Politik

In defence of councillors is an unashamed defence of local representative democracy and of those elected to serve as councillors from the often ill-informed, ill-judged and inaccurate criticism made by the media, government and public, of councillors' personal, political and professional roles. By using qualitative research from a number of related projects, the book examines the roles, functions and responsibilities of councillors and the expectations placed upon them by citizens, communities and government. It also examines the impact council membership has on other facets of the councillor's life. The book examines how councillors develop strategies to overcome the constraints and restrictions on their office so as to be able to govern their communities, balance their political and public life and democratise and hold to account a vast array of unelected bodies that spend public money and develop public policy without the electoral mandate and legitimacy held by our councillors.

With over 70,000 copies of the first edition in print, this radical treatise on public education has been a New Society Publishers bestseller for 10 years! Thirty years in New York Citys public schools led John Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory schooling does little but teach young people to follow orders like cogs in an industrial machine. This second edition describes the wide-spread impact of the book and Gattos "e;guerrilla teaching."e;John Gatto has been a teacher for 30 years and is a recipient of the New York State Teacher of the Year award. His other titles include A Different Kind of Teacher (Berkeley Hills Books, 2001) and The Underground History of American Education (Oxford Village Press, 2000).

'POWERFUL AND SOMETIMES SHOCKING ...' SUNDAY TIMES In this powerful book, Dr Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights lawyer and activist, tells of her fight for reform inside Iran, and the devastating backlash she faced after winning the Nobel Peace Prize.Having fought tirelessly for democracy, equality before the law and freedom of speech, Ebadi became a global voice of inspiration. Yet, inside her own country, her life has been plagued by surveillance, intimidation and violence. Until We Are Free tells shocking stories of how the Iranian authorities eventually forced her into exile. Her sister and daughter were detained, her husband was enmeshed in an espionage plot with another woman, her Nobel medal was stolen from her safety deposit box, and her offices in Tehran were ransacked.An illuminating depiction of life in Iran today as well as the account of Ebadi's personal struggle to uphold her work and keep her family together, Until We Are Free is ultimately a work of hope and perseverance under circumstances of exceptional difficulty.

'This is not history for history's sake, however this is the history of our present and future, long beyond cold war, into war on terror, war on drugs' Ed Vulliamy, GuardianThe Untold History of the United States is filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick s riveting landmark account of the rise and decline of the American empire the most powerful and dominant nation the world has ever seen. Probing the dark corners of the administrations of 17 presidents, from Woodrow Wilson to Barack Obama, they dare to ask just how far the US has drifted from its founding democratic ideals.Beginning with the bloody suppression of the Filipino struggle for independence and spanning the two World Wars, it documents how US administrations have repeatedly intervened in conflicts on foreign soil, taking part in covert operations and wars in Latin American, Asia and the Middle East. At various times it has overthrown elected leaders in favour of right-wing dictators, for both economic and political gain. Examining America s atomic history, Stone and Kuznick argue that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were militarily unnecessary and morally indefensible. They show how the United States has repeatedly brandished nuclear threats and come terrifyingly close to war. They expose how US presidents have trampled on the US constitution and international law and lay bare the recent transformation of the United States into a national security state.Using the latest research and recently declassified records, The Untold History builds a meticulously documented and shocking picture of the American empire, showing how it has determined the course of world events for the interests of the few across the twentieth century and beyond.

The First Great Political Realist is a succinct and penetrating analysis of one of the ancient world's foremost political realists, Kautilya. Kautilya's treatise Arthashastra stands as one of the great political books of the ancient world, its ideas on the science of politics strikingly similar to those of Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Clausewitz, and even Sun Tsu. Roger Boesche's excellent commentary on Kautilya's voluminous text draws out the essential realist arguments for modern political analysis and demonstrates the continued relevance of Kautilya's work to modern Indian strategic thinking and our understanding of the relationship between politics and economics. Striking a balance between textual analysis and secondary scholarship, Boesche's work will be an enduring contribution to the study of ancient Indian history, Eastern political thought, and international relations.

Global Security Watch-Jordan provides readers with an expert, comprehensive overview of significant aspects of Jordan's security, including its political, diplomatic, and alliance-building dimensions. Examining how Jordan emerged from a small Arab kingdom with arbitrary borders and no clear national identity to a confident and modernizing state, the book shows how today's nation effectively copes with a variety of geopolitical challenges. Jordan's close relations with the United States are examined, with special attention paid to ongoing U.S.-Jordanian cooperation in fighting al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies. The work also probes Jordan's involvement in many of the great conflicts in the contemporary Middle East, for example, that between the Israelis and Palestinians, clarifying Jordanian policies, while helping the reader understand many of the regional problems Jordan finds itself forced to address.

'Shooting an Elephant' is Orwell's searing and painfully honest account of his experience as a police officer in imperial Burma; killing an escaped elephant in front of a crowd 'solely to avoid looking a fool'. The other masterly essays in this collection include classics such as 'My Country Right or Left', 'How the Poor Die' and 'Such, Such were the Joys', his memoir of the horrors of public school, as well as discussions of Shakespeare, sleeping rough, boys' weeklies and a spirited defence of English cooking. Opinionated, uncompromising, provocative and hugely entertaining, all show Orwell's unique ability to get to the heart of any subject.

Drawing upon philosophy and social theory, Social Theory of International Politics develops a theory of the international system as a social construction. Alexander Wendt clarifies the central claims of the constructivist approach, presenting a structural and idealist worldview which contrasts with the individualism and materialism which underpins much mainstream international relations theory. He builds a cultural theory of international politics, which takes whether states view each other as enemies, rivals or friends as a fundamental determinant. Wendt characterises these roles as 'cultures of anarchy', described as Hobbesian, Lockean and Kantian respectively. These cultures are shared ideas which help shape state interests and capabilities, and generate tendencies in the international system. The book describes four factors which can drive structural change from one culture to another - interdependence, common fate, homogenization, and self-restraint - and examines the effects of capitalism and democracy in the emergence of a Kantian culture in the West.

Human rights law is a complex but compelling subject that fascinates students but also confuses them. This innovative textbook explores human rights law from a theoretical and practical perspective. Case studies and interviews with specialist practitioners, NGO activists and policy-makers show how theory is applied in real life. The up-to-date coverage includes introductions to important emerging fields such as globalisation, poverty and advocacy. Student learning is supported by questions to stimulate seminar discussion and further reading sections that encourage independent study. The authors' combined expertise, engaging writing style and ability to clarify not simplify ensures that this important new book will become required reading for all students of human rights law.

Thucydides' classic work is a foundational text in the history of Western political thought. His narrative of the great war between Athens and Sparta in the fifth century BC is now seen as a highly sophisticated study of the nature of political power itself: its exercise and effects, its agents and victims, and the arguments through which it is defended and deployed. It is therefore increasingly read as a text in politics, international relations and political theory, whose students will find in Thucydides many striking contemporary resonances. This edition seeks to present the author and the text in their proper historical context. The new translation is particularly sensitive to the risks of anachronism, and the notes and extensive reference material provide students with all the necessary historical, cultural and linguistic background they need to engage with the text on its own terms.

In this 1992 book John Zaller develops a comprehensive theory to explain how people acquire political information from elites and the mass media and convert it into political preferences. Using numerous specific examples, Zaller applies this theory to the dynamics of public opinion on a broad range of subjects, including domestic and foreign policy, trust in government, racial equality, and presidential approval, as well as voting behaviour in U.S. House, Senate, and presidential elections. The thoery is constructed from four basic premises. The first is that individuals differ substantially in their attention to politics and therefore in their exposure to elite sources of political information. The second is that people react critically to political communication only to the extent that they are knowledgeable about political affairs. The third is that people rarely have fixed attitudes on specific issues; rather, they construct 'preference statements' on the fly as they confront each issue raised. The fourth is that, in constructing these statements, people make the greatest use of ideas that are, for various reasons, the most immediately salient to them. Zaller emphasizes the role of political elites in establishing the terms of political discourse in the mass media and the powerful effect of this framing of issues on the dynamics of mass opinion on any given issue over time.

The International Criminal Court ushers in a new era in the protection of human rights. The ICC prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national justice systems are either unwilling or unable to do so themselves. Schabas reviews the history of international criminal prosecution, the drafting of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the principles of its operation, including the scope of its jurisdiction and the procedural regime. This revised edition considers the court's start-up preparations, including election of judges and prosecutor. It also addresses the difficulties created by US opposition, and analyses the various measures taken by Washington to obstruct the Court. Three of the Court's fundamental documents - the 1998 Rome Statute, the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, and the Elements of Crimes - are reproduced in the Appendix. Indispensable for students and practitioners.

The gripping inside story of the 2008 presidential election, by two of the best political reporters in the country.Its one of the best books on politics of any kind Ive read. For entertainment value, I put it up there with Catch 22. The Financial TimesIt transports you to a parallel universe in which everything in the National Enquirer is true.More interesting is what we learn about the candidates themselves: their frailties, egos and almost super-human stamina. The Financial TimesI cant put down this book! Stephen ColbertGame Change is the New York Times bestselling story of the 2008 presidential election, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, two of the best political reporters in the country. In the spirit of Richard Ben Cramers What It Takes and Theodore H. Whites The Making of the President 1960, this classic campaign trail book tells the defining story of a new era in American politics, going deeper behind the scenes of the Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin campaigns than any other account of the historic 2008 election.

Bureaucracy is a much-maligned feature of contemporary government. And yet the aftermath of September 11 has opened the door to a reassessment of the role of a skilled civil service in the survival and viability of democratic society. Here, Ezra Suleiman offers a timely and powerful corrective to the widespread view that bureaucracy is the source of democracy's ills. This is a book as much about good governance as it is about bureaucratic organizations. Suleiman asks: Is democratic governance hindered without an effective instrument in the hands of the legitimately elected political leadership? Is a professional bureaucracy required for developing but not for maintaining a democratic state? Why has a reform movement arisen in recent years championing the gradual dismantling of bureaucracy, and what are the consequences? Suleiman undertakes a comparative analysis of the drive toward a civil service grounded in the New Public Management. He argues that "e;government reinvention"e; has limited bureaucracy's capacity to adequately serve the public good. All bureaucracies have been under political pressure in recent years to reduce not only their size but also their effectiveness, and all have experienced growing deprofessionalism and politicization. He compares the impact of this evolution in both democratic societies and societies struggling to consolidate democratic institutions. Dismantling Democratic States cautions that our failure to acknowledge the role of an effective bureaucracy in building and preserving democratic political systems threatens the survival of democracy itself.

Occupy gives Noam Chomsky's thoughts on a movement which swept the world 'Occupy is the first major public response to thirty years of class war.'Since its appearance in Zuccotti Park, New York, in September 2011, the Occupy movement has spread to hundreds of towns and cities across the world. No longer occupying small tent camps, the movement now occupies the global conscience as its messages spread from street protests to op-ed pages to the highest seats of power. From the movement's onset, Noam Chomsky has supported its critique of corporate corruption and encouraged its efforts to increase civic participation, economic equality, democracy and freedom. Through talks and conversations with movement supporters, Occupy presents Chomsky's latest thinking on the central issues, questions and demands that are driving ordinary people to protest. How did we get to this point? How are the wealthiest 1% influencing the lives of the other 99%? How can we separate money from politics? What would a genuinely democratic election look like? How can we redefine basic concepts like 'growth' to increase equality and quality of life for all? Occupy is another vital contribution from Chomsky to the literature of defiance and protest, and a red-hot rallying call to forge a better, more egalitarian future.Noam Chomsky is the author of numerous bestselling political books, including Hegemony or Survival, Failed States, Interventions, Perilous Power, What We Say Goes, Imperial Ambitions, Making the Future, How the World Works, and Hopes and Prospects all of which are published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin. He is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT, and is widely credited with having revolutionized modern linguistics. Chomsky has supported the initiatives of the Occupy movement from its first weeks. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer PrizeFrom the award-winning and bestselling author of Directorate S, the explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in AfghanistanTo what extent did America's best intelligence analysts grasp the rising thread of Islamist radicalism? Who tried to stop bin Laden and why did they fail? Comprehensively and for the first time, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll recounts the history of the covert wars in Afghanistan that fueled Islamic militancy and sowed the seeds of the September 11 attacks. Based on scrupulous research and firsthand accounts by key government, intelligence, and military personnel both foreign and American, Ghost Wars details the secret history of the CIA's role in Afghanistan (including its covert operations against Soviet troops from 1979 to 1989), the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of bin Laden, and the failed efforts by U.S. forces to find and assassinate bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Wael B. Hallaq boldly argues that the "e;Islamic state,"e; judged by any standard definition of what the modern state represents, is both impossible and inherently self-contradictory. Comparing the legal, political, moral, and constitutional histories of premodern Islam and Euro-America, he finds the adoption and practice of the modern state to be highly problematic for modern Muslims. He also critiques more expansively modernity's moral predicament, which renders impossible any project resting solely on ethical foundations. The modern state not only suffers from serious legal, political, and constitutional issues, Hallaq argues, but also, by its very nature, fashions a subject inconsistent with what it means to be, or to live as, a Muslim. By Islamic standards, the state's technologies of the self are severely lacking in moral substance, and today's Islamic state, as Hallaq shows, has done little to advance an acceptable form of genuine Shari'a governance. The Islamists' constitutional battles in Egypt and Pakistan, the Islamic legal and political failures of the Iranian Revolution, and similar disappointments underscore this fact. Nevertheless, the state remains the favored template of the Islamists and the ulama (Muslim clergymen). Providing Muslims with a path toward realizing the good life, Hallaq turns to the rich moral resources of Islamic history. Along the way, he proves political and other "e;crises of Islam"e; are not unique to the Islamic world nor to the Muslim religion. These crises are integral to the modern condition of both East and West, and by acknowledging these parallels, Muslims can engage more productively with their Western counterparts.

Rosa Luxemburg's writings reveal one of the most brilliant and passionate minds drawn to the revolutionary socialist movement. Through the letters, pamphlets and theorising, we see an outstanding social and economic theorist, a dedicated political activist and a devoted confidant. *BR**BR*Providing an extensive overview of her writings, this volume contains a number of items never before anthologised. Her work was broad in scope tackling capitalism and socialism; globalisation and imperialism; history; war and peace; social struggles, trade unions, political parties; class, gender, race; the interconnection of humanity with the natural environment. The editors provide an extensive and informative introduction outlining and evaluating her life and thought.*BR**BR*This is the most comprehensive introduction to the range of Rosa Luxemburg's thought.

This book is a personal account of the daily lives of the people of the frontline of the Palestine / Israel conflict, giving us an insight into the deadly, seemingly never-ending rounds of violence.*BR**BR*Ramzy Baroud tells his father's fascinating story. Driven out of his village to a refugee camp, he took up arms and fought the occupation at the same time raising a family and trying to do the best for his children. *BR**BR*Baroud's vivid and honest account reveals the complex human beings; revolutionaries, great moms and dads, lovers, and comedians that make Gaza so much more than just a disputed territory.

Niklas Luhmanns ?Soziale Systeme? (1984) bildet den Grundstein der von ihm ausgearbeiteten Systemtheorie; das Werk ist die Einleitung in seine ?Theorie der Gesellschaft?. Hier entfaltet er seine systemtheoretische Terminologie, wobei oft dieselben Begriffe wie in der traditionellen Terminologie auftauchen, von Luhmann in der eigenen Gesellschaftstheorie jedoch anders gefüllt werden. Die Beiträge des vorliegenden Bandes ebnen vor diesem Hintergrund den Zugang zur Luhmannschen Theorie und zeigen auf, dass sie wie jede Theorie ein Konstrukt ist, das uns hilft, die Realität zu erfassen. Die Autorinnen und Autoren des kooperativen Kommentars zu Luhmanns Werk ?Soziale Systeme? sind namhafte Theoretikerinnen und Theoretiker, die ihr Forschen in engem Zusammenhang mit der Luhmannschen Theorie betreiben. In den Beiträgen dieses Bandes werden die Leserinnen und Leser über den Inhalt des Buchs von Luhmann informiert und dessen Kapitel, der Chronologie des Originalwerks folgend, für ein besseres und erweitertes Verständnis aufgeschlossen. MIT BEITRÄGEN VON: Dirk Baecker, Cornelia Bohn, Marcus Emmerich, Elena Esposito, Dietmar Gensicke, Detlef Horster, Christina Huber, Maren Lehmann, Julian Müller, Armin Nassehi, Martin Petzke, William Rasch, Anna Schriefl, Michael Urban, Christine Weinbach und Niels Werber.

Are we living under a two-tiered system of justice? Why do the wealthy and powerful escape prosecution for their crimes? Why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?Is anything being done about it?Using a combination of wit, wisdom, and gravity, an unknown intelligence insider—identified simply as “Q”—has been communicating with anonymous citizens (anons) through internet message forums since 2017. These online exchanges bear no resemblance to your typical social media conversations; there are sobering missions at stake.  Q says corruption is worse than we know. It has invaded the corporate world, the media, academia, Hollywood, the church, and other parts of society. It is the cause of war, poverty, and countless problems that rob us of our potential.In this first book of the Q Chronicles series, Dave Hayes takes readers back to the intriguing first weeks of Q’s mission. He explains how to understand the language of Q. He shows how Q—by asking questions using the Socratic method—prompts in-depth research of little-noticed reports, government documents, air flights, maps, media stories, and current events. With Q’s help, anons were forewarned about how Jeffrey Epstein really made his money. They got inside information about President Trump’s meetings with Kim Jong-un, clues to follow regarding the controversial Iran deal, and hints that the NXVIM “self-help” organization was not as advertised. It's no wonder Q has fascinated millions.The research segment of Q’s mission is meant to bring about the “Great Awakening”— a coming era when we will unplug from the media programming machine that has been indoctrinating the world. We will learn the truth, and there will be proof to confirm our nagging suspicions. As you can imagine, there are opposing forces that would love to stop Q from revealing anything more, but Q always seems to be a few steps ahead of them.A storm is approaching that will sweep criminal power brokers into the dustbin of history. The system that enables corruption is being dismantled and replaced. So get your popcorn ready. The show is about to begin, and you have a front-row seat. 

This workbook teaches students how to use the popular SPSS statistical software program to assess causal relationships using real political science data. It parallels the main Kellstedt and Whitten text, which allows students to apply the lessons and techniques they learn in each chapter in a statistical software setting.

THE COMPREHENSIVE, RELIABLE, INDISPENSABLE GLOBAL REFERENCE WORK - FULLY UPDATED FOR 2020VOLUME 1 OF 3 - CONTAINS:Introduction: History of the Factbook, Guide to Country Profiles, Definitions and Notes, 39 Pages of Regional and World Reference Maps.Countries: World, Afghanistan to Gabon.For Volume 2, search for "1949117146".For Volume 3, search for "1949117154".Unique three-volume, large-format edition.Giant 8"x10" size - easy to read and navigate.New for 2020: expanded maps section - two-page world maps now each occupy three pages for greater detail.Complete & unabridged - 1,800+ pages total, 600+ pages per volume."Batteries last hours, books last decades. Get the print edition!"Looks AMAZING on any professional or home bookshelf!The World Factbook provides up-to-date information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. This almanac-style reference work is created with input and data from numerous government departments, and is the single most accurate source of intelligence on the nations and peoples of our world.CREATED BY THE CIA, TRUSTED BY INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS, DIPLOMATS, ACADEMICS, JOURNALISTS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS AROUND THE GLOBE.Sources include: Antarctic Information Program (National Science Foundation) - Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (Department of Defense) - Bureau of the Census (Department of Commerce) - Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor) - Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs - Defense Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense) - Department of Energy - Department of State - Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior) - Maritime Administration (Department of Transportation) - National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense) - Naval Facilities Engineering Command (Department of Defense) - Office of Insular Affairs (Department of the Interior) - Office of Naval Intelligence (Department of Defense) - Oil & Gas Journal - United States Board on Geographic Names (Department of the Interior) - United States Transportation Command (Department of Defense) - and more...Proudly Published in the U.S.A. by CARLILE MEDIA.

Protest is a ubiquitous and richly varied cultural domain whose symbolic content is regularly deployed by media and advertisers, among others. Yet within social movement scholarship, culture has been comparatively neglected.

Up-to-date collection on the Situationist International, rethinking their relevance for today

Deftly combining social satire with political critique, Taunsvi anticipates Manto's Partition fiction, written after 1948… The Sixth River is a most welcome addition to the burgeoning personal narratives on Punjab's and India's partition.' -Ayesha Jalal, Mary Richardson Professor of History, Tufts UniversityThe Partition of India in 1947 left millions displaced amidst indiscriminate murders, rapes and looting. The Sixth River, originally published as Chhata Darya, is an extraordinary first-person account of that violent time. Born Ram Lal Bhatia in the town of Taunsa Sharif, then in the Punjab, Fikr Taunsvi left for the cosmopolitan city of Lahore in the 1930s. Here he worked with various newspapers, wrote poetry and articles, and became a part of the intellectual circle. But when independence was announced, Fikr was faced with a new reality-of being a Hindu in his beloved city, now in Pakistan.The Sixth River is the journal Fikr wrote from August to November 1947 as Lahore disintegrated around him. Fikr is angry at the shortsightedness and ineptness of Radcliffe, Nehru, Gandhi and Jinnah. In the company of likeminded friends such as Sahir Ludhianvi, he mourns the loss of the art and culture of Lahore in the bloodlust and deluded euphoria of freedom; and derides the newly converted, who adopted stereotypical religious symbols. He is bewildered when old friends suddenly turn staunch nationalists and advise him to either convert or leave the country. And the deep, unspeakable trauma millions faced during Partition reaches Fikr's doorstep when his neighbour murders his daughter, and when he is eventually forced to migrate to Amritsar in India. Powerful, ironic and deeply harrowing, The Sixth River is an invaluable account of the Partition. This brilliant translation by Maaz Bin Bilal makes the classic available in English for the first time.

Few people have had such an impact on the political and business world as Donald J Trump. But beyond the presidency, his entire family has an incredible and intriguing story to tell.Now, inside this biography, you’ll discover the incredible life and achievements of the Trump family. From their arrival to America and the businesses they founded to Donald J Trump’s successful ascent to the Whitehouse and his long-standing career beforehand. Few people have had such an impact on America and the world – even long before his presidential bid – than Trump.But aside from politics, this biography serves to illuminate the character, mindset, and personality of Trump in a never-before-seen way. Delving into his family, past, and current life, this is a powerful and enlightening account of the Trump family’s legacy, from the ambition and drive that led to so much success, to the relationships and partnerships that helped it all happen.Their story goes far beyond the presidential race that captured the attention of so many millions – the story of the Trump family has so much more to tell. From Fred Trump and his casinos to their humble beginnings in Germany, Trump: The Biography is a must-read for anyone interested in the history, achievements, and legacy of this extraordinary family.Buy now to discover just how much the Trump family influenced America.