The Political Economy of Egyptian Media
This book critically analyses the hegemony of Egypt's business and military elites and the private media they own or control. Arguing that this hegemony requires the exercise of power to maintain consent under changing conditions such as the 2011 uprising and the 2013 military coup, the book answers the central question of why and how Egypt's ruling elites control the media. Situated within the interdisciplinary domain of 'critical political economy' (CPE), the book focuses on popular privately-owned newspapers and TV channels and their ownership using a qualitative approach involving fifteen interviews conducted over seven years with key actors and experts in the Egyptian media landscape for unprecedented insight. As the first book on the political economy of Egyptian media, The Political Economy of Egyptian Media serves as a case study and a country profile and will be of appeal to scholars and experts of Middle Eastern studies, political sciences, media and the political economy of communication, among others.
Resisting Far-Right Politics in the Middle East and Europe
Resisting Far-Right Politics in the Middle East and Europe provides an empirically grounded exploration of different case studies on anti-LGBTQ and anti-gender mobilizations of the far-right in Europe and the Middle East. The contributions engage with multilayered histories of gender and sexuality politics that connect the Middle East and Europe, informed by histories of colonialism, racism, and border controls. A second, underlying objective of this volume is to contribute to decolonized knowledge productions by de-centering Europe and simultaneously de-exceptionalizing the Middle East. The contributors commit to respecting the heterogeneity and complexity of these regions by focusing on grounded and life experiences. Ultimately, this volume illustrates a conceptualisation of the broad spectrum of far-right politics and queer feminist critiques as manifested in a wide array of contexts, including academia, politics and everyday lives.
Public Communication and Democracy in Latin America
The book examines alternatives proposed and implemented by governments, civil society organizations, social movements and companies in Latin America to democratize public communication and overcome its current problems, such as the dissemination of alternative facts and fake news, anti-scientific discourse, harassing, discriminatory and hate speech, anti-human rights and anti-democracy discourses, and the contempt for political correctness. Drawing on theoretical approaches from media and communication, political studies and sociology, the book identifies strengths and weaknesses of the strategies for promoting democratic dialogue in Latin America and globally.
The Age Of Disappointment
Discover the definitive political analysis of 2024...In The Age of Disappointment, acclaimed political commentators Eddy Jokovich and David Lewis dissect a transformative year in Australian politics - and the world beyond. As Anthony Albanese's first term as Prime Minister nears its end, this incisive book reveals a government grappling with purpose, an opposition entrenched in obstructionism, and a nation still yearning for leadership.What's inside this essential read?The unraveling of Australia's two-party system: Why Labor's timidity and the Liberal Party's identity crisis could change the political landscape forever.The rise of new forces: How independents and minor parties like the Australian Greens are challenging traditional power structures.The decline of trust: From Robodebt scandals to the failures of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, explore why Australians are losing faith in their institutions.A global perspective: What Donald Trump's re-election, rising populism, and shifting Western alliances mean for Australia's place in the world, as well as a good assessment of the failure of the West to act on the atrocities in Palestine.The future of democracy: Can Australia escape the growing malaise and chart a path toward meaningful reform?From the creators of the popular New Politics podcast Eddy Jokovich and David Lewis bring their sharp wit, deep insights, and unflinching analysis to this must-read for anyone concerned about Australia's future. This book brilliantly captures the political zeitgeist of our times, and is a wake-up call for anyone who cares about democracy and accountability.Get your copy today!Perfect for political junkies, engaged citizens, and anyone who refuses to settle for the status quo. The Age of Disappointment is more than a book - it's a roadmap to understanding the forces shaping our future.
The Leadership Gap
In law enforcement and public safety, the Leadership Gap is the failure of leaders to build enough commitment and buy-in from those they lead to institute change and achieve intended outcomes. The leadership strategies in this book have been curated to help leaders identify existing leadership gaps in their organizations and take steps to reduce their size and impact. Each chapter contains proven, practical, and evidence-based leadership strategies conveyed through methods, activities, opportunities, and styles. Based on professional experience and academic research, this book is designed to help readers enact challenging leadership decisions in an ever-changing and complex public safety environment.
The Siege Within
A remarkable thriller crafted out of politics and high finance, this knockout expos矇 is all the more shocking for the ring of truth behind every act The 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal has been framed in many ways by state agencies, lawyers, judges, journalists, and bloggers. But for all that has been said and written about a national debacle like no other in world history, no one has been able to capture and recreate the real drama of the financial swindle that changed Malaysian politics forever. Until now. In The Siege Within, award-winning news sleuth Leslie Lopez offers a new portrait of this epic from start to finish in a comprehensive single-volume account. By seamlessly weaving history, politics, and intrigue, bringing nearly four decades of reporting to bear on The Siege Within, Lopez offers a narrative of epic proportions, revealing to the reader many previously undisclosed but explosive slices and moments of contemporary Malaysia before meticulously dissecting the 1MDB scandal with vivid storytelling that unravels a complex financial fiasco while presenting the big picture.
Post-War Instability and Human Security in Nepal
This book studies post-war instability in Nepal and its effect on human security.
Embedded Autonomy
This book addresses the sustained failure to properly fund local government in England. While there has been plenty of rhetoric and policy initiatives around devolution of power to local authorities in recent decades, continuing recently with the English Devolution Bill, there has been far less attention paid to how these endeavours will be practically delivered and, most importantly, funded. In this context, the motivation in this book is to consider how local government in England could be funded differently. How can the continual hand to mouth existence of local authorities, and those that work to support them, be improved? Drawing on a system-based analysis of international local government practice, the authors develop a new theory of embedded autonomy to help understand and frame how local government can be funded effectively in England.
Terrorism and the Pandemic
The global pandemic has offered extraordinary opportunities for extremists and terrorists to mobilize themselves and revive as more powerful actors in the security landscape. But could these threat groups actually capitalize on the coronavirus crisis and advance their malevolent agendas? Utilizing the largest COVID-19-related terrorism database, the book presents an analysis built upon a quantitative and qualitative comparison between the nature of both the radical Islamist and the far-right-related threat in 2018 and 2020. It provides, for the first time, a true picture of novel trends since the pandemic outbreak.
Unburdened
Unburdened - Why America Said No to Kamala What happened to Kamala Harris's historic bid for the presidency in 2024? In Unburdened - Why America Said No to Kamala, Rob Sherwood dissects the key moments, missteps, and broader cultural and political dynamics that led to Harris's stunning defeat. From campaign mismanagement and voter alienation to media narratives and the rise of disinformation, this book provides a detailed postmortem of one of the most pivotal elections in modern American history. More than a critique of a single campaign, Unburdened explores the deeper lessons for both major political parties, revealing how polarization, economic uncertainty, and cultural divides continue to shape the American electorate. Combining sharp analysis, compelling data, and insights from grassroots voters, [Author Name] paints a vivid picture of why the Harris campaign failed to resonate and what it means for the future of American democracy. Whether you're a political enthusiast, a concerned citizen, or simply seeking to understand the forces driving our nation's elections, Unburdened is a must-read for anyone grappling with the state of American politics today.
Can Africans Do Economics?
Can Africans Do Economics? examines the intersection of economic development and freedom across Africa. Drawing on the powerful ideas of former African leaders such as Thomas Sankara and Julius Nyerere, this book explores their belief in the inseparable link between political independence and economic progress.Informed by the scholarship of leading economists Grieve Chelwa, Marion Ouma, Redge Nkosi, Cleopas Sambo and Ndongo Samba Sylla, Can Africans Do Economics? redefines development as a process of emancipation, not simply economic growth. Combining historical context with forward-thinking policy proposals this book presents an urgent case for transformative policies grounded in African realities, and rejecting foreign-led interventions on the continent.
Kamala
Celebrate--through stunning photographs--Kamala Harris's presidential run in one of the most consequential, surprising, and invigorating, campaigns in our nation's history, one of the most impactful ever of a candidate attempting to become the first woman president of the United States. Kamala is a beautiful tribute to Kamala Harris's remarkable rise from District Attorney in California to her historic presidential run in 2024. Curated by Deborah Willis and Kevin Merida, this visually captivating book features nearly 150 vibrant photographs that capture the joy, challenges, and triumphs of Harris's campaign. Rather than following a strict timeline, the book is thematically arranged into sections like "Family & Early Life," "The Ascent," and "Powerful Rooms." Each section offers a unique perspective on Harris's multifaceted life and career, complemented by insightful essays that place this pivotal election in context. It's an essential read for anyone intrigued by American politics, women's history, and the significance of representation. Regardless of the election's outcome, this book celebrates Harris's indomitable spirit and the groundbreaking nature of her campaign. It's a perfect keepsake of this trailblazing event and is perfect for fans, political enthusiasts, and anyone inspired by a woman who dares to break barriers and make history.
Broken Heartlands
A road trip through ten constituencies that formed part of Labour's 'red wall', which backed Brexit and dramatically turned Conservative for the first time in the 2019 election.
Towards a Very British Version of the "Culture Wars"
This book examines the emergence and the political use of what has come to be known as "culture wars" in the United Kingdom.
Prosthetic Memories
In Prosthetic Memories, Hyaesin Yoon examines the entanglements of humans, animals, and technologies across South Korea and the United States at the turn of the twenty-first century. Interrogating a variety of body-technology interfaces, Yoon outlines an emergent mode of prosthetic memory in which human memory is extended into both machines and animals. Prosthetic memory overflows and provides an alternative to familiar human perception, Western scientific reason, and other senses of knowledge in ways that can foster networks of solidarity, care, and empathy between human and nonhuman subjects. Among other sites and subjects, Yoon examines tongue surgery to correct English pronunciation in Korea, Asian American poetry that engages the human-machine divide, transnational dog cloning, and stem cell research, each of which activates potent postcolonial feminist mnemonics and alliances. In so doing, Yoon narrates the countermemories of racialized, gendered, diasporic, queer, and marginalized human and nonhuman others that work against the violent and isolating biopolitical and neoliberal forces in contemporary society.
Researching Street-level Bureaucracy
Using Michael Lipsky's idea of SLB and connecting it to contemporary debates, Mike Rowe argues for an approach to researching SLBs that focuses on dilemmas in practice. Researching Street-level Bureaucracy is an essential resource for teachers and students of Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Work, and Criminal Justice.
Inside U.S. Immigration Policy
Inside U.S. Immigration Policy provides a comprehensive introduction to the development of U.S. immigration and immigration policies from the nation's colonial beginnings to the present day.Written for students of social welfare, social work, public policy, sociology, and history, the book develops a clear and historical framework for understanding current controversies around immigration. Bryan Warde offers a thoroughly researched account of immigration policies spanning 1882 to the present and calls upon theories and ideologies that explain conflicting views and shifting attitudes on immigrants and immigration. The book's discussion is organized chronologically and each chapter supports students in developing the skills and knowledge to analyze and unpack the extent to which societal structures and values may oppress, marginalize, alienate, create, or enhance privilege and power in the context of immigration policies. It also reveals the forms and mechanisms of oppression and discrimination and leads readers to consider the sociopolitical factors that shape social policy and the provision of services to marginalized populations.Chapter summaries, timelines, and discussion questions throughout support learning and comprehension and encourage students to grasp the nuances and implications of this vastly important field of study. This book is an excellent addition to a range of undergraduate and graduate courses on social welfare, public policy, social work, sociology, and history.
Displacement, Borders, and Unsettling Narratives
This short book discusses some of the urgent critical debates regarding intercultural education on displacement during turbulent times of contentious border politics and ramped-up anti-migrant discourse. Drawing on original research and teaching insights from a team of co-authors from Pakistan, Iraq, Zimbabwe, Italy, India, Canada, the UK and beyond who are involved in teaching students from more than two dozen countries, it focuses on experiences of teaching in the midst of controversial refugee detention and deportation schemes - just some of many developments in the United Kingdom condemned strongly by several United Nations agencies. The authors' analysis engages reflections, from diverse backgrounds and positionalities, on approaches to education that seek to deepen understandings of displacement experiences in an interconnected world as well as geopolitical responses, methodologies and representational practices.
Prosthetic Memories
In Prosthetic Memories, Hyaesin Yoon examines the entanglements of humans, animals, and technologies across South Korea and the United States at the turn of the twenty-first century. Interrogating a variety of body-technology interfaces, Yoon outlines an emergent mode of prosthetic memory in which human memory is extended into both machines and animals. Prosthetic memory overflows and provides an alternative to familiar human perception, Western scientific reason, and other senses of knowledge in ways that can foster networks of solidarity, care, and empathy between human and nonhuman subjects. Among other sites and subjects, Yoon examines tongue surgery to correct English pronunciation in Korea, Asian American poetry that engages the human-machine divide, transnational dog cloning, and stem cell research, each of which activates potent postcolonial feminist mnemonics and alliances. In so doing, Yoon narrates the countermemories of racialized, gendered, diasporic, queer, and marginalized human and nonhuman others that work against the violent and isolating biopolitical and neoliberal forces in contemporary society.
Political Communication in Sub-Saharan Africa, Volume II
This book is one of two volumes that examines the role of political communication, media and language in transforming politics, governance and democracy in sub-Saharan Africa. Interdisciplinary in approach, this second volume analyses themes including political advertising and rhetoric, activism, populism, fake news, and political violence. Combining theoretical work with individual case studies on countries including Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Ghana, the book highlights the important connection between political communication and governance, and the ways in which language reforms can help to overcome challenges related to public administration. It will appeal to all those interested in public policy, public administration, governance, and political communication, as well as linguistics, media studies and African politics.
Program Evaluation Theory and Practice
Covering both the theory and practice of evaluation in one engaging volume, this leading text is now in a revised third edition. It features additional evaluation approaches, such as the Indigenous paradigm; new examples, ranging from small to large and multi-site evaluations; and more. Instructors praise the diverse evaluations, many with reflective commentary from evaluators, and rich pedagogical features. The text describes the major theoretical paradigms in evaluation and the ways they inform methodological choices. Readers learn effective strategies for clarifying their own theoretical assumptions; working with stakeholders; developing questions; using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods designs; choosing data collection and sampling strategies; analyzing data; and communicating and utilizing findings. The book includes guidance for planning an evaluation of a specific project or program. Extensive recommended online resources and tools are provided at the companion website. New to This Edition *Restructured section on philosophical frameworks, with a new chapter on the Indigenous paradigm and expanded coverage of disability, feminist, and LGBTQ+ theories. *Additional sample studies, including multi-site and systems- and complexity-informed evaluations. *Expanded coverage of logic models, cost-benefit evaluations, and mixed methods designs. *New and updated coverage of data collection technologies, qualitative coding methods, Sustainable Development Goals, and uses and pitfalls of artificial intelligence. Pedagogical Features *Reflection questions that prepare students to read each chapter. *"Extending Your Thinking" questions and learning activities. *New within-chapter maps to aid in navigating chapter sections. *Boxes offering sample evaluations and closer looks at key concepts. *Helpful checklists and tables, bolded key terms, and an end-of-book Glossary. *Companion website with links to recommended online resources and tools.
How to Kill a City
"An exacting look at gentrification" (New York Times Book Review)--and the lives devastated in the process The term gentrification has become a buzzword to describe the changes in urban neighborhoods across the country, but we don't realize just how threatening it is. It means more than the arrival of trendy shops, much-maligned hipsters, and expensive lattes. The very future of American cities as vibrant, equitable spaces hangs in the balance. A vigorous expos矇 revealing who holds power in our cities, How to Kill a City uncovers the massive systemic forces behind gentrification in New Orleans, Detroit, San Francisco, and New York. Now with a new preface reflecting on the present-day political landscape surrounding the housing crisis, How to Kill a City is essential reading for anyone who cares about the fate of our cities and our nation.
The U.S. Supreme Court and the Legitimization of Surveillance
The book analyzes the U.S. Supreme Court's rulings in cases concerningsurveillance, both domestic and foreign intelligence, focusing onhow judicial activism or judicial restraint has legitimized the almostuncontrolled surveillance of American citizens by government agencies.The purpose of the research is to examine the judiciary's impacton the scope of government surveillance and, more broadly, on thestate of American democracy and the rule of law. By reviewing themost important SCOTUS opinions on surveillance and applying thefamous "legitimate end" approach from McCulloch v. Maryland, theauthor determines which values have prevailed in the judicial interpretationof the Constitution: security or freedom. Furthermore, the bookevaluates the legal and political arguments used by the Court to justifybroad surveillance measures, including the national security paradigmand secrecy, which have strengthened the executive branch's positionin the U.S. governmental system.
Smart Urban Safety and Security
This open access book explores the use of technologies for urban safety and security. Rather than focusing on the technologies themselves, it provides and in-depth analysis of the complex urban transformations linked to the increasing integration of technical systems in the built environment. Interdisciplinary contributions explain how technologies can improve urban safety, whilst offering a broader discussion relative to urban, socio-economic and political factors. Against simplistic techno-solutionist ideas, the authors illustrate the role of technology as means to an end and show how technologies can widen our understanding of safety and security. Readers are introduced to issues relative to the practical implementation, development, and testing of urban technologies via numerous case studies from cities around the world.
Capitalism, Colonisation and the Ecocide-Genocide Nexus
This timely publication examines the drivers of the ecologically induced genocide of Indigenous and place-based peoples in the former British colonies of Kenya and Australia. It synthesises radical political ecology with a political-economic approach to illuminate the nexus between the genocidal and ecocidal properties of the capitalist global system and how this intersects with post-colonial structures. Drawing on original interviews from groups that have suffered these social harms, the book enriches our knowledge of the eco-genocidal nature of colonisation.
Iceland's Arctic Policies and Shifting Geopolitics
This book examines the role of the Arctic in Iceland's foreign and security policies from the end of the Cold War to the present. Based on extensive research and drawing on approaches from the fields of history and international relations, it shows that Iceland's Arctic policies have gone through multiple phases during this period, all of which have been heavily influenced by external geopolitical factors, including its relationship with the United States, the 2008 financial crisis, the rise of China, and the Ukrainian crisis. It also demonstrates how Iceland's strategic position in the North Atlantic has important repercussions for the United States, Russia and China. With an emphasis on geopolitics, nation branding, and governance, this book will appeal to scholars and students of Arctic policies, geopolitics and international relations.
Tackling Difficulties in Tax Administration Reform
This book explores China's tax system- one of the largest in the world, it operates on a quite different logic in taxing income, property and capital gains compared with most other countries. In an effort to reduce income inequality and continue to drive robust growth, a lively debate about the reform of China's tax system is taking place. In this book, some of China's most prominent thinkers on the topic share their insights and proposals. This book will interest scholars of the Chinese economy, business analysts and scholars of taxation policy.
Capitalism, Colonisation and the Ecocide-Genocide Nexus
With climate change and a looming ecological crisis impacting the systems and institutions that support life, this timely publication examines the drivers of ecologically induced genocide - the environmental destruction resulting in conditions of life that fundamentally threaten a social group's cultural or physical existence. Focusing on the former British colonies of Kenya and Australia, both united by a discourse of developmentalism, the book draws attention to the critical role that the destructions of ecologies has historically played, and continues to play, in the genocide of Indigenous and place-based peoples. It synthesises radical political ecology with a political-economic approach to illuminate the nexus between the inherently genocidal and ecocidal properties of the capitalist global system and the manner in which the ecocidal logic of capital intersects with settler and post-colonial structures. In exploring the genocidal effects of climate governance and market environmentalism on Indigenous peoples in Kenya and forms of energy extraction on Indigenous groups in Australia, the book also draws on original interviews to prioritise the lived experiences of, and give voice to, the groups that have suffered structural violence and social harms. Fundamentally, it puts forward a political economy of genocide, which seeks to explain the manner in which material forces, on local and global scales, underpin and give rise to ever-evolving relations of genocide. As such, this important book deepens and enriches our knowledge of genocide and the eco-genocidal nature of colonisation, and the capitalist mode of production that underpins developmentalism.
People's Guide to the 2024 Presidential Election in the United States of America
The 2024 Presidential Election in the United States of America is the most widely covered and closely followed election in a year which has seen roughly 50% of the world's population go to the polls, with elections having taken place in 64 countries plus the European Union. This book explains both the 2024 Election and, more importantly, how the American political system works. It covers and explains voting methods, the Electoral College, the Swing States, the United States Senate and House of Representatives, and key Congressional races. It explains how American political campaigns are funded, why American elections cost so much, the controversial "Citizens United" decision and America's campaign finance laws. It contains short yet detailed biographies of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump, explaining their political careers, values, motivations, and accomplishments. It explains polling, how polls are conducted, and how polls are used by campaigns. The book also explains the key demographic cohorts, the strategy of base turnout, and some of the root causes of the present divisions in American society today. Finally, the book explains the key issues facing American voters this year, both domestic and foreign. Domestic issues such as inflation, housing, taxation, trade policy, illegal immigration, the Supreme Court, and abortion are all explained, as are matters of foreign policy, including an overview and analysis of America's post-Cold War foreign policy decisions, the proxy war being waged in Ukraine, the conflict between Israel and Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, the strategic competition between the United States and China, the NATO welfare system, and how America can shape its strategy for dealing with the new multipolar world order.This book will not only help a reader understand the 2024 Presidential Election, it will help readers understand the American political system itself, making it relevant far beyond 2024.
In Our Own Best Interest
Sierra Leone, Kosovo, East Timor, the Bronx. The nightly news brings vivid images into our homes of the mistreatment of people all over the world. In the secure comfort of our living rooms, we may feel sympathetic to the victims of these atrocities but far removed from them. "What does all this have to do with a person in east Tennessee?" is the question, from a radio program host, that prompted William Schulz to write this book. Schulz provides answers with an insightful work, generously laced with compelling stories of women and men from all continents, which clearly delineates the connection between our prosperity here in the United States and human rights violations throughout the globe. The book reveals the high cost of indifference not only in ethical and moral terms, but in terms of the political, economic, environmental and public health consequences in our own backyards. Consider, for example, the high cost to U.S. military personnel and their families of radical political instability in the Balkans-costs that might well have been avoided if the United States and the international community had conscientiously defended human rights. Or the devastating economic impact on U.S. businesses of systemic corruption in Asia. Or the serious environmental hazards of nuclear fuel leaks in Russia, the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis, and the expensive dangers of inhumane prison conditions in the United States, to name just a few examples. At the heart of each of these problems lies the abuse of basic human rights. Through the stories of Natasa Kandic and Alexander Nikitin, of Samia Sarwar and Han Dongfang, of Jaime Garzon and Sister Dianna Ortiz, Schulz introduces us to the front line of the international battle for rights and builds a powerful case for defending our own interests by vigorously defending the human rights of people everywhere. "Entertaining is not a word one normally associates with the struggle for human rights, and yet that is the perfect word to describe this book by William Schulz. Entertaining, yes, and moving, and complex, this assault against indifference is also an urgent blueprint for action and a guide full of wisdom for the perplexed." -Ariel Dorfman "This is the strongest case I ever read for support of human rights. Eloquently written, well argued-it makes a case not just for professionals, but for all who care." -Amitai Etzioni, author of The Spirit of Community "If any foreign policy primer could be called a page-turner, it is this one by the executive director of Amnesty International USA. What the human rights community needs to do, argues Schulz in this well-written clarion call, is find 'the compelling reasons why respect for human rights is in the best interests of the United States.' . . . Schulz has written a clear and provocative book that should be read by all concerned with human rights and U.S. foreign policy and will draw new supporters among the general public." -Publishers Weekly, starred review Dr. William F. Schulz is the executive director of Amnesty International, USA. and former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. He travels throughout the country and the world to advocate for universal human rights, and to investigate and detail human rights abuses. Mary Robinson is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Is Inequality Bad For Our Health?
In this election year, health care again proves to be one of our nation's most urgent issues. Daniels, Kennedy, and Kawachi shift the focus of the debate, forcing us to take a closer look at how our health is affected by social injustice and inequality. Arguing that it isn't enough to increase access to doctors, they call for improving social conditions-such as poverty, lack of education and affordable housing, and harmful work environments-that damage our health. By urging us to work toward equality of opportunity for all, the authors situate health care reform among the larger social problems we must face. The authors' argument for reform in early childhood development, nutrition, work environment, and distribution of income is certain to spark debate. The editor of The New England Journal of Medicine and World Health Organization officials respond. The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. "A civic treasure. . . . A truly good idea, carried out with intelligence and panache." --Robert Pinsky
What’s Wrong With a Free Lunch?
Our politicians insist that we live in a time of unprecedented prosperity, yet more and more Americans are pointing out that the richest 1% of our society holds more wealth than the bottom 90% put together. In this timely book, economist Philippe Van Parijs has a simple plan for addressing not only poverty but other social ills: everyone would be paid a universal basic income (UBI) at a level sufficient for subsistence. Everyone, including "those who make no social contribution-who spend their mornings bickering with their partner, surf off Malibu in the afternoon, and smoke pot all night." Van Parijs argues that a UBI would reduce unemployment, improve women's lives, and prevent the environmental damage caused by overproduction and fast growth. At the heart of his proposal is the intention to secure real freedom for all, because it offers the greatest possible opportunity to those with the least opportunities. He acknowledges that an idle surfer might not deserve a UBI, but that the surfer's good luck would be no different than the good fortune enjoyed by those who benefit from the current distribution of resources. Responses to this controversial proposal vary: Some are in favor of a basic income, but only if it's tied to work. Others find the entire proposal unrealistic and unaffordable. Almost all agree, however, that it is time for us to talk about this issue. NEW DEMOCRACY FORUM: A series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. The series editors (for Boston Review), Joshua Cohen and Joel Rogers, aim to foster politically engaged, intellectually honest, and morally serious debate about fundamental issues-both on and off the agenda of conventional politics.
Who’s Qualified?
Affirmative action originated as a plan to correct the historical disadvantage of women and people of color-to make the system more fair. Yet, for over twenty years, it has been repeatedly attacked for being unfair to whites, and even un-American. Guinier and Sturm begin with a critique of affirmative action as it stands now, arguing that a system of selection that determines 'qualification' from test scores and then adds on factors like race and gender doesn't work-either for the people it includes or the people it leaves out. But they go further, asking us to rethink how we evaluate merit. Marshaling lively examples from education and the workplace, they expose the failure of tests to predict success. They provide evidence that people's success depends on the opportunities they have to perform, and that institutions do best when they are open to unanticipated contributions. Offering a model of selection based on performance, not prediction, the authors' reconception of an old ideal suggests at once a smart business practice and a step toward the promise of democratic opportunity. Paul Osterman, Stephen Steinberg, Peter Sacks, and others respond. NEW DEMOCRACY FORUM A series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. The series editors (for Boston Review), Joshua Cohen and Joel Rogers, aim to foster politically engaged, intellectually honest, and morally serious debate about fundamental issues-both on and off the agenda of conventional politics.
Urgent Times
Tracey Meares and Dan Kahan have performed a great public service....[They have] opened up a major debate on a promising idea about how to keep streets safe without throwing out essential legal safeguards. If you live where I live, you know that's a life-and-death issue. --The Reverend Eugene F. Rivers, 3d, from the Foreword Through a searching examination of the constitutional and moral issues of community policing, Tracey Meares and Dan Kahan challenge us to reconsider our ideas about how to fight urban crime and about the role of rights in a democracy. Activists and legal scholars-including Alan Dershowitz and Jean Bethke Elshtain-offer spirited responses. "The New Democracy Forum series is a civic treasure....A truly good idea, carried out with intelligence and panache." --Robert Pinsky The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns.
Anthrax War
An investigation into the 2001 U.S. anthrax attacks leads to the realization that a new and terrible arms race may soon be upon us, one that spans the globe and is driven by an array of forces working with deadly microorganisms. Penetrating what they regard as an international "bioweapons mafia," Bob Coen and Eric Nadler encounter scientists, capitalists, politicians, and assassins -- all playing with the world's most dangerous germs. Coen and Nadler pursue leads across four continents in an attempt to illuminate the secret world of international biological weapons research. They probe the mysterious deaths of some of the world's leading germ war scientists, including the death of Bruce Ivins -- the man the FBI controversially insists is the lone perpetrator of the anthrax attacks. They also examine the suspicious suicide of British scientist and weapons inspector David Kelly, who was found dead in the woods the same week U.K. officials killed an investigation into illegal human experimentation at the top-secret facility where he once worked. As the plot darkens, it becomes clear that the 2001 anthrax attacks are a portal into a new and lucrative "biomilitary-industrial complex," and one of the most frightening stories of our time.
Equality and Social Policy
Originally published in 1978, this book presents a philosophical analysis of the principle of equality, and is also a study of the institutional implications of that principle in the field of social policy.
Contemporary Intelligence Warning Cases
Contemporary Intelligence Warning Cases presents lessons learned and recommendations for producers and users of intelligence warning in their joint venture to anticipate, prepare for, mitigate, and prevent future threats to national security. It presents and synthesizes the findings of 16 contemporary intelligence warning case studies undertaken by leading intelligence scholars and former intelligence practitioners. It is the first multi-case study of intelligence warning and adopts a uniquely broad and contemporary approach to the phenomenon, featuring both successful and failed cases. Consistent with the increasing complexity of intelligence problems and scope of intelligence services, it ranges from traditional warning problems such as invasions and wars, through terrorist attacks, to threats that lie beyond the traditional core scope of intelligence services such as pandemics, financial crises, climate change, strategic acquisitions and attacks on cultural heritage.
JOHNSTONE November 24
As the mass slaughter rages on in Gaza and now Lebanon, and tensions ramp up exponentially in Ukraine, the US held its quadrennial kayfabe wrestlemania spectacular that vaunts itself as a democratic presidential election. This edition chronicles Trump's win as he yet again became the befittingly ugly face of the increasingly ugly empire.
The Emperor's New Nudity
An analysis of contemporary authoritarianism and the medium in which it flourishes, the internet, as well as what lies at the complex intersection of authority and technology. In recent decades, a new style of authoritarian politics has taken hold throughout the liberal-democratic world. The new authority figures are characterized by obscene, transgressive behavior, reminiscent of the "crowd" leader as theorized by Freud, only far less transient. In The Emperor's New Nudity, Yuval Kremnitzer considers the fraught intersection of authority and technology--the internet being the medium that has allowed contemporary authoritarianism to thrive--asking foundational questions such as: How can we think of the network as a social phenomenon? What can social and political phenomena teach us about the nature of the new technology? And how does technology reshape the very fabric of social and political life? Technology, Kremnitzer writes, leads us toward an impersonal and hyperrational world to such an extent that it renders human subjectivity outmoded. Authority, on the other hand, anchors our subjective identifications to certain figures and seems to be hopelessly primitive and irrational. What is required, then, is a dialectics of the primal--a study of the way in which what strikes us as essential enters into the dynamics of historical change. From this perspective, authority and technology can be said to be divided by a common object--the unwritten law, and the special knowledge that pertains to it: a knowledge without knowers.
Techno
In the midst of a technology revolution and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), we all need to understand the relationship between humans and technology. Social media, data surveillance, biometrics, genomics and cryptocurrencies dominate news and public debate, but there is often little consideration given to issues like how our data could be used in the future, the risks of genomic research, or responsibility for decisions made by AI. Techno argues that we are all responsible for contributing to how technology is used, to ensure that society will benefit from it. With clarity and purpose, Marcus Smith explores how technology is affecting government, individuals and society; and the need to act, before it's too late. This must-read book offers critical insights on the emerging technologies we use every day and the implications for us.
Strengthening Local Government Engagement in the Greater Mekong Subregion
Outlining a strategy designed to boost local government participation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation program, this report presents practical implications and offers recommendations to help drive a more sustainable future. The report explains how the GMS Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030, endorsed by the GMS leaders, builds upon the program's focus on connectivity and project-led development. It details how to utilize the existing GMS Economic Corridors Forum and the Governors' Forum effectively to boost local government engagement. It recommends piloting smaller sub-corridor forums, better engaging cities, and boosting local government capacity to better tackle regional development challenges.
Policing Show Business
In Policing Show Business, Francis MacDonnell explores the starring role played by J. Edgar Hoover in the development of the Hollywood blacklist in the 1940s and 1950s. As director of the FBI, Hoover poured resources into scrutinizing show business, a policy choice unjustified by any corresponding threat to public security. He detailed agents to write regular reports on actors, screenwriters, lyricists, singers, and studio executives. His frequent handwritten comments on papers inside the files of film industry personalities demonstrate a level of interest bordering on obsession.Policing Show Business is not just another book about the Hollywood blacklist. MacDonnell approaches the Red Scare through biography using FBI records on such luminaries as Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney, Hedda Hopper, Adolphe Menjou, Lena Horne, Fredric March, Cecil B. DeMille, and Burl Ives to present in unexpected, surprising, and sometimes poignant ways the rich human dramas experienced by both targets of the bureau and its collaborators.MacDonnell's meticulously researched account, drawing on many newly available FBI files, evokes the passions and resentments; the courageous acts and calculated evasions; and the petty tyrannies and self-interested campaigns of an ignominious episode in the annals of American freedom.
Urban Engineering for Sustainability
A textbook that introduces integrated, sustainable design of urban infrastructures, drawing on civil engineering, environmental engineering, urban planning, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science. This textbook introduces urban infrastructure from an engineering perspective, with an emphasis on sustainability. Bringing together both fundamental principles and practical knowledge from civil engineering, environmental engineering, urban planning, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science, the book transcends disciplinary boundaries by viewing urban infrastructures as integrated networks. The text devotes a chapter to each of five engineering systems--electricity, water, transportation, buildings, and solid waste--covering such topics as fundamentals, demand, management, technology, and analytical models. Other chapters present a formal definition of sustainability; discuss population forecasting techniques; offer a history of urban planning, from the Neolithic era to Kevin Lynch and Jane Jacobs; define and discuss urban metabolism and infrastructure integration, reviewing system interdependencies; and describe approaches to urban design that draw on complexity theory, algorithmic models, and machine learning. Throughout, a hypothetical city state, Civitas, is used to explain and illustrate the concepts covered. Each chapter includes working examples and problem sets. An appendix offers tables, diagrams, and conversion factors. The book can be used in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in civil engineering and as a reference for practitioners. It can also be helpful in preparation for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams.
Creating Partisans
Why are some new political parties successful at creating mass partisanship and engendering stable electoral support, while most fail to take root in society and disappear quickly? Creating Partisans unveils the secrets behind successful political parties, taking a deep dive into the formation and success of new political parties in Latin America. Based on extensive fieldwork and using a multi-method approach, the book explores how different mobilization strategies sway voters to support new parties. While prior studies have focused on the various types of direct appeals parties make to voters, Creating Partisans reveals that it is organizationally mediated appeals - those that engage voters through locally-based civil society organizations - that can secure electoral support more effectively and can create lasting partisan attachments. From indigenous organizations to informal sector unions, new types of societal organizations play a critical mediating role in shaping electoral outcomes and fostering long-term partisan loyalties in young democracies.
