Running for Political Office
This book is for adults considering a political career, interested in running for municipal office, either first term or again and for those who wish to support them. This book provides practical information to assist in the decision making and the practical aspects of campaigning written by someone who has been successful two times in the campaign race. There is never any guarantee that you will win no matter how many times you try however having a decision tool, practical tips and hints to guide you along the way is like having an extra hand when you need one! We all begin the campaign trail hopeful for success and this book will help you be prepared as well. Running for public office is an amazing experience. Best wishes and good luck on your campaign journey!
Lines of Fire
This collection of poems features some of the voices that were persecuted for the power of their words. The poetry cries out against the injustices and brutality of the colonial powers of their time, raging against tyranny and the festering wounds of racism, especially in Palestine. Many of the writers of the Afro-Asian Writers Movement faced torture, imprisonment, exile, and even death, but their words continue to call for a just world. These poets span the length and breadth of Africa and Asia, and their poems speak to all of humanity. Embedded in their verses is a spirit of resilience that knows loss, love, anger, and anguish yet insists on enduring hope. Poems include those by: Salah Abdel Sabour (1931-1981, Ali Ahmad Said Esber, also known as Adunis (1930- ), Mulk Raj Anand (1905-2004), Anar Rasul oghlu Rzayef (1938- ), Nobuo Ayukawa (1920-1986), Fadhil al-Azzawi (1940- ), Abd Al-Wahhab al-Bayati (1926-1999), Mahim Bora (1917- ), Bernard Binlin Dadi矇 (1916- ), Mahmoud Darwish (1942-2008), Osamu Dazai (1909-1948), M獺rio Pinto de Andrade (1928-1990), D.B. Dhanapala (1905-1971), Mohammed Dib (1920-2003), Gevorg Emin (1918-1998), Sengiin Erdene (1929-2000), Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984), Rasul Gamzatov (1923-2003), Daniil Granin (1919- ), Colette Anna Gregoire, better known as Anna Greki (1931-1966), Malek Haddad (1927-1978), Pham Ba Ngoan, better known by his pen name Thanh Hai (1930-1980), Buland al-Haidari (1926-1996), Suheil Idris (1925-2008), Yusuf Idris (1927-1991), Fazil Iskander (1929- ), Zulfiya Isroilova (1915-1996), Ali Sardar Jafri (1913-2000), Ghassan Kanafani (1936-1972), Edward al-Kharrat (1926- 2015), Hajime Kijima (1928-2004), Mazisi Kunene (1930-2006), Alex La Guma (1925-1985), U Gtun Kyi, better known by his pen name Minn Latt Yekhaun (1925-1985), Abdul Hayee better known by his pen name Sahir Lundhianvi (1921-1980), Zaki Naguib Mahmoud (1905-1993), Nazik Al-Malaika (1923-2007), Mouloud Mammeri (1917-1989), Yuri Nagibin (1920-1994), Sergey Narovchatov (1919-1981), Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj (1906-1937), Hiroshi Noma (1915-1991), Gabriel jibaba Okara (1921- ), Amrita Pritam (1919-2005), Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo (1901-1937), Richard Rive (1931-1989), Rady Saddouk (1938-2010), Badr Shakir al-Sayyab (1926-1964), Ousmane Sembene (1923- 2007), Leopold Sedar Senghor (1906-2001), Yusuf al-Sibai (1917-1978), Fadwa Tuqan (1917-2003), Sonomyn Udval (1921-1991), Ramses Younan (1913-1966), and Tawfiq Ziad (1929-1994).
Sex and Sports
This book addresses one of the most controversial and polarizing topics of recent years: transgender girls' inclusion in girls' sports. The book explores legal precedent and medical science and explains why neither can answer the question of how eligibility rules should be drawn for girls' sports. The decision is, at core, a political one necessarily reflecting social values and priorities. The book examines positions from the right and left that have dominated the public debate revealing their ideological commitments and logical weak points. With the goal of helping readers clarify their own positions, rather than advocacy, the book provides a framework for thinking about this issue that focuses on the discrete benefits organized sports provides to participants and society more broadly and considers how such benefits can be most fairly and justly allocated to girls and boys - both transgender and cisgender.
A Democracy, If We Can Teach It
The Laurence and Lynne Brown Democracy Medal, awarded by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University, recognizes outstanding individuals, groups, and organizations that produce innovations to further democracy in the United States or around the world.The Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement advances nonpartisan civic learning by working with K-12 teachers and students. Founded in 2014 by Judge Marjorie O. Rendell and former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, the center's programs include statewide read-alouds, where judges, lawyers and other professionals read books to elementary school students across the state, as well as the Citizenship Challenge, an essay contest for fourth- and fifth-graders with prompts based on Pennsylvania civics standards. This book tells the story of how the center equips young people with knowledge about the workings of our constitutional system and prepares them to step into public life as leaders and active, engaged citizens.For this important work, the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement is the recipient of the 2025 Brown Democracy Medal from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy.
Simple Sabotage Field Manual
Originally produced in 1944 by the United States Office of Strategic Services (OSS)--the wartime intelligence agency that later evolved into the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)--the Simple Sabotage Field Manual is a remarkable artifact of covert warfare. Designed for distribution among resistance groups, sympathetic civilians, and undercover operatives in enemy-occupied territories, the manual outlines practical, low-risk ways for ordinary individuals to quietly undermine hostile governments, military forces, and industrial operations. Unlike traditional wartime sabotage involving explosives or specialized training, this guide focuses on subtle, everyday actions--small decisions, deliberate inefficiencies, and minor disruptions that, when multiplied across a population, can significantly degrade an opponent's productivity and morale. The manual explains how simple behaviors such as misfiling documents, creating bureaucratic delays, performing work poorly, spreading confusion, and fostering interpersonal friction can collectively hinder the functioning of an organization far more effectively than dramatic acts of destruction.
A Mandate for Murder
The story of one of the most shocking political assassinations of the modern age, told for the first time through the intelligence reports that predated - and predicted - the violence to come.On November 4, 1995, decades of fierce political conflict culminated in the violent assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.As the shock subsided and a nation mourned, hard questions began to surface - questions like how could this happen? Why? And perhaps most importantly - could it have been prevented?For the first time, a troubling story of institutional incitement and deliberate escalation is revealed by a senior Israeli ISA officer who feared the worst - and was powerless to stop it.Through detailed intelligence reports, pointed warnings and misleading information, former head of the ISA non-Arab subversion and espionage division, Hezi Kalo, unravels the years of anger and hatred that bred a remorseless killer, and the false sense of security that paved the way to tragedy.
Inside Looking Out
The Cleveland Jewish Orphan Asylum was for fifty years (1868-1918) the home for some 3,500 boys and girls, most of them immigrants from Eastern Europe. Gary Polster's study examines the efforts of the more acculturated German Jews of Cleveland to "Americanize" and make good workers of the newcomers, and to teach a Judaism quite removed from the Yiddish culture and religious orthodoxy of Eastern Europe. The dominant figure at the asylum during the formative years was Samuel Wofenstein (1841-1921), a native of Moravia who by the age of 22 had earned both a rabbinical degree and a Ph.D in philosophy. He became a trustee of the JOA in 1875 and its superintendent in 1878. For a man who gained a reputation as an authoritarian, his first wish was to free the children from a lock step regimentation, which produced an "institutional type..marked by repression if not atrophy of the impulse to act independent." Wolfenstein stressed obedience through persuasion, through religion (Reform Judaism), and moral exhortations. Students were to be imbued with respect for work through performing useful tasks--the boys in the stables and on the grounds, the girls in the kitchen, the laundry, and the sewing room. The idea of "assimilation" was necessarily paternalistic but many of the German Jews believed that by becoming more "American" and less obviously "Jewish" they would deflect the always present nativism and anti-Semitism. As for the children, they remained for the most part ambivalent about the orphanage and about Wolfenstein and his successors. They were taught some useful skills; they were fed and clothed. Their chief deprivation was of the spirit. Professor Polster brings to his study a sensitivity that complements his grasp of the literature of "asylum" and the social history of turn-of-the-century America. He has listened well to the aging men and women who once were the children "inside looking out."
Viewpoint Diversity
Viewpoint diversity is suddenly on everyone's lips -- yet few agree on what it really means. Is it about political balance? Free speech? Academic inclusion? Or something far more vital -- the courage to engage across difference? In Viewpoint Diversity: What It Is, Why We Need It, and How to Get It, leading heterodox thinkers tackle one of the most urgent questions of our time: how to keep open inquiry and constructive disagreement alive amid rising conformity on both left and right. Spanning essays on higher education, politics, culture, and the arts, this bold collection offers both sharp diagnosis and practical solutions for cultivating genuine pluralism. Timely, provocative, and refreshingly constructive, Viewpoint Diversity makes the case for a richer, freer, and more resilient public culture -- one that thrives not in spite of disagreement, but because of it.
From Penthouse To Public Housing
The Fight Over the American Dream: Trump, Mamdani, and the Move from Penthouse to Public HousingIn a deeply divided America, the 2025 New York City mayoral election becomes a national crucible. The victory of Zohran Mamdani-a young, Ugandan-born, Muslim, democratic socialist-is not just a local political upset; it is a seismic event that challenges the very definition of the American Dream.From Penthouse to Public Housing offers a penetrating sociological analysis of this pivotal moment. It asks the defining questions of our time: Does Mamdani's improbable rise from an immigrant background to the highest office in the world's financial capital reaffirm the promise of upward mobility? Or does his anti-capitalist mandate, built on wealth redistribution and collective ownership, signal a profound and permanent break from America's individualistic ethos? .Authored as a deep sociological analysis by Hichem Karoui, this book dismantles the competing narratives surrounding Mamdani's triumph. It examines his victory as both a fulfilment of the American political ideal of open access and a clear indicator of societal disillusionment with unfettered capitalism.This is more than the story of one election. It is a critical case study of a grassroots, class-based movement confronting the immense power of the American federal system. Mamdani's time in office is framed as a "critical experiment" that will test the limits of local radicalism against an establishment ready to contain it. This book is an essential guide to understanding the structural fractures in urban politics and the ideological battle for America's future.
One Member, No Vote
"I'm in it to win. That's my attitude to life and to politics."--Neil Kinnock, December 1989 Defeat from the Jaws of Victory takes the reader behind closed doors to witness Kinnock's Labour hierarchy in action--fixing votes, stage-managing meetings, dispensing patronage to favourites and settling scores with enemies. Riding high on the backlash against the Bennite rebellion of the early 1980s, Kinnock went on to build the most autocratic regime in Labour's history. Centralizing power in a vastly expanded private office, he destroyed the party's democratic structures, stripped it of any trace of radical policy, and purged it of hundreds of dissident members. Every nook and cranny of the Labour machine was filled with careerists whose primary qualification was personal loyalty to their leader. Under Kinnock's aegis the party ran up a 瞿2.5 million overdraft, and proved incapable of removing an unpopular Tory government in the midst of the worst recession since the war. Heffernan and Marqusee employ extensive research in Labour's archives and interviews with leading MPs, party employees and constituency members to chronicle, with unsparing accuracy, a decade-long drive for power which was ruthless, reactionary and, in the final analysis, spectacularly unsuccessful.
From Penthouse To Public Housing
The Fight Over the American Dream: Trump, Mamdani, and the Move from Penthouse to Public HousingIn a deeply divided America, the 2025 New York City mayoral election becomes a national crucible. The victory of Zohran Mamdani-a young, Ugandan-born, Muslim, democratic socialist-is not just a local political upset; it is a seismic event that challenges the very definition of the American Dream.From Penthouse to Public Housing offers a penetrating sociological analysis of this pivotal moment. It asks the defining questions of our time: Does Mamdani's improbable rise from an immigrant background to the highest office in the world's financial capital reaffirm the promise of upward mobility? Or does his anti-capitalist mandate, built on wealth redistribution and collective ownership, signal a profound and permanent break from America's individualistic ethos? .Authored as a deep sociological analysis by Hichem Karoui, this book dismantles the competing narratives surrounding Mamdani's triumph. It examines his victory as both a fulfilment of the American political ideal of open access and a clear indicator of societal disillusionment with unfettered capitalism.This is more than the story of one election. It is a critical case study of a grassroots, class-based movement confronting the immense power of the American federal system. Mamdani's time in office is framed as a "critical experiment" that will test the limits of local radicalism against an establishment ready to contain it. This book is an essential guide to understanding the structural fractures in urban politics and the ideological battle for America's future.
Breaking Democracy's Chains
Breaking Democracy's Chains exposes the illusion of modern democracy and reveals how political parties have become tools of elite control rather than engines of representation. Drawing on history, political theory, and real-world examples, it dismantles the myth that parties are essential to freedom, showing instead how they manufacture division, suppress dissent, act as gatekeepers to power, and centralize authority.The book presents a bold alternative: a no-party democracy rooted in direct accountability, genuine representation, and the complete removal of party machinery from government. Pekin argues that cosmetic reforms can't save democracy from this capture. His solution is radical yet simple-break the stranglehold of political parties to finally create true democracy and return power to the people. This is a call to everyone who believes a better, fairer system isn't just possible-it's urgently needed.
When (Left) Populism Makes It to Government
This book is concerned with the evolution of Podemos, the election of which arguably marks one of the most notable instances of left-wing populism making it to government. As junior coalition partner in the S獺nchez II government, Podemos brought about the first coalition government in the Spanish democracy. Through this case study, the book examines how left-wing populist parties adapt to their participation in government - how they navigate the challenge of institutionalization, how they change their organization and communication strategies - thereby transitioning from outside forces to becoming integral parts of the institutional system themselves. Is Podemos a traditional political party today? Is Podemos still populist? This book sheds light on the transformation of political actors born amidst the Great Recession and the crisis of political representation, the continuities and discontinuities in their evolutions. The case of Podemos will also be put into context by comparing it with other types of populism that have come to power in Europe.
Gender and Politics Reimagined
This timely collection reflects a coming together of academics, gender and development practitioners and activists to reflect on the gendering of politics. By centring Asia and Oceania and traversing numerous disciplines, the volume disrupts the illusion of certainty and clarity as to what is known about gender and politics. Individual chapters present specific research projects, while providing epistemological, theoretical and methodological reflections on how knowledge is produced and by whom, challenging the existing canon. The contributions collectively demonstrate the possibilities for theorising from Asia and Oceania to address the lack of diversity in political representation and leadership on a global scale, in which gender, race, class, caste, (dis)ability and sexual identity are powerfully interconnected.Arising out of the Gender and Cultural Diversity in Politics: Australia, Asia and the Pacific workshop held at The Australian National University in 2022, this collection underscores the importance of fostering scholarship and mentorship in the academy. The diversity of authorship encompasses differences in ethnicity, nationality, sexuality and career stage, with an emphasis on the inclusion of authors from various Oceanic and Asian countries. The volume promotes academic practice as integral to social change, and social action as a form of knowledge production. As such, Gender and Politics Reimagined is sure to be a cornerstone in future scholarly and activist discussions.
Life and Death Matters
Dr. Robert Baldwin would be the first to tell you that he used to be an average white Southern male; a family man with conservative ideals and a growing medical practice, he was living out his life without too much introspection. In 1997, however, Baldwin was diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, myasthenia gravis. In his compelling new memoir Life and Death Matters, Baldwin discusses his health scare and his subsequent search for truth in both the Christian church and society at large. Baldwin goes on to tackle one of the most precarious moral issues of our time--the death penalty--with statistical fact and thoughtful religious sympathy. While volunteering as a prison minister, Baldwin immerses himself in this issue, proving himself to be a most thoughtful individual with an eye for social injustice and an ear for those in most need of counsel.
The Relentless War on Masculinity
The Relentless War on Masculinity is a cultural, rhetorical, chemical, legal and institutional attack on all males. During the last seven decades it has resulted in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand moving from being societies characterised by equality during the 1980s to now being highly gynocentric.Western countries have tilted against men and boys for decades-dismantling fatherhood, ignoring male disadvantage, and portraying masculinity as a problem to be fixed. The result is a crisis: falling education outcomes for boys, disengaged young men, rising mental health struggles, plummeting birth rates, and fractured relationships between men and women.This book shines a light on the causes of the crisis and offers a vision for how to rebuild. Combining clear analysis with heartfelt advocacy, David Maywald calls for a new social contract: one where boys are supported, men are respected, and both sexes work together to create a healthier future for us all...This book explores: - How Anglo societies moved from equality to gynocentrism-and what that means for our families, schools, and communities.- Why fatherhood, faith, and purpose remain essential foundations of human flourishing.- The cultural, political, and institutional forces that have sidelined men (and how to reverse them).- Practical solutions and reforms that can restore balance, rebuilding collaboration between men and women.There are no winners from The Relentless War on Masculinity, but we can rebuild a much healthier society if men and women collaborate for our children. Inclusion demands that we listen to and engage with all voices-including males, White people and Christians. As a society, will we choose combativeness or collaboration? Read on for a provocative, hopeful and urgent call to action. This book is for everyone who believes that when men and boys thrive, society also flourishes.Perfect for readers of: => The Boy Crisis - Warren Farrell and John Gray=> Of Boys and Men - Richard Reeves=> The Toxic War on Masculinity - Nancy Pearcey=> Manhood - Steve Biddulph=> Men on Strike - Helen Smith=> The War Against Boys - Christina Hoff Sommers
The Coming Food Crisis
They're coming for your food. Multinational corporations. Animal rights extremists. Climate crusaders. Together, they're waging a relentless assault on America's farms--and your freedom to eat what you choose. In The Coming Food Crisis, John Klar rips back the curtain on the hidden power grab reshaping how and what we eat. Every year, more farm families vanish, replaced by corporate giants and imported products. As food prices soar and supply chains wobble, Klar exposes the powerful forces--political, activist, and corporate--turning America's and the world's food supply into a tool of control. He reveals how agenda-driven climate and animal rights policies drive up costs and destroy family farms, how reckless economic policies and global monopolization threaten famine and chaos, and how ultra-processed food is undermining our health. This book is Klar's urgent call to wake up, fight back, and reclaim food sovereignty before disaster strikes. If Americans don't stand up for their farms, they surrender control over their most basic human need. Because once you lose your food, you lose everything.
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (II)
Hichem Karoui's "Diplomacy and Human Rights: Building Bridges in a Changing World" represents the second volume in the critically acclaimed "Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy" series, offering scholarly yet accessible analysis of one of international relations' most pressing concerns. This meticulously researched work examines the complex relationship between diplomatic practice and human rights advocacy within the framework of contemporary global politics. The book's comprehensive approach spans twelve expertly crafted chapters, beginning with foundational concepts and progressing through complex contemporary challenges. Karoui demonstrates that "global development" is one of the most influential factors in the field of diplomacy, showing how "international relations have undergone radical transformations as a result of political, economic, and social developments at the global level." This transformation has created new imperatives for diplomatic engagement with human rights issues.The author skilfully navigates the tension between traditional state sovereignty and universal human rights principles, exploring how "the new international system is witnessing growing conflicts and challenges that require diplomatic strategies different from those that were customary in the past." The work examines how international organisations have shaped human rights standards and how technology presents both opportunities and challenges for rights advancement.Particularly valuable is the book's exploration of practical diplomatic strategies for human rights promotion, acknowledging that in today's world, "human rights organisations and international human rights treaties represent key bases for shaping international policy and guiding international relations." The work concludes with a forward-looking perspective on developing "diplomacy based on awareness and responsibility".This volume serves as an indispensable resource for international relations professionals, academics, policy analysts, and graduate students seeking to understand the evolving landscape of rights-based diplomacy in the twenty-first century.
Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy (II)
Hichem Karoui's "Diplomacy and Human Rights: Building Bridges in a Changing World" represents the second volume in the critically acclaimed "Issues in Contemporary Diplomacy" series, offering scholarly yet accessible analysis of one of international relations' most pressing concerns. This meticulously researched work examines the complex relationship between diplomatic practice and human rights advocacy within the framework of contemporary global politics. The book's comprehensive approach spans twelve expertly crafted chapters, beginning with foundational concepts and progressing through complex contemporary challenges. Karoui demonstrates that "global development" is one of the most influential factors in the field of diplomacy, showing how "international relations have undergone radical transformations as a result of political, economic, and social developments at the global level." This transformation has created new imperatives for diplomatic engagement with human rights issues.The author skilfully navigates the tension between traditional state sovereignty and universal human rights principles, exploring how "the new international system is witnessing growing conflicts and challenges that require diplomatic strategies different from those that were customary in the past." The work examines how international organisations have shaped human rights standards and how technology presents both opportunities and challenges for rights advancement.Particularly valuable is the book's exploration of practical diplomatic strategies for human rights promotion, acknowledging that in today's world, "human rights organisations and international human rights treaties represent key bases for shaping international policy and guiding international relations." The work concludes with a forward-looking perspective on developing "diplomacy based on awareness and responsibility".This volume serves as an indispensable resource for international relations professionals, academics, policy analysts, and graduate students seeking to understand the evolving landscape of rights-based diplomacy in the twenty-first century.
Public Service in Tough Times
A scathing indictment of austerity policy In 2016, Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba successfully campaigned on a platform to reduce taxes and restore the balance between revenue and spending. The years that followed their victory saw wages frozen, emergency rooms closed, intensive care unit beds reduced, healthcare jobs eliminated, Manitoba Housing funding slashed, and payments to foster parents decreased, as the civil service was diminished by 27 percent. Public Service in Tough Times gives voice to the people behind the balance sheets, shedding light on the vicious cycle of understaffing, burnout, attrition, and despair created by austerity policy. Using survey data from thousands of public sector workers and carefully compiled statistics on spending and staffing, editors Jesse Hajer, Ian Hudson, and Jennifer Keith, demonstrate how cuts to government expenditures disproportionately benefit the wealthy and exacerbate poverty and inequality. As the virtues of small government, tax cuts, and private sector investment continue to be the rallying cry of right-leaning politicians worldwide, this impeccably researched case study delivers a crushing critique of austerity and its consequences.
Public Service in Tough Times
A scathing indictment of austerity policy In 2016, Brian Pallister's Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba successfully campaigned on a platform to reduce taxes and restore the balance between revenue and spending. The years that followed their victory saw wages frozen, emergency rooms closed, intensive care unit beds reduced, healthcare jobs eliminated, Manitoba Housing funding slashed, and payments to foster parents decreased, as the civil service was diminished by 27 percent. Public Service in Tough Times gives voice to the people behind the balance sheets, shedding light on the vicious cycle of understaffing, burnout, attrition, and despair created by austerity policy. Using survey data from thousands of public sector workers and carefully compiled statistics on spending and staffing, editors Jesse Hajer, Ian Hudson, and Jennifer Keith, demonstrate how cuts to government expenditures disproportionately benefit the wealthy and exacerbate poverty and inequality. As the virtues of small government, tax cuts, and private sector investment continue to be the rallying cry of right-leaning politicians worldwide, this impeccably researched case study delivers a crushing critique of austerity and its consequences.
A Healthy Union
States have tremendous power to protect their residents' health. In the absence of adequate federal safeguards against pollution and toxic chemicals, state policies are the strongest tools available to create safe, sustainable environments. The good news is, around the country, red states and blue states are taking up the charge. In California, state agencies are partnering with disadvantaged communities to measure air quality, reduce pollution, and advance environmental justice. In Texas, a state law requires every school to cut down on the use of dangerous pesticides, helping to keep kids safe. In New York, a network of clinics trains medical professionals in occupational health and children's environmental health, ensuring that patients receive excellent care and specialists are ready to advocate for protective policies. The success of these programs is not haphazard; instead, effective approaches share key elements, including state-university-industry partnerships, collaboration across government agencies, and strong environmental health education. In A Healthy Union, Susan Kaplan highlights examples of groundbreaking state environmental health policies, exploring what has worked, what needs improvement, and how other areas of the country can build on these advances. Further, she shows how public health advocates can push forward new protections, creating safer environments for the next generation. Ultimately, Kaplan argues, we need a coordinated federal and state response to environmental health threats. Until then, innovative policy solutions can go a long way to improve the nation's wellbeing, one state at a time.
Positive Politics
You can make a positive impact through politics NOW.The sneaky secret of politics is that the people on the inside want it to look complicated so you'll leave it to them. When you see politicians on TV, you're seeing the perfectly polished version of what they want you to see.Neil Thanedar has been backstage with the president, next to the speechwriters, reading the teleprompters. These are all real people: stressed, tired, and doing their best-and you are absolutely capable of being one of them. You have the skills, you have the drive, you have the vision. You just need to get started.Positive Politics shows you exactly how to get into politics, with real strategies from people who went from complete outsiders to making history. Discover how to harness professional skills you've spent years honing to build political power, win elections, and positively change the world.
Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice
Proudly printed in America, this definitive 1812 edition of Thomas Jefferson's landmark work continues to inform the rules and procedures of the United States House and Senate today.As vice president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson presided over the Senate. To improve its procedures, he wrote A Manual of Parliamentary Practice. First published in 1801, Jefferson's Manual has been the basis for the rules of Congress ever since. In 1812, a second edition of the Manual was published with Jefferson's input, marking his final word on the book. Now, for the first time, Jefferson's Manual of 1812 is printed with all of Jefferson's additions, along with an introduction detailing the history of the text and tracing the discovery of Jefferson's revisions. This new edition includes Jefferson's additions that serve as the basis for changes to the "House Rules and Manual," published by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025. Author Brian Alexander presents groundbreaking research using Jefferson's own writings in this historic Manual of Parliamentary Practice, now in its definitive edition.
Correction
NYT EDITOR'S CHOICE - Peabody Award finalist - National Headliner Award winner - WASHINGTON POST BEST NONFICTION OF 2023 - Shortlisted for the 2024 Chicago Review of Books Award - FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF HIGH-RISERS comes a groundbreaking and honest investigation into the crisis of the American criminal justice system-through the lens of parole. Perfect for fans of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow and Bryan Stevenson's Just Mercy"Correction ranks among the very best books on life inside and outside of prison I have ever read." ―Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Evicted "Correction provides a revelatory lens for examining mass incarceration." -The Washington Post A Most Anticipated Book of 2023: Chicago Review of Books, The Chicago Tribune, The Next Big Idea Club The United States, alone, locks up a quarter of the world's incarcerated people. And yet apart from clich矇s--paying a debt to society; you do the crime, you do the time--there is little sense collectively in America what constitutes retribution or atonement. We don't actually know why we punish. Ben Austen's powerful exploration offers a behind-the-scenes look at the process of parole. Told through the portraits of two men imprisoned for murder, and the parole board that holds their freedom in the balance, Austen's unflinching storytelling forces us to reckon with some of the most profound questions underlying the country's values around crime and punishment. What must someone who commits a terrible act do to get a second chance? What does incarceration seek to accomplish? An illuminating work of narrative nonfiction, Correction challenges us to consider for ourselves why and who we punish-and how we might find a way out of an era of mass imprisonment.
President Next
When the Unlikely Becomes InevitableFrom smoke-filled rooms to social media storms, American presidential politics has been transformed by candidates who weren't supposed to win. A Catholic senator proves his electability in Protestant heartland. An obscure Georgia governor converts his outsider status into the White House. A first-term senator defeats the most prepared candidate in Democratic history.President Next reveals the patterns behind political breakthroughs that changed America, and the harsh realities that determine which shooting stars burn out and which reach the presidency. Drawing on deep archival research, David Carlucci takes you behind the scenes of sixteen pivotal primary insurgencies from 1960 to 2024. But this isn't just campaign history. It's a roadmap for understanding how American democracy renews itself through the insurgencies that threaten to tear it apart. Whether you're a political junkie or a citizen wondering how we choose our leaders, President Next is full of insight and information. David Carlucci is a trailblazing former New York State Senator and the visionary founder of Carlucci Consulting. Celebrated for his groundbreaking bipartisan leadership in mental health and addiction policy, he combines insider political savvy with razor-sharp analytical insight. A frequent commentator on Fox News, and BBC. Carlucci is known for making complex political dynamics accessible to broad audiences.
Positive Politics
You can make a positive impact through politics NOW.The sneaky secret of politics is that the people on the inside want it to look complicated so you'll leave it to them. When you see politicians on TV, you're seeing the perfectly polished version of what they want you to see.Neil Thanedar has been backstage with the president, next to the speechwriters, reading the teleprompters. These are all real people: stressed, tired, and doing their best-and you are absolutely capable of being one of them. You have the skills, you have the drive, you have the vision. You just need to get started.Positive Politics shows you exactly how to get into politics, with real strategies from people who went from complete outsiders to making history. Discover how to harness professional skills you've spent years honing to build political power, win elections, and positively change the world.
How to Save the Internet
The global, open internet is fragmenting. As democracies seek to rein in the power of Big Tech, as Silicon Valley pivots to an America-first agenda, as authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia segregate their populations from the rest of the internet, the most powerful tool ever created for bringing the world together risks being dismantled. Taking us behind the scenes at Meta and his interactions with world leaders, Nick Clegg, Meta's former President, Global Affairs, sets out where Big Tech has gone wrong, how Silicon Valley's insularity has blinded it to its missteps, and the radical reforms of the global platforms that are now needed if they are to secure a long-term future. But he also makes the case that many of the charges against them - including that their algorithms polarize, manipulate and harm - are vastly overstated or simply untrue. And while new laws that regulate these corporations are essential, imposing national borders on the internet cannot be the answer. That will fatally undermine its capacity for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, education, trade, medical and scientific research, and ultimately for the improvement and empowerment of billions of lives. Radical, reasonable, deeply felt and disarmingly honest, How To Save the Internet sets out a blueprint for the global cooperation we need in order to reform Big Tech while preserving the fundamental openness of the internet on which our future so depends.
Securing Access to Life-Saving Treatments
In recent years, the European Union (EU) has witnessed recurrent disruptions in the pharmaceutical supply chain, highlighting the urgent need for robust policies that guarantee access to critical medicines. While these shortages are detrimental to the general patient population, they pose a particularly severe threat to the rare disease community, whose treatments often rely on niche manufacturing processes with limited production capacity. Against this backdrop, the Securing Access to Life-Saving Treatments has emerged as a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening resilience in Europe's pharmaceutical sector. The Act's core objectives-such as mitigating overreliance on non-EU suppliers and establishing a secure framework for essential medicines-are commendable. Yet, RareGen Youth Network, an international youth-led NGO dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities and rare diseases, proposes additional measures to maximize the Act's impact and safeguard the needs of vulnerable populations.
The Problem with Plastic
"Plastic pollution has reached crisis proportions, and false solutions abound. But as The Problem with Plastic shows, there are real solutions out there. And, fortunately, there are people like Judith Enck working to enact them." -Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction A powerful look at plastic's impact on human health and the environment, and how we can fight back by putting people and the planet over plastics Plastic is everywhere--wrapped around our food, stitched into our clothes, even coursing through our veins. Once a marvel of modern science, plastic has become so inextricably woven into our lives that imagining a world without it can seem impossible. Over the last seventy-five years, plastic has cradled our planet in a synthetic embrace. 	The Problem with Plastic critically examines the paradox of this material, first celebrated for its innovations and now recognized for its devastating environmental and public health impacts. With clarity and urgency, the book reveals how plastic pollution contributes to poisoned oceans, polluted air, a warming planet, and overwhelming waste, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities who bear the brunt of petrochemical pollution. Revealing the alarming extent of microplastics infiltrating both the natural world and the human body, this compelling narrative challenges the illusion that recycling alone will save us. It unpacks the mechanisms of environmental racism and the deceptive greenwashing strategies used by the plastics industry to maintain the status quo. 	More than a critique, The Problem with Plastic emphasizes the urgent need for action against plastic's toxic legacy. It highlights powerful stories of frontline resistance in places like Louisiana, Texas, and Appalachia, and equips readers with practical tools--including a "Household Waste Audit" to track and reduce plastic consumption, as well as model policy guides for driving legislative change. Urgent, eye-opening, and ultimately empowering, The Problem with Plastic reminds us: plastic is a problem--but together, we can be the solution.
Letters to the Editors...
From the moment Donald J. Trump glided down his golden escalator at Trump Tower in June of 2015, Linda B. Gefen started to share her observations on the hypocrisy and horror of his presidential race against Hillary Clinton in letters to the editors of major newspapers. Many were published as Opinions and Letters to the Editor. Hearing his toxic words inspired Linda B. Gefen to put her feelings out there and that suddenly grew into almost nine years of late-night or early-morning writings, creating an outlet for her to share her dismay at what America's future was heading towards. The "Letters" progressed through Trump's first term, including the pandemic, two impeachments, his loss to Biden in 2020 and the January 6 insurrection, 34 convictions on criminal counts, and, believe it or not, his second presidential race...which Trump...after all the negativity, most surprisingly won. Because of that happening ...this journey is far from over! My letters began to flow almost simultaneously with Trump's decision to run for President in June 2015, as I was shocked that he would be chosen for the top of the GOP ticket. A few writings grew into the hundreds, bringing history from my view, center-left, to the pages of this book. The end is never the end, it just passes us by and continues. I am sure if you open any page and read a letter, it will remind you of that certain moment in time. It is a compilation of eight to almost nine years of passages filled with my passion for truth to power. I am still searching for it, especially now again with Trump's negative messaging. "Letters" is history in a personal story-like version...seen through my more liberal eyes!
Letters to the Editors...
From the moment Donald J. Trump glided down his golden escalator at Trump Tower in June of 2015, Linda B. Gefen started to share her observations on the hypocrisy and horror of his presidential race against Hillary Clinton in letters to the editors of major newspapers. Many were published as Opinions and Letters to the Editor. Hearing his toxic words inspired Linda B. Gefen to put her feelings out there and that suddenly grew into almost nine years of late-night or early-morning writings, creating an outlet for her to share her dismay at what America's future was heading towards. The "Letters" progressed through Trump's first term, including the pandemic, two impeachments, his loss to Biden in 2020 and the January 6 insurrection, 34 convictions on criminal counts, and, believe it or not, his second presidential race...which Trump...after all the negativity, most surprisingly won. Because of that happening ...this journey is far from over! My letters began to flow almost simultaneously with Trump's decision to run for President in June 2015, as I was shocked that he would be chosen for the top of the GOP ticket. A few writings grew into the hundreds, bringing history from my view, center-left, to the pages of this book. The end is never the end, it just passes us by and continues. I am sure if you open any page and read a letter, it will remind you of that certain moment in time. It is a compilation of eight to almost nine years of passages filled with my passion for truth to power. I am still searching for it, especially now again with Trump's negative messaging. "Letters" is history in a personal story-like version...seen through my more liberal eyes!
Regional Planning in India
Despite the existence of a few books on specialized aspects of regional planning in India, a comprehensive academic text has been notably absent. The field has lacked a systematic treatment from a pedagogical perspective, one that encompasses the entire scope of regional planning, highlights the valuable contributions of Indian scholars, and directly focuses on the unique challenges faced within the country.This book is a dedicated attempt to fill that critical gap. Its twelve chapters are meticulously designed to provide a thorough foundation. They not only explore the fundamental concepts, methods, and techniques essential to regional planning but also delve into specific, pressing issues concerning regional development in the Indian context. Key areas of focus include the persistent problem of regional imbalances, strategies for effective rural development, the formulation of policies for backward areas, and the particular needs of tribal area development. This focused approach provides the necessary orientation, clearly illustrating the diverse and crucial directions in which regional planning proves its relevance for a nation as complex and dynamic as India. It serves as an essential guide for understanding the subject's application to real-world problems.
Den of Spies
"A persuasive affirmation of a shocking conspiracy theory." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Unger has pursued the story of the October surprise for more than 30 years, often to his own cost. ...peppered with amazing details... Den of Spies comes out in a world where dark machinations to win power no longer seem so unthinkable as in the days of Carter, Reagan and Bush."--The GuardianThe explosive inside story of the October Surprise conspiracy, a stunning act of treason that changed American history. New York Times bestselling author Craig Unger reveals his thirty-year investigation into the secret collusion between Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and Iran, raising urgent questions about what happens when foreign meddling in our elections goes unpunished and what gets remembered when the political price for treason is victory. It was a tinderbox of an accusation. In April 1991, the New York Times ran an op-ed alleging that Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign had conspired with the Iranian government to delay the release of 52 American hostages until after the 1980 election. The Iranian hostage crisis was President Jimmy Carter's largest political vulnerability, and his lack of success freeing them ultimately sealed his fate at the ballot box. In return for keeping Americans in captivity until Reagan assumed the oath of office, the Republicans had secretly funneled arms to Iran. Treasonous and illegal, the operation--planned and executed by Reagan's campaign manager Bill Casey--amounted to a shadow foreign policy run by private citizens that ensured Reagan's victory.Investigative journalist Craig Unger was one of the first reporters covering the October Surprise--initially for Esquire and then Newsweek--and while attempting to unravel the mystery, he was fired, sued, and ostracized by the Washington press corps, as a counter narrative took hold: The October Surprise was a hoax. Though Unger later recovered his name and became a bestselling author on Republican abuses of power, the October Surprise remained his white whale, the project he--as well as legendary investigative journalist, the late Robert Parry--worked on late at night and between assignments.In Den of Spies, Unger reveals the definitive story of the October Surprise, going inside his three-decade reporting odyssey, along with Parry's never-before-seen archives, and sharing startling truths about what really happened in 1980. The result is a real-life political thriller filled with double agents, CIA operatives, slippery politicians, KGB documents, wealthy Republicans, and dogged journalists. A timely and provocative history that presages our Trump-era political scandals, Den of Spies demonstrates the stakes of allowing the politics of the moment to obscure the writing of our history.
The Captive Superpower
In a world where information circulates at unprecedented speed, the perception of a nation's credibility has become a crucial issue. This book offers a rigorous investigation of the forces that truly shape US foreign policy, far beyond public statements. It reveals how a web of financial, media and geopolitical interests has created a powerful system of influence that guides decisions at the highest levels of government.The book details the central role of financial power, from campaign contributions to the relentless lobbying of powerful interest groups. It highlights how these entities use their resources to shape legislation and secure policies favourable to their agendas, both nationally and internationally.The analysis extends to the media sphere, demonstrating how control of discourse has become a strategic weapon. The author explains the symbiotic relationship between political institutions and the mainstream media, a dynamic that promotes the dissemination of biased narratives and the marginalisation of critical perspectives. This manipulation directly affects how American actions are perceived around the world and serves to garner public support for controversial policies.Using the relationship between the United States and Israel as a central case study, the book illustrates these mechanisms in concrete terms. It analyses American media coverage of settlement projects and how Washington's policy aligns with a specific geopolitical vision, at the risk of undermining its own global credibility.Ultimately, this book argues that the America that fought fascism has given way to a power whose actions increasingly serve the interests of big capital through unpopular wars. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the hidden dynamics of power, the complexity of modern international relations and the true cost of influence.
Smog and Sunshine
A stirring account of one of our greatest environmental success stories: cleaning up Southern California's air. Los Angeles and smog have been synonymous for decades. From the 1940s through the 1980s, children breathed air so heavy with lead that their blood was poisoned with it. In 1970 officials declared smog alerts on 235 days. But the last smog alert happened in 2003, and lead has virtually disappeared from the air. This is the story of how Los Angeles cleaned up its air. In Smog and Sunshine, environmental law expert and LA native Ann Carlson recounts the dramatic policy fights and the determined scientists, lawyers, and community members who worked alongside public officials to face off against major polluters and save their city. In a time of unprecedented climate change and skepticism about government and science, this book is an inspiring reminder of what concerned residents, individual leaders, and all levels of government can achieve by working together.
Green Thinking
Green Thinking seeks to "compost" the views of dead white men (Rene Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Norman Borlaugh) and of some not white or dead (Francis Fukuyama, Richard Dawkins, Richard Thaler), and to explore the flowering of Green thinking in the 21st century.
Echoes of Deception
Lies have always traveled fast, but today they move at the speed of a click-rewiring politics, reshaping societies, and eroding trust across the globe. From viral memes that turn fringe ideas mainstream to state-sponsored influence campaigns that destabilize democracies, disinformation and propaganda have become the most powerful weapons of the digital age.This book pulls back the curtain on how and why falsehoods outperform facts. It reveals the psychology that makes people vulnerable, the algorithms that amplify outrage, and the deliberate strategies that corporations, governments, and extremist groups use to flood the world with noise. Drawing on gripping case studies-from election interference and climate denial to deepfakes and information warfare-it exposes the mechanics of deception in a way that is both unsettling and clarifying.For readers concerned about media manipulation and political influence, educators teaching digital literacy, or citizens seeking a clear lens in an era of post-truth politics analysis, this book offers not easy answers but sharper tools. It shows why echo chambers algorithms thrive, how cognitive bias and belief formation shape our choices, and what countermeasures actually work to resist manipulation without falling into paralyzing distrust.By the end, you will gain a practical framework to spot patterns of deceit, evaluate narratives with new clarity, and recognize when your own emotions are being played. In a world where lies spread faster than truth, discernment is no longer optional-it is survival.
Middle Ground
A powerful, eye-opening account of life on the frontlines of Britain's broken social housing system - told by Joe Carpenter, who has spent over a decade inside it.In Middle Ground: A Frontline Journey In Social Housing, Joe Carpenter draws on 13 years and over 14,000 repairs to expose the human cost of a system in collapse. From leaking ceilings and mould-covered walls to evictions, neglect, and dangerous repairs left undone, this gripping memoir pulls back the curtain on the crisis facing thousands of UK tenants, and the workers sent to fix it.Behind every repair ticket, Carpenter found something bigger: broken systems, silenced voices, and families abandoned by bureaucracy. He shares stories rarely heard outside frontline workers - from securing homes overtaken by gangs, to working in a block where a tenant's body was left unnoticed for over two years.Middle Ground is part memoir, part expos矇, and part call to action. It explores the human cost of policies driven by KPIs, call centres, and distant decision-makers. Drawing on landmark housing tragedies as well as everyday failures that rarely make headlines, this book reveals the urgent need for change.But it's not just about failure. Carpenter celebrates the tenants, tradespeople, and frontline staff who still believe in the promise of safe, decent, affordable homes - and offers a blueprint for rebuilding the system from the ground up.If you've ever lived in social housing, worked on the frontline, or wondered how things got this bad - this book is for you.
Priced Out! Building Homes at Fair Prices, Including Future Generations
The United States can build homes and rentals at fair prices. It's possible, doable, and customers are waiting. It's not that the U.S. doesn't have the private funding. It's not that the U.S. doesn't spend enough tax money. In fact, the U.S. already spends tax money on homes at the same rate as the European nation of Austria, which has plenty of homes and rentals at fair prices. It's not that U.S. workers can't pay for their own homes and rentals out of the wages that they have right now, if the prices were fair. It's not any of those things. It's that U.S. elected officials and leaders have avoided the decision to commit to a housing inventory for the middle class and for working families of America. Upscale real estate takes over, in region after region. It's coming your way, if it hasn't already. The economic and social stakes are high. Expensive rent and high home prices take too much of the income of average earners. This is a leading root cause of rising unfair economic inequality. It makes it harder to avoid financial instability for half the nation, well into the middle class, certainly not anymore just for the poorest of the poor. This financial instability increases wider social instability, which brings social strife and personal strife. It does not have to be this way.Three real estate methods can lead to home ownership and rentals at fair prices: (1) property tax caps for average earners and seniors; (2) inventory commitments for starter homes and apartments; and (3) agreements for future generations. These methods have been proven to work through many decades of real-world use. As more and more hard-working, striving people are being priced out, these decisions await.
Inquiry Into The Origin And Course Of Political Parties In The United States
A revelatory window into the birth of American politics rediscovered, restored, and reborn for a new generation. Inquiry Into The Origin And Course Of Political Parties in the United States delivers Martin Van Buren s firsthand analysis of how factions became enduring institutions in the young republic. Rooted in 19th century US politics and informed by Van Buren s experience as a statesman, this work traces the origin of US political parties, the founding political ideologies that shaped them, and the mechanics of party evolution that still echo in today s political landscape. Readers will find lucid argumentation on the American political system origins, sharp portraits of early American political thought, and a rigorous historical political discourse that reads as both prophecy and case study. This Alpha Editions release restores a text long out of print, carefully edited and preserved for today s readers and future scholars. More than a reprint, this edition is a collector s item and cultural treasure essential for anyone exploring the political history of the United States, researching Martin Van Buren writings, or cataloguing the evolution of American political parties. Whether you re a casual reader curious about US political party evolution or a collector of classic political literature, this volume offers indispensable Van Buren political insights and a richly contextualized account of American political parties analysis. Reclaim the origins of US political history book scholarship with this definitive restoration.
The Improved Antidote, Supposed To Be More Active In Expelling Poison, Than A Late Invention, By The Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart. In Which The Catholics Are Vindicated From His Abuse, And Their Claim
Ignite a forgotten controversy: a spirited defense of conscience and rights that once rattled the corridors of power. The Improved Antidote is a sharp, witty 19th-century pamphlet that answers the Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees critique with an eloquent Catholic vindication. Framing its argument as an antidote to poison expulsion the toxic rhetoric of anti-Catholic rhetoric this pamphlet mounts a philosophical and political case for unrestricted emancipation, laying out the moral, legal, and historical claims for Catholic rights. Part polemic, part moral reasoning, the text engages religious debate and political discourse with clarity and heat, invoking classical touchstones (even nodding to Philodemus writings) to expose fallacies and advocate justice. Historically significant and trenchant in style, this restored edition brings back a pamphlet that had long been out of print. Republished by Alpha Editions, it has been carefully restored for today s and future generations, balancing faithful transcription with readability. More than a reprint, this volume is a collector s item and a cultural treasure for historians of 19th-century Catholicism, students of political discourse, and anyone fascinated by the struggle for civil rights. Discover a vivid artifact of religious debate and political argumentation an essential read for casual readers, classic literature collectors, and scholars exploring Catholic emancipation, historical pamphlet culture, and the enduring fight against sectarian poison.
The Great Illusion; A Study Of The Relation Of Military Power To National Advantage
What if the greatest victories of nations were won not on battlefields but at the ledger? In The Great Illusion, Norman Angell demolishes the old myths of conquest with lucid moral force and economic clarity. A landmark national advantage study and military power analysis, this book argues that modern war is anachronistic: the economic impact of war, the intertwined fortunes of trade, and the costs to political power dynamics make military conquest self-defeating. Angell blends sharp historical military analysis with prescient international relations theory, offering conflict resolution insights and a powerful case for peace and prosperity. He maps how military influence on nations is reshaped by commerce, finance, and public opinion transforming how we think about geopolitical strategy and war and economics. Historically significant and surprisingly modern, Angell s book helped shape debates before two world wars and remains essential reading for students of global affairs, policymakers, and thoughtful citizens. This Alpha Editions release restores a classic long out of print: carefully edited, cleaned, and formatted for today s readers and future generations. More than a reprint, this edition is a collector s item and a cultural treasure perfect for casual readers seeking clarity and for classic literature collectors completing a thoughtful shelf. Rediscover Norman Angell s visionary challenge to the sword with facts, moral urgency, and eloquence an indispensable guide to the economic logic of peace and the real costs of conflict.
