Gender and Diplomacy
This edited collection aims to bring new contexts and research innovations to study the changing nature of gender in diplomacy. Whilst historically most diplomats were men, in the twenty-first century, the proportion of women (and others of diverse backgrounds) has increased markedly and in select cases, surpasses men. Digital diplomacy, glass cliffs, diplomatic gatekeeping, nation branding, queer and critical race studies and more have begun to be studied in the context of gender and diplomacy, raising new questions, in new contexts, and driving new innovations in diplomacy. How is diplomacy responding to these changes? How does gender, sexuality and race intersect to reproduce diplomatic relations? This edited collection unpacks the queering of diplomacy, the security/diplomacy nexus, gender and West/non-West distinctions in diplomacy, gender and foreign policy, and women in MFAs and foreign service.
The Public Policy Perspective
Public policy and public administration are fundamental to a functioning society. These fields are embedded into our institutions, everyday lives, and the greater culture. This book will explore public interest roles in 2025 from the student, scholar, and practitioner perspective, as well as from their impacts on people and the planet. As we live through unceasingly unprecedented times, furthering our worldview on governance is essential.Benjamin H. Deitchman starts at the beginning: with understanding the basic perspectives on the public and nonprofit sectors and the roles in serving and leading in communities and beyond. Rigorously rooted in theory and practical experience, he examines how relevant individuals and institutions grow and provide impact, and how this shapes internal views and the views of others, including on television and in sports.While the work is tedious and serious, The Public Policy Perspective: A Personal Analysis of Public Work provides examples and analysis to explore its essentiality, and even its fun. A useful and engaging supplemental reading in an introductory or capstone course to provide perspective on the roles, responsibilities, and opportunities of the public policy or public administration scholar or professional.
Reproduction of Conservatism
This research investigates the development of conservatism in Turkey through a historical comparison, focusing on the role of conservative intellectuals and their contributions to the reproduction and sustenance of conservative ideology during two key periods. Specifically, the study addresses the question: How was the conservative ethos of the 1950s reproduced by intellectuals during the AKP's first decade? One of the primary objectives is to uncover the factors that enabled the reproduction of conservatism in the 2000s, with particular attention to the cultural struggle for hegemony embedded in this process. The study also traces the origins of conservatism as an ideology, especially in the context of the post-Second World War period. The outcomes of this research are structured across three dimensions: A definition of "limited" conservatism within the analytical framework and its connection to Turkish conservatism The interplay between authoritarianism and the rise of conservatism in Turkey The relationship between conservative intellectuals and the hegemonic discourses of their respective eras By examining these dimensions, the study provides a nuanced understanding of how conservative intellectuals have navigated and shaped Turkey's socio-cultural transformations across distinct historical periods.
Delinking and Global Reparations
Delinking, as a concept, was initially put forward to propose a progressive economic strategy within and potentially beyond capitalism. This was based on the understanding that Western development has taken place under particular historical and ecological conditions that cannot be reproduced everywhere. Amid the ongoing and multifaceted socio-ecological crisis, the delinking agenda is now again articulated with a fresh focus on international monetary reform and global reparations. The contributions to this volume by authors from various theoretical traditions provide a wealth of insights on these questions and make the case for alternative epistemic, political and activist approaches premised on anti-imperialism and global justice.
The Arctic in China’s National Strategy
This book locates the Arctic within the context of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) national strategy of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation. Drawing on a range of sources published in Chinese and English, the author analyses Beijing's Arctic scientific activities and technological capabilities, including the research infrastructure, long-term goals, and the significance for China's understanding of the region, its Arctic identity, and international perceptions. Examining the region from the perspective of the Comprehensive National Security Outlook developed during the Xi Jinping era, the book focuses on military, economic, technological, and political components and considers the PRC's official and academic discourses and the views of the region within bilateral relations with Arctic states, outlining a science, security, and governance nexus in China's Arctic engagement.This volume will be of interest to scholars and students of Arctic geopolitics, Chinese studies, security studies, and foreign policy analysis. It will also appeal to policymakers and defence analysts in Arctic states and other regional stakeholders.
The Challenge of Enlightenment, Conflict Transformation and Peace in Pakistan
This book looks at the process of cultural enlightenment in the context of Pakistan. It undertakes an interesting and in-depth research focusing on how the world's second largest Muslim state can learn from Europe's heritage of enlightenment. It studies why Pakistan lacks a process of awakening and what the scope of cultural enlightenment in Pakistan is against the backdrop of militant Islam. The author argues that cultural enlightenment can help promote positive conflict transformation in Pakistan and discusses the ways in which challenges to establishing a culture of reasoning, tolerance, accommodation, social justice and peace can be dealt with.A unique contribution, this book will be of interest to students and researchers of philosophy, political science, history, international relations, South Asian studies and religious studies. It will also appeal to think tanks, policymakers and general readers interested in these topics.
Grand Narratives in Critical International Theory
Critical international theory has the task of providing orientation to human beings in better understanding their conditions of existence, how those conditions came to assume their contemporary characteristics, and what immanent potential they might hold for emancipatory transformation. The argument in this book is that this task of orientation is indissociable from a reliance on grand narratives that capture the main features of the long-term process of human development. And yet, many of these grand narratives also tend to reproduce Eurocentric worldviews that undermine critical international theory's reliability as a means of orientation. In this book, Andr矇 Saramago provides an innovative answer to the problem of orientation with which critical international theory is confronted. Through an indepth engagement with the work of J羹rgen Habermas, Karl Marx, and Norbert Elias, he recovers a historical-sociological approach to grand narratives that avoids a reproduction of their Eurocentric shortcomings. In the process, he improves critical international theory's role as a means of orientation by making it better theoretically equipped to capture the interweaving of the historical development of the human capacity for self-determination in the four key dimensions of human existence: people's relations with themselves as individuals; social relations at both the intra- and inter-societal levels; and people's relations with non-human nature. This book will appeal to all students and researchers interested in interdisciplinary and critical approaches to the study of world politics, long-term processes of social change, and human-nature relations, working within or across the fields of International Relations, Sociology, Political Theory, and related areas of inquiry.
Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists on Emigration
This book describes the formation, transnational activities and inner workings of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) in exile. Made possible thanks to an in-depth examination of previously unutilised correspondence relating to the OUN, this title examines the organisation during the first five years of its existence (1929-1934). In contrast to other available sources, such as the press or propaganda materials, the letters more faithfully present actual plans, motivations and goals of the nationalists. The analysis not only uncovers unknown facts but also reveals reactions, opinions and emotions of individual activists. The book explores the structure and mechanisms of the OUN 矇migr矇 networks by depicting tactics, decision-making processes and the efficiency of activities, as well as contacts and relations within the OUN and with the outside world. The international activity of the OUN is examined through the cooperation with not only Poland's neighbours, including Lithuania, Czechoslovakia and Germany, but also lobbying efforts in Great Britain, France, Italy and North America, where 矇migr矇 activists of the OUN or their contacts were based. Finally, the book investigates the OUN policy towards activists operating in the area of the Second Polish Republic. This text will be of interest to scholars of Ukrainian history, nationalism, comparative fascism and transnationalism.
War Narratives in Post-Conflict Societies
This book studies war narratives and their role in the political arenas of post-conflict societies, with a focus on the former Yugoslavia.How do politicians in postwar societies talk about the past war? How do they discursively represent vulnerable social groups created by the conflict? Does the nature of this representation depend on the politicians' ideology, personal characteristics, or their record of combat service? The book answers these questions by pairing natural language processing tools and large corpora of parliamentary debates collected in three southeast European post-conflict societies (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia). Using the latest advances in computer science, the book explores patterns in the war discourse of the political elites of these countries and discusses how politicians talk about war in terms of common narratives and shared frameworks. Mapping over 20 years of parliamentary debates, the book presents a new perspective on the role of the legacies of war in public space and develops theoretical arguments about reconciliation in post-conflict societies. The wars of the 1990s and the breakup of Yugoslavia have created three totally different settings for remembering the past conflicts in these countries, despite their common history. It is a story of victorious battles (Croatia), past grievances (Bosnia-Herzegovina), and denial (Serbia), showing the different flavors of past wars in various national contexts that are symptomatic of many post-conflict societies in different parts of the world.This book will be of much interest to students of war and conflict studies, southeastern European politics, discourse analysis, and international relations.
Far-Right Political Parties in Australia
This book examines how Australian far-right parties organise and operate to better understand their limited electoral success.Australian far-right parties have yet to see results comparable to far-right parties in other contexts. Unlike many of their European counterparts that have made significant electoral gains up to and including participation in national governments, the Australian far-right parties of the 'fourth wave' have experienced relatively poor electoral results. But this does not necessarily mean that Australia is uniquely hostile to far-right politics. Focusing particularly on the 2019 Australian federal election, this book takes an organisational approach to better understand why Australian far-right parties struggle electorally. Through the novel lens of disorganised parties, the author argues that the failure to develop a functioning party organisation has resulted in Australian far-right parties being unable to effectively navigate their political environment. By focusing on disorganisation, this book provides a new perspective for understanding the limited electoral impact of the far right in Australia today, despite favourable conditions like normalised Islamophobia and growing dissatisfaction with mainstream parties.This book will be of interest to scholars and students of party politics, the far right, populism, and Australian politics.
Routledge Handbook of Proxy Wars
This Handbook is the first volume to comprehensively examine the challenges, intricacies, and dynamics of proxy wars, in their various facets.
The New Cold War and the Remaking of Regions
A compelling examination of how secondary states are preserving their strategic autonomy and are resisting spheres of influenceRussia's invasion of Ukraine and the deteriorating United States-China relationship signify the onset of the New Cold War. Unlike the original Cold War, this competition is multipolar and "multiplex," with secondary powers, small states, and even nonstate actors pragmatically selecting which of their interests intersect with those of the great powers.The New Cold War and the Remaking of Regions contends that multiplexity and multipolarity have important repercussions for the world's regional orders. Contributors to the book address the New Cold War and regional ordering processes from realist, liberal, and constructivist perspectives. They demonstrate how variable regional dynamics will lead either to peaceful change or conflict.This volume is part of a new wave of scholarship that expands the focus of international relations beyond great powers and recognizes the increasing agency that other states have gained in the twenty-first-century world order.
Democracy Under Strain
How did the management of the 2009 financial crisis within the Economic Monetary Union impact the functioning of democracy? What are the political consequences of supranational responsibility trumping national preferences? This book answers these questions by examining the political consequences derived from the management of the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and, in particular, how the decision to implement financial bailouts affected citizens and political parties. This book introduces the concept of 'democracy under strain'. This describes how countries integrated into a union such as the EMU lose control over their policy agenda in the presence of asymmetric economic shocks, which orients member states into two different groups: those facing deteriorating domestic economies and those concerned with financial contagion and the overall stability of the union. Employing various quantitative methods, Rub矇n Ruiz-Rufino shows how the implementation of financial bailouts in the wake of the 2009 financial crisis triggered significant attitudinal changes among the citizens of member states in both of these two groups. This translated into increasing levels of political dissatisfaction and ultimately contributed to the electoral decline of establishment parties. Democracy Under Strain demonstrates that when an economic shock hits a supranational institutional setting characterized by high levels of economic and political interdependence, attitudinal and political change cannot be explained simply by exposure to adverse economic conditions but, rather, by the consequences of supranational political decisions implemented in order to restore economic balance.
The European Community in the World
First published in 1973 The European Community in the World shows what 'outward looking' can mean in terms of British participation in the Community and of the Community's policies and actions as a world power. Richard Bailey says that the time for argument for or against British membership of the Common market has gone. The enlargement of the Community is a fact: how, then, can Britain best adjust to the new situation? The extension of the European Community is significant for all the world and will increase its power among the institutions that govern the world, affecting the politics of many countries from Sweden to Swaziland. In post Brexit world, this book is a must read for students and scholars of European politics, European history, British history, and British politics.
Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2025
The Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment (APRSA) examines key regional security policies and challenges relevant to the proceedings of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier defence summit convened by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. It is published and launched at the Dialogue and the issues analysed within its covers are central to discussions at the event and beyond. This twelfth edition of the APRSA covers six chapters and is written by 21 IISS experts from across its offices in London, Berlin, Manama, Washington and Singapore and includes original maps, graphs, charts and tables. The chapters collectively examine how major security policies and trends across the Asia-Pacific are often significantly shaped by seemingly 'non-security' dynamics, from industrial globalisation to domestic and bureaucratic politics.The special-topic chapter this year will examine defence-industrial partnerships involving regional and extra-regional powers in the Asia-Pacific as, well as their aims and challenges. The other five chapters cover the following topics: The second Trump administration's redrawing of the international security landscape Japan's concerns over the growing ties between China, North Korea and Russia Emerging underwater security trends in the Asia-Pacific Military cyber maturity in the Asia-Pacific Southeast Asia's uninhabited aerial vehicle-capability developments
Decolonizing African Politics
This book serves as a unique contribution to the curriculum decolonizing agenda currently trending in universities. It approaches Politics and International Relations from the postcolonial and decolonial perspectives with empirical rebuttals to existing imperial and neocolonial false narratives. It examines key concepts and topics which regularly feature when teaching or discussing Africa at universities, such as: nationhood and nationalisms; neo-patrimonialism; arbitrary borders and tribes; fran癟afrique; superpower relations; relationships with China & Russia; South-South cooperation and collaborations; foreign interventions; global justice; global governance and reform of the UN Security Council. This book explores the etymologies of these concepts or topics and their terminological application to Africa while bringing fresh perspectives to the debate. It appeals to scholars and students of African politics and international relations, and functions as a graduate and advanced under-graduate pedagogical tool.
A Broken Triangle
The arrival in power of D. Trump could well have heralded the era of a new Great Game of powers and the prospect of a cooperative three-way game with Moscow and Beijing. But the all-out tariff war, launched by the US President, appeared to be aimed primarily at China, ruining any hopes that might have been raised. With US influence over Europe seemingly shifting, if not waning, as Washington focuses on other interests, particularly in Asia, will Europe be able to develop a 'strategic autonomy' that goes beyond armaments to include high technology? Faced with a global identity crisis, of which populism in the United States and Europe is just one expression, how can shaken democracies renew themselves? 'A Broken Triangle' explores the shifting architecture of global power since the Cold War, from the U.S.-Soviet duopoly to a fragmented, multipolar world shaped by new powers like the BRICS and crises such as the war in Ukraine. It questions the decline of American influence, Europe's strategic ambitions, and the challenges faced by democracies under populist pressures. At the crossroads of politics, law, religion, and global governance, this book rethinks the future of international order in an age of uncertainty. There is the following pertinent observation: a triangle is not intended to be a square. Of course, but Europe can slip into one of the three points. The Triangle is not exclusive and consists of the Washington - Moscow - Beijing configuration. We can also imagine another Triangle made up of a point which is that of the greatest powers (NB: of which Europe may eventually be a part), a group bringing together emerging powers and countries which depend on them (NB: Europe may also be there). Finally, a minimum of multilateral organisation to deal with cross-cutting problems: this system - which, to put it simply, is the UN - is paralysed if not obsolete; it will have to be reformed or rebuilt. This is the second Triangle that is currently also fract
Ethiopian Elites’ Political Cultures
Recurrent ethnic conflicts have been seen in Ethiopia, especially during the last three decades, since the introduction of a governance structure of ethnic federalism in 1991. Attempts to bring political stability to the country have not been successful, as competing political cultures constantly struggle for hegemony. Political constituencies have fragmented, based on sub-national political cultures. This book shows the influence of Amhara, Oromo, and Tigrayan political cultures in Ethiopia and their contribution to the recurrent ethnic conflict in the country. The book used the concepts of political culture and neo-patrimonialism as analytical tools to understand the differences among and between the educated people from these ethnic groups. The findings show that members of each ethnic group are deeply entrenched in their own culture, with clear distrust of the political motives of other ethnicities. Beyond the disagreements on political history, the educated elites accuse each other when it comes to the many challenges faced by the country. They accuse each other of state capture, corruption, inciting ethnic conflicts, malpractice, poor governance, misguided policies, divide-and-rule practices, and misappropriation of the nation's economic wealth. The elites themselves do not shoulder responsibility for any failure in the country and do not show any interest in understanding other points of view, do not show sincere respect for the other's value but claim privileged political positions in present-day Ethiopia for past accomplishments.
The Other Side of Diplomacy
About the BookHISTORIC, ENTERTAINING AND INTRIGUING EPISODES FROM THE LIVES OF DIPLOMATIC SPOUSES, THIS IS A BOOK FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE AS WELL AS ANYONE WHO LIKES GOOD STORIES.Beyond the glamour of the Indian Foreign Service and the glitz of foreign postings lies an unseen world, that of the spouses of diplomats. These women and a few men traverse continents and cultures every few years, raising families in unfamiliar lands, and always upholding the unwritten but unbreakable code-no diplomatic gaffes!In this anthology curated by Jayshree Misra Tripathi, the spouses and, in a few cases, other family members, have their say. They recount historic, entertaining and always intriguing episodes from their lives. The stories are as much an exploration of the diverse cultures around the world-from Sikkim to Ethiopia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tajikistan, Baghdad, China, Switzerland-as they are behind-the-scenes accounts of family life and how world-altering moments are often experienced, even created.The Other Side of Diplomacy is a book not only for those aspiring to a career in the diplomatic service, but for anyone interested in world cultures and slice-of-life family stories (and from within a High Commission or Embassy at that).About the EditorJayshree Misra Tripathi is a poet and retired diplomatic spouse. She draws on wells of experience, including six and a half decades spent in different pockets of the world, from Cuttack, Odisha to England to Sri Lanka to Madagascar and beyond. The human experience in all its difficulty and moments of grace, and the voices of women often silenced or overlooked take centre stage in her work. Her poems and short stories have been reviewed in the Sahitya Akademi journal Indian Literature and featured in national and international anthologies.CONTRIBUTORSAjay Shankar ● Anita Sapra ● Anuradha Muthukumar ● Ashok Pandey ● Asiya Hamid Rao ● Hema Devare ● Kusum Budhwar ● Kusum Tayal ● Margreta Kumar ● Preeti Singh ● Reshmi Ray Dasgupta ● Sharmila Kantha ● Shreedevi Nair Pal ● Shrimi Sinha ● Smita Purushottam
Volga Blues
Since the invasion of Ukraine and ban on foreign reporters, Russia seems to have sunk into an even deeper shadow than in the darkest times of the Soviet Union. Only by presenting himself as an historian was Italian journalist Marzio G. Mian able to penetrate the Russian heartland, leading to his groundbreaking cover story for Harpers' Magazine, "Behind the New Iron Curtain."In Volga Blues, Russian history and literature inform every step of Mian's revealing and perilous journey along Russia's most culturally significant river, the fulcrum of its history, "the mother." Along with Alessandro Cosmelli, his photographer; Vlad, their translator and fixer; and Katya, Vlad's girlfriend, Mian manages to gather firsthand accounts from ordinary Russians. They discuss not only the impact of the war, Western sanctions, and their country's isolation, but how Russian culture has changed as a result. Stalin is back in favor, Lenin has been downgraded as a "Europeanized intellectual." Newly sophisticated local and seasonal cuisine is all the rage. People cite centuries-old grievances to explain their fear of Western invasion, as they claim a willingness to accept nuclear apocalypse to save Russian pride. Talking with contemporary Russian intellectuals, entrepreneurs, priests, widows, mercenaries, and pacifists, Mian discovers how little the West knows about Russia and Russians. Deeply distrustful of democracy, yearning for the ideological and spiritual purity of the Orthodox Church, betrayed by and fearful of the West, and reassured by the brutal, fragile, ancient dream of an imperial civilization, they make clear that the Cold War has not yet ended.In visceral prose, Mian takes us across the floodplains where the Russian Orthodox faith first took root, where the Soviet empire asserted itself, and where the neo-imperial project of Vladimir Putin's post-Soviet autocracy is currently being consolidated. The result is a harrowing, haunting vision of today's great clash of civilizations--between Russia and the West--including a United States that at times seems uncannily similar.
Drones
The second edition of Drones: What Everyone Needs to Know(R) provides a comprehensive and updated look at the rapidly evolving world of drones, otherwise known as unmanned or uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). Covering the past, present, and future of military and civilian applications, this book explores how drones have transformed--and are transforming--industries and warfare. It delves into the ethical, legal, and safety concerns raised by their widespread use, examining issues from privacy violations to international security. While the US has historically been a dominant force in drone development, this fully updated volume addresses the global proliferation of drones. They quickly became one of the most effective weapons in the Russia-Ukraine War, and states like China, Iran, and Turkey are now supplying drones to states and violent non-state actors around the world. This book discusses the dramatic rise of commercial drones, from deliveries to emergency response, while analyzing the challenges of regulation and public perception. Drones also expands beyond the air to cover ground and maritime drones, and projects the future of drone technology across multiple domains with a focus on autonomous vehicles and lethal autonomous weapons. A must-read for anyone seeking a well-rounded understanding of this pivotal technology, Drones: What Everyone Needs to Know(R) provides crucial insights into how UAVs are reshaping modern warfare, domestic security, and civilian life.
Sustainable Peace in Northeast Asia
Northeast Asia, a major region in Asia covering China, Korea (South and North Korea), Japan, Mongolia, and the Southeast corner of Russia, is economically one of the most vibrant areas in the world, with a rich array of economic opportunities. Yet, it is simultaneously one of the world's most politically and militarily unstable regions, creating a global security risk. This risk was made apparent by North Korea's nuclear crisis, which was followed by a series of its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches from 2016 to 2017. Although the worst-case scenario may have been avoided by a summit meeting between the heads of South and North Korea on April 27, 2018, and another summit between the United States and North Korea on June 12, 2018, substantial uncertainty and the risk of a major military conflict remains. Although less dramatic and visible to the outside world, other political and military tensions among constituent countries in Northeast Asia, with their deep historical origins dating back centuries, are also significant. These tensions have been demonstrated by persistent territorial disputes, lack of reconciliation on the question of war crimes during World War II, increasing disparities in political influence and military power among Northeast Asian countries as a result of China's ascension, and increasing uncertainty in the region due to the potential instability of North Korea. These problems create a risk of destabilizing Northeast Asia with a substantial global impact. Sustainable Peace in Northeast Asia examines the causes of these complex tensions in Northeast Asia and their underlying political, historic, military, and economic developments. It further discusses their political-economic implications for the world and explores possible solutions to build lasting peace in the region. This book offers a unique approach to these important issues by examining the perspectives of each constituent country in Northeast Asia: China, South and North Korea, Japan, and Mongolia, and their respective roles in the region. Major global powers, such as the United States and Russia, have also closely engaged in the political and economic affairs of the region through a network of alliances, diplomacy, trade, and investment. The book discusses the influence of these external powers, their political and economic objectives in the region, their strategies, and the dynamics that their engagement has brought to the region. Both South Korea and North Korea have sought reunification of the Korean peninsula, which will have a substantial impact on the region. The book examines its justification, feasibility and effects for the region. The book also discusses the role of Mongolia in the context of the power dynamics in Northeast Asia. A relatively small country, in terms of its population, Mongolia has rarely been examined in this context; Sustainable Peace in Northeast Asia makes a fresh assessment on its potential role.
Diaspora Diplomacy
Since the early 2000s, Turkey has shown an unprecedented interest in its diaspora. This book provides the first in-depth examination of the institutionalisation of Turkey's diaspora engagement policy since the Justice and Development Party's rise to power in 2002, the Turkish diaspora's new role as an agent of diplomatic goals, and how Turkey's growing sphere of influence affects intra-diaspora politics and diplomatic relations with Europe. The book is based on fieldwork in Turkey, France and Germany, and interviews conducted with diaspora organisation leaders and policymakers. Diasporas have become transformative for relations at the state-to-state level and blur the division between the domestic and the foreign. A case study of Turkey's diasporas is significant at a time when emigrants from Turkey form the largest Muslim community in Europe and when issues of diplomacy, migration and citizenship have become more salient than ever.
The Politics of Public Pensions
This book is a nuanced and comprehensive account of the intricate politics surrounding public sector pensions, an issue that has become increasingly contentious in recent years. Drawing from an array of case studies and theoretical perspectives, it delves into how public sector pensions are negotiated, structured, and sustained, revealing the consequences for governance, labor relations, and public policy. Carolyn Abott examines the historical development of public sector pensions, emphasizing the sociopolitical factors that have shaped their evolution and the ongoing debates about their sustainability. She uncovers the political and economic considerations that influence pension policy, highlighting the tensions among public employees, governments, and taxpayers. Abott also addresses the broader implications for economic inequality and intergenerational equity, offering a distinctive perspective on the intersection of public finance and political power. The Politics of Public Pensions concludes with recommendations for reform that balance the needs of retirees with the fiscal realities faced by governments, providing a roadmap for a sustainable and equitable future. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods, this rigorous book delivers essential insights for policy makers, scholars, and anyone interested in public finance.
The Politics of Public Pensions
This book is a nuanced and comprehensive account of the intricate politics surrounding public sector pensions, an issue that has become increasingly contentious in recent years. Drawing from an array of case studies and theoretical perspectives, it delves into how public sector pensions are negotiated, structured, and sustained, revealing the consequences for governance, labor relations, and public policy. Carolyn Abott examines the historical development of public sector pensions, emphasizing the sociopolitical factors that have shaped their evolution and the ongoing debates about their sustainability. She uncovers the political and economic considerations that influence pension policy, highlighting the tensions among public employees, governments, and taxpayers. Abott also addresses the broader implications for economic inequality and intergenerational equity, offering a distinctive perspective on the intersection of public finance and political power. The Politics of Public Pensions concludes with recommendations for reform that balance the needs of retirees with the fiscal realities faced by governments, providing a roadmap for a sustainable and equitable future. Combining qualitative and quantitative methods, this rigorous book delivers essential insights for policy makers, scholars, and anyone interested in public finance.
The Curious Public Administrator
Louis Brownlow, one of public administration's historical thinkers, once argued, "[T]he principal requirement of a good administrator is an insatiable curiosity." This book is rooted in the notion that public administrators must practice insatiable curiosity to be effective, fair, and democratic. By seeking to uncover how the world works, and therefore practicing curiosity, public administrators may be more likely to move toward evidence-based decisions, improving the efficacy and efficiency of public service. Curiosity encourages public administrators to seek answers in a caring manner and, in doing so, to empathize with the communities that they serve.First, the book incorporates the concept of curiosity into the field of public administration. Scholarship in philosophy, business administration, social science, and other scholarly fields addresses curiosity, but public administration has yet to examine this concept in detail. This book fills that hole in the literature. Second, the book presents novel primary data on curiosity in public agencies by examining curious organizations and surveying local government officers. Third, the book presents novel primary data on how public affairs faculty view curiosity and incorporate the concept in their research and the classroom. Lastly, author William Hatcher integrates this information in the book's final chapter to present a model of administrative curiosity, focusing on creating a guide for future research and teaching. Thus, this book serves as a roadmap for developing a new doctrine of curiosity in public administration theory and practice, and it will be of enormous interest to students enrolled in public affairs courses as well as practicing public administrators and nonprofit managers.
Russian Government and Politics
This new edition covers everything students need to know about the key institutions, people, parties and policies in Russian government and politics, as well as covering political behaviour, participation and communication. Revised to offer coverage and analysis of recent events, this new edition offers: - Discussion of new developments related to the war in Ukraine and its consequences (geopolitical, political, economic, social, psychological, etc.) for Russia, Europe, Eurasia, and the world. - Expanded critical discussion of the Russian political system and its pivot toward authoritarianism. - Detailed discussion of social and cultural issues and their interaction with politics; to further underline the role of individual personalities and the political impact of informal political and business arrangements in Russia. - New research and statistical updates including opinion polls, expert opinions, and other sources relevant to Russian government and politics. This is the ideal text for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students studying Russian politics or comparative government and politics more broadly.
Borderlines
THE REST IS HISTORY CLUB BOOK OF THE MONTH 'One of the most engaging and fascinating histories of Europe I've read for years.' DOMINIC SANDBROOK 'Highly original and insightful' PD SMITH, GUARDIAN 'Thrillingly unique, knowledgeable, perceptive and profound' IAN DUNT The history of Europe told through twenty-nine key borders that define the past, present and future of our continent Europe's internal borders have rarely been 'natural'; they have more often been created by accident or force. In Borderlines, political historian Lewis Baston journeys along twenty-nine key borders from west to east Europe, examining how the map of our continent has been redrawn over the last century, with varying degrees of success. The fingerprints of Napoleon, Alexander I, Castlereagh, Napoleon III and Bismarck are all there, but today's map of Europe is mostly the work of the Allies in 1919 and Stalin in 1945. To journey to the centre of the story of Europe, Baston takes us to its edges, bringing to life the fascinating and often bizarre histories of these border zones. We visit Baarle, the town broken into thirty fragments by the Netherland-Belgium border, and stop in Ostritz, the eastern German town where Nazis held a rock festival. We meander the back lanes of rural Ireland, and soak up the atmosphere in the coffee houses of the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi. Through these borderlands, Baston explores how places and people heal from the scars left by a Europe of ethnic cleansing and barbed wire fences, and he searches for a better European future - finding it in unexpected places. 'An eye-opening read that combines Baston's travels along Europe's fault lines with incredible insights on how they got there in the first place.' KATJA HOYER 'Beautiful. A true gem... [his] unique take on human nature through the history and heritage of the borderlands ends up being deeply moving.' - IRISH INDEPENDENT 'Extraordinarily perceptive and original' ANTHONY SELDON 'Refreshing and important' RAFAEL BEHR
Russian Crimes in Ukraine
Russian Crimes in Ukraine is a holistic, careful, thought-provoking analysis and commentary on the crisis of Russia's war on Ukraine. Written by political activist and public figure Askold Lozynskyj, this powerful collection of essays and research highlights Russia's long history of imperialism, disinformation, and disregard for international law, culminating in the current full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Lozynskyj takes his work a step further by examining the world's responses to Russian aggression, questioning the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts, sanctions, and the role of Western countries in supporting Ukraine's sovereignty. Through insightful analysis of historical context, he displays how Russia has manipulated narratives and international structures to serve its nefarious agenda.Russian Crimes in Ukraine showcases the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the importance of international solidarity following this atrocity.
Russian Crimes in Ukraine
Russian Crimes in Ukraine is a holistic, careful, thought-provoking analysis and commentary on the crisis of Russia's war on Ukraine. Written by political activist and public figure Askold Lozynskyj, this powerful collection of essays and research highlights Russia's long history of imperialism, disinformation, and disregard for international law, culminating in the current full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Lozynskyj takes his work a step further by examining the world's responses to Russian aggression, questioning the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts, sanctions, and the role of Western countries in supporting Ukraine's sovereignty. Through insightful analysis of historical context, he displays how Russia has manipulated narratives and international structures to serve its nefarious agenda.Russian Crimes in Ukraine showcases the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the importance of international solidarity following this atrocity.
Bless This Mess - A Search for Democracy
A personalised approach to political theory based on the author's academic background as a Phd in public finance, professional experience in the Indian Administrative Service running and regulating democratic institutions, field knowledge as an activist and volunteer for voter education and registration programs and political experience as supporter and candidate of a national political party- the Aam Aadmi Party. Focuses on the anomalies and distortions that arise when the theory of democracy clashes with campaigning and election practices. With chapters on whether Indian women have gained from getting the vote, the interface between the bureaucracy and politicians and the effects of caste on electoral outcomes.
The New Cromwell
In a time when Britain's Parliament serves party over people, globalist agendas eclipse national priorities, and the voices of ordinary citizens are drowned out by media spin and elite interests, one question echoes through the chaos: what would Oliver Cromwell do? This provocative book draws bold parallels between 17th-century tyranny and the crisis of today. From Cromwell's rise during the English Civil War to his fearless dissolution of the Rump Parliament, we revisit his legacy-not to dwell on the past, but to inspire a new era of reform, accountability, and sovereignty. Whether you're a historian, a patriot, or a concerned citizen, The New Cromwell: Restoring Britain from Parliamentary Decay is a rallying cry for those who refuse to watch Britain fall. The time for passive waiting is over. The time for action is now.
Memory and New Ways of Knowing
This book is a collaborative project which centres on the testimonios of more than 100 survivors of the harsh realities of the 80-year Colombian armed conflict, drawing on multiple disciplinary areas and practices: linguistics, philology and linguistics, education, journalism, academia, art and film, literature, human rights, sociology, urban geography, cosmogony and grassroots activism. Using extracts from testimonios in multiple forms - oral, written, film, textiles - and mobilising the concepts of Testimony, Narrative and Memory, the book explores how survivors of all ages configure and reconfigure their experiences, worldviews and identities, striving towards the building of new knowledges which will help ensure the non-repetition of violence. The book will be of interest to all who are committed to understanding conflict and post-conflict societies in the search for peace. This book is open access under a CC BY ND licence.
Memory and New Ways of Knowing
This book is a collaborative project which centres on the testimonios of more than 100 survivors of the harsh realities of the 80-year Colombian armed conflict, drawing on multiple disciplinary areas and practices: linguistics, philology and linguistics, education, journalism, academia, art and film, literature, human rights, sociology, urban geography, cosmogony and grassroots activism. Using extracts from testimonios in multiple forms - oral, written, film, textiles - and mobilising the concepts of Testimony, Narrative and Memory, the book explores how survivors of all ages configure and reconfigure their experiences, worldviews and identities, striving towards the building of new knowledges which will help ensure the non-repetition of violence. The book will be of interest to all who are committed to understanding conflict and post-conflict societies in the search for peace. This book is open access under a CC BY ND licence.
Voice in Local Development
Many governments in semi-democratic regimes have adopted participatory democratic institutions to promote development and accountability. But limited resources, weak civil society, and a history of authoritarian politics make building subnational democratic institutions daunting. This book addresses several important questions surrounding participatory democratic institutions: do participatory institutions expand accountability, empower citizens, and advance development in these environments? Through administering a survey with embedded experiments surrounding citizens' development policy preferences to over 11,000 respondents in five Kenyan counties, Touchton and Wampler collect parallel qualitative data through participant observation and over 80 elite interviews and find limited evidence for transformative change from Kenyan PB. This book makes several contributions to advance academic and policy debates on participatory institutions and their impact on governance, accountability, democracy. First, it identifies the vital importance of competitive elections within representative democracy to empower citizens and CSOs as part of the broader causal chain leading to improvements in governance, accountability, and democracy. Next, it develops arguments for how three factors--a new socio-political context, changes to core operational rules, and different configurations of PB actors--interact to influence how PB programs function. Finally, it helps policymakers by redefining the parameters of the types of outcomes that are likely to emerge from new PB programs. This approach will be widely read among policymakers in national and local governments, international organizations, such as the World Bank, DFID, USAID, and international advocacy organizations. Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations is a series for scholars and students working on African politics and International Relations and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on contemporary developments in African political science, political economy, and International Relations, such as electoral politics, democratization, decentralization, gender and political representation, the political impact of natural resources, the dynamics and consequences of conflict, comparative political thought, and the nature of the continent's engagement with the East and West. Comparative and mixed methods work is particularly encouraged. Case studies are welcomed but should demonstrate the broader theoretical and empirical implications of the study and its wider relevance to contemporary debates. The focus of the series is on sub-Saharan Africa, although proposals that explain how the region engages with North Africa and other parts of the world are of interest. Series Editors: Nic Cheeseman (University of Birmingham), Peace Medie (University of Bristol), and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira (University of Oxford)
Is China a Global Power?
This book offers a thorough geopolitical analysis of modern China through the lens of defensive realism. It uniquely scrutinizes China's "globalness" within the taxonomy of great powers, challenging the common narrative of China as a global power. In doing so, the book presents an empirical-qualitative model to assess China's global power status, encompassing four dimensions: 1) The Great Wall of Technology and Economic Access (Material Power); 2) The Great Wall of Cultural and Intangible Access (Intangible Power); 3) The Great Wall of Political Access and Global Governance (Governance Power); and 4) an analysis of China's comprehensive power. Drawing from firsthand observations, the book examines China's ascent in the international order, emphasizing its strengths and vulnerabilities. With this, it concludes that China has a global vision and ambition, positioning itself as a quasi-global power. Essential for scholars, policymakers, and global politics enthusiasts, this book is a valuable contribution to existing international relations scholarship.
Before the Flood
The social, political, and historical context of the current Israeli-Palestinian War told through the stories of the author's family and village. "Ramzy Baroud's sensitive, thoughtful, searching writing penetrates to the core of moral dilemmas."--Noam Chomsky A profound exploration of Palestinian history and resilience through the personal stories of the author's family--the al-Badrasawis. Beginning with intimate details of village life in Beit Daras prior to the Nakba, Ramzy Baroud vividly portrays the rich cultural heritage, deeply rooted traditions, and daily struggles faced by ordinary people whose lives were radically disrupted by the violent upheavals and ongoing conflicts driven by British colonialism and Zionist aggression. Baroud weaves together past and present, illuminating how historical forces shaped the collective consciousness and steadfast resilience of the Palestinian people. His storytelling reveals not only the harsh realities of occupation, displacement, and loss but also the extraordinary courage, faith, and solidarity that underpin a powerful and enduring spirit of resistance, encapsulated in what the author refers to as the Palestinian "longue dur矇e." Ultimately, Baroud aims to humanize and reclaim Palestinian narratives from distorted portrayals, highlighting their perseverance and the universal quest for justice and liberation.
Blowing up Ukraine
Blowing up Ukraine is a first history of democracy in Ukraine since 1991 and the lethal methods Russia has used over a quarter of a century to regain Ukraine as a vazal state - culminating in a full-blown unprovoked war in 2022 and mounting war crimes. Over twenty years, the Kremlin skilfully manipulated Ukraine's self-serving politicians and oligarchs, only to be thwarted time and again by peaceful transitions of power and demonstrations by ordinary Ukrainians - the Maidan - against government corruption and being pushed back into Russia's empire. With Ukraine as the first step in the Kremlin's master plan, Novorossiya, the Russian state has become a threat to global stability and Ukraine may be the first battleground of a world war if other nations are not careful to take a stance. Full of new and little known first-hand sources, Blowing up Ukraine presents a chilling and alarming narrative, and a path to defusing the conflict.
Talibanland - Paradise Under the Shadow of Sabers in Afghanistan
This book analyses the Taliban's rise to power and its rule in Afghanistan from various perspectives. Analyzing the ideology and evolution of the radical movement, sociocultural aspects of Afghanistan in relation to the group's rise to power as well as personal interviews with Taliban leaders, Asatryan sketches out a multifaceted picture of the domestic scene for further analysis of the regime's role in international security and affairs. In so doing the author examines Afghanistan's political state from different geopolitical positions and discusses the international relations and policy strategies employed by major world powers and regional actors in relation to Taliban rule. The research is interdisciplinary. The book is a social study of Afghan societies and the Taliban. On the other hand, the monograph presents an analysis of the evolution of the political strategies of various powers regarding Afghanistan.
Neoliberalization of South Korea
No doubt South Korea's neoliberalization has been closely influenced by the ideologies, policies, and experiences of the precedingly neoliberal West, but neoliberal shifts in the South Korean context have most critically conflated with the conditions and structures of its own distinctive developmental political economy and life world. Over nearly four decades of apparent neoliberal transitions, the country is now simultaneously neoliberal, developmental, neoliberally developmental, and developmentally neoliberal. Such complexities and contradictions are systematically analyzed in this transdisciplinary volume written by leading analysts of South Korea and beyond. They exhaustively cover the political, economic, social, and cultural dimensions of South Korea's neoliberalization in conjunction with its earlier developmental order and latest all-front restructuring.
The Regime Question
Ongoing struggles over core principles of democratic governance The regime question--often boiled down to "democracy or autocracy?"--has been central to democratic politics from the start. This has entailed not only fights over the extent of the franchise but also, crucially, ongoing struggles over core principles of democracy, the "rules of the game." In this timely study, Amel Ahmed examines the origins and development of the regime question in Western democracies and considers the implications for regime contention today. She argues that battles over the regime question were so foundational and so enduring that they constitute a dimension of politics that polarized political opponents across the regime divide. Ahmed investigates four historical cases in the study of democratic development: the United Kingdom between the Reform Act of 1832 and World War II (1832-1939), Imperial and Weimar-era Germany (1876-1933), the French Third Republic (1870-1939), and the United States before World War II (1789-1939). Focusing on legislative politics as an essential site of democratic governance and key to understanding long-term democratic endurance, she shows that when the regime question became salient, it hindered the formation of viable legislative coalitions along the left-right policy spectrum. This failure opened the door to executive encroachment, destabilizing the regime. Ahmed shows that the resurgence of the regime question today is not, as is often assumed, a break with prior trajectories of political development but a new instantiation of battles fought in previous eras.
Global Perspectives on Anti-Feminism
In recent years, issues of gender and sexuality have become a political battlefield on which far-right, religious and conservative actors wage their war against liberal and left-wing ideas, as well as emancipatory movements. 'Anti-Gender' crusades, which had originally been launched by the Vatican, deeply impacted societies and politics especially as these discourses were adopted by the secular far-right. Campaigns against sexual and reproductive rights, against gender equality and sexual diversity were waged from Russia to the United States and from Latin America to Japan. This new book brings together research and analyses from five continents in order to promote a global perspective on the thoroughly global phenomenon of the current culture wars around sex and gender. The contributions show how transnational networks spread discourses, which were developed in the Global North, and how they become re-articulated in different national, political and religious contexts.
A World in Transition
This path-breaking study examines the profound reconfiguration of the postwar liberal international order, driven by America's apparent retreat from global leadership, Europe's strategic dilemmas, and rising great power competition. Focusing on U.S. and European responses to challenges like the Trump administration's "America First" policies, the rise of Chinese power, Russian aggression, and the erosion of multilateral institutions Bluth analyses how security, trade, and political structures are adapting. This book argues that the global order is not simply collapsing or fragmenting, as some accounts have suggested, but undergoing a more complex process of contested continuity.
A World in Transition
This path-breaking study examines the profound reconfiguration of the postwar liberal international order, driven by America's apparent retreat from global leadership, Europe's strategic dilemmas, and rising great power competition. Focusing on U.S. and European responses to challenges like the Trump administration's "America First" policies, the rise of Chinese power, Russian aggression, and the erosion of multilateral institutions Bluth analyses how security, trade, and political structures are adapting. This book argues that the global order is not simply collapsing or fragmenting, as some accounts have suggested, but undergoing a more complex process of contested continuity.
