented to strategy-based. This exploration is examined using case studies drawn from real-world trade politics, which encompasses discussions on the decline of multilateralism, the asymmetry in development between the Global South and North, and China-U.S. institutional contestation.This book will be of interest to scholars in the fields of international relations, law, political economy, political science, economics and international trade as well as a broad range of audiences who are concerned of global trade politics in times of global uncertainty.
Towards Non-Unidisciplinary Research in European Studies
This book not only defines what European Studies actually mean, but also considers how non-unidisciplinary research could be conceptualized in this field. As an alternative concept for inter-, cross-, trans- and multi-disciplinary studies, non-unidisciplinary European Studies, as defined in this volume, represent a conscious choice to look beyond what is normal. From various disciplinary starting points, the contributors step out of their discipline, giving perspective to pervasive norms and actively incorporating different approaches. Through this, the volume analyzes the motivations to engage in non-unidisciplinarity and develops new methods for European Studies.
Fentanyl
The ongoing opioid epidemic in the U.S. is just a glimpse of a complex ecosystem characterized by the interaction of multifaceted actors from various countries around the world cooperating across different stages of the global supply chain.In Fentanyl: From the Labs to the Streets, twenty-one experts provide a comprehensive multidisciplinary analysis of the fentanyl supply chain, guiding the reader through the complex supply chain, the nature of criminal and state actors, and the linkages between different regions around the globe. Four parts divide the book, each one showcasing a relevant phase within the global fentanyl supply chain as well as the main mechanisms and processes shaping them. The chapters analyze the fentanyl trade from different levels of analysis while also maintaining synergies between chapters in their treatment of similar, interwoven issues related to the various phases of the fentanyl supply chain, the role of criminal organizations, and some law enforcement practices.Fentanyl will be an excellent resource to students and researchers across the social sciences and particularly in political science, international relations, and criminology. It will also appeal to scholars working on drug policy, epidemiology, illegal markets, organized crime, and policing.
Political Power and Crisis
This book examines how power dynamics unfold during crises, focusing on how transformations in competing socio-political arenas, both domestic and international, shape power structures. As old certainties and institutions collapse, actors must navigate new turbulent conditions.The chapters in this book address key questions: What power dynamics reveal themselves when people are faced with especially threatening situations? How is control allocated in times of threat? How does the democratic process evolve during crises? What power structures emerge after a crisis? What power dynamics establish themselves after the crises are abated? Do crises lead to better or worse political systems? What dimensions of power are most influential in driving political change during crises?This book explores how crises lead to the redistribution of power, with new actors emerging as key providers of resources. Taking a cross-disciplinary approach, it examines power dynamics in both short- and long-term contexts. Aimed at students and scholars of political science, international relations, sociology and crisis management; it covers governance, power shifts, and institutional change during crises.The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Political Power.
Politics and Religion
Politics and Religion: The Basics provides a concise introduction to the complex interactions between politics and religion in both domestic and international contexts.This book examines the role of religion in shaping political systems, behaviours and debates worldwide. By introducing some of the most prominent religions, it explores their impact on contemporary politics and sheds light on key topics such as religious nationalism, gender inequality, religious terrorism and the struggle for religious freedom. Using case studies from countries including Iran, the USA, France, China and Turkey, it highlights pivotal events such as Iran's 1979 revolution and addresses modern controversies such as the rise of religious nationalism. Broader discussions on democratisation, globalisation and secularisation are integrated with theoretical insights and practical examples, offering a comprehensive overview of the field.Aimed at undergraduate students in political science, international relations, and religious studies, this book is also a valuable resource for scholars. With its clear structure and real-world relevance, it provides an ideal starting point for understanding the dynamic relationship between politics and religion.
Reconsidering Global Environmental Governance
Reconsidering Global Environmental Governance: Coloniality, Extractivism, and the Pursuit of Environmental Justice employs the concept of coloniality to examine the relationship between global environmental governance and environmental justice.Global environmental governance is perceived to be the natural solution for global environmental problems; however, its liberal emphasis reproduces colonial hierarchies at the expense of marginalized groups in the Global North and South alike. To develop this argument, this book draws on case studies that elucidate multiple expressions of coloniality in instances of socio-environmental conflict. With a focus on extractivism, the authors explore case studies in Greece and Honduras to illustrate the impact of existing global environmental governance institutions on marginalized groups and local communities as well as case studies of gender and multi-species justice to highlight the opportunities and limitations of efforts to challenge liberal governance institutions and provide new pathways for enhancing environmental justice.Overall, the book aims to initiate a debate on how to decolonize global environmental politics and will be of particular interest to teachers, researchers, and students of environmental studies, global governance, development studies, political ecology, international political economy, and critical theory, as well as policymakers and civil society specialists.
The Routledge Guide to the European Union
Written by experts, this long-established and definitive guide to the workings of the European Union provides comprehensive, straightforward and readable coverage of this sometimes misunderstood and complex institution.This fully revised second edition explains not only what happens but why, analysing the EU's strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities for it to be more effective. With the EU's very existence under pressure due to Euroscepticism, continued crises with migration and borders, the re-emergence of the far right, and renewed great power competition in Europe and the world, it specifically outlines: How the EU has evolved over the last 70 years How it works: the institutions, the mechanisms Every area of EU competence from agriculture to defence The effects of the single market, a single currency and the successes and stresses of the eurozone The impact of the enlargement of the EU, prospects for further enlargement and closer political integration Reforming the EU's decision-making and defending the rule of law The EU's place in an ever more disorderly world The Routledge Guide to the European Union is well-established as the clearest and most comprehensive guide to how the EU operates. This new edition brings you up to date at a crucial stage in its history, at a time when it has never been under greater internal and external threat, but conversely is perhaps more important than ever.
American Corruption Talk
Americans often worry about political corruption--not only about specific officials misusing their powers, but also more broadly about political, cultural, moral decay or deterioration. Underneath our talk about corruption lie deeper claims and concerns about how we organize our common life. American Corruption Talk presents a study of corruption and corruption talk that seeks to understand those deeper claims and concerns. Robert Boatright and Molly Brigid McGrath focus on the role corruption talk plays in American political discourse. They distinguish between two ways people speak about corruption--corruption talk in the style of a purifier, who wishes to expunge the evil forces or drain the swamp, and corruption talk in the style of the mender, who thinks of managing, replacing, or repairing. American Corruption Talk begins by tracing how the concept of political corruption was developed by philosophers and political thinkers, leading up to its use in the American context, especially in the Progressive Era. It also compares modes of contemporary corruption talk in different areas of public life. In doing so, the authors hope to resolve confusion and partisan disagreements about what corruption is and to discourage the tendency to label actions, events, and ideas that we merely disagree with as corrupt.
