Christian Soe

Annual Editions: Comparative Politics 04/05

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

This twenty-second edition of Annual Editions: Comparative Politics covers the current state of politics in Western Europe, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Japan; factors in the political process in modern pluralist democracies; politics of integration, transformation and disintegration in Europe; political diversity in Latin America, Africa, China, India and newly industrialized countries; and major trends, issues and prospects.

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Produktdetails

• Annual Editions: Comparative P
• Verlag: Dushkin Publishing
• Seitenzahl: 256
• Erscheinungstermin: Juni 2005
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 275mm x 210mm x 14mm
• Gewicht: 585g
• ISBN-13: 9780072861457
• ISBN-10: 0072861452
• Artikelnr.: 21917966

Inhaltsangabe

UNIT 1. Part A. 1. A Constitutional Revolution in Britain?, Donley T.
Studlar, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2003 “New” Labour came to power in 1997 with
an unprecedented commitment to sweeping constitutional reform. Here an
American political scientist examines the Blair government’s subsequent
record in promoting a series of major institutional changes in Britain and
goes on to consider their political consequences. His review reaches until
the end of 2003 and includes recent developments with respect to the House
of Lords, devolution, Northern Ireland, the monarchy, and the European
Union. 2. The Blair Moment, Steven Philip Kramer, The Wilson Quarterly,
Autumn 2003 Tony Blair became prime minister with the declared mission of
modernizing Britain and overcoming its political insularity. The author
concludes that Blair’s commitment to the special relationship with the U.S.
and his strong support of the Iraq War have damaged his grand strategy and
undermined public confidence in his leadership. 3. Coming Out Smiling:
Blair Survives His Biggest Test as Prime Minister and Promises No Wavering
on Bold Policies, James Blitz, Financial Times, January 30, 2004 In the
last week of January 2004, Tony Blair survived two serious challenges to
his leadership: A rebellion in his own parliamentary party over university
tuition fees and an official inquiry into how the government had presented
its case for war in Iraq. This article reviews these events and stresses
that Blair’s continued reform of the public service sector will require
improved relations with Labour backbenchers and support from Gordon Brown,
his potential successor. In an accompanying commentary and analysis, Brian
Groom argues that Blair’s vindication presents him with a second chance to
join the leaders of France and Germany in giving new energy and direction
to the European Union. 4. Tories, Even With a New Leader, See Little to
Hope For, Sara Lyall, The New York Times, December 22, 2003 The
Conservatives were the dominant force in British politics for most of the
past century, but they are unlikely to reutrn to office soon. They recently
switched party leader for the third time since 1997, and Michael Howard now
faces the challenge of moving his party toward the center of resolving its
internal divisions. 5. A Divided Self: A Survey of France, John Andrews,
The Economist, November 16, 2002 The sweeping victory of the Conservatives
in the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2002 seems to have made
the right-of-center bloc, led by President Chirac, dominant in French
politics for the next few years. There is no guarantee that there will be
effective reforms to deal with the series of social and political problems
discussed in this article, ranging from the failure to integrate the many
immigrants to the social and economic problems confronting its welfare
state. 6. French Secularism Unwraps Far More than Headscarves in the
Classroom, Robert Graham, Financial Times, December 20, 2003 Citing the
French tradition of secularity and ignoring strong criticism from the
leaders of several million Muslims in France, President Chirac has called
for legislation to bar the Islamic headscarf and other conspicuous
religious signs from state schools. It seems doubtful that the 10-year old
controversy will be put to rest so easily, for there is much more at issue
as this article shows. 7. Iraq Aside, French View the U.S. With a Mixture
of Attraction and Repulsion, Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times, November
13, 2003 The current French-American rift is born of disagreement over Iraq
but rooted in long-standing differences, writes the author. On closer look,
she adds, the relationship is more complex. French attitudes toward the
United States show a mixture of repulsion and disenchantment while mixed
with attraction, curiosity, and outright envy. 8. Gerhard Schroder Clings
On, The Economist, September 28, 2002 The article explains how the
red-green government managed to be narrowly re-elected, examines the new
parliamentary balance of power, and points to a series of structural
problems that demand bold political leadership. Are Chancellor Schroder and
his team ready for the task ahead? 9. Untangling the System, The Economist,
November 8, 2003 German reformers want to modernize their country’s federal
structure, which is increasingly seen as a major obstacle to effective
governance. This article reviews the problems along with some proposed
remedies. There are vested interests that will make any reform difficult.
10. Schroeder’s Unfinished Business: Why the Reforms Agreed for Germany’s
Ailing Economy Leave the Job Half-done, Bertrand Benoit, Financial Times,
January 7, 2004 The author argues that the recently enacted major reform
legislation, sponsored by the Schroder-Fischer government as Agenda 2010,
has slaughtered some sacred cows. Yet he concludes that the sacrifices may
not be nearly enough to open the door to a revival of Germany’s sluggish
social and economic system. 11. The Vices and Virtues of Old Germany’s
‘Model’ Economy, Michael Prowse, Financial Times, November 8, 2003 In a
role reversal, Germany has come to replace Britain in comments about “the
sick man of Europe.” This British author concedes that the German economy,
long regarded as a model in balancing equity and efficiency, has some
structural problems. But he points to some impressive achievements in
public investments and the rebuilding of eastern Germany. 12. Japanese
Spirit, Western Things, The Economist, July 10, 2003 150 years after
Commodore Perry’s order to open the country to trade, Japan has emerged as
one of the world’s great economic success stories. This survey examines the
origins of that success and emphasizes that Japan has shown that
modernization does not require embracing Western culture. 13. Public
Opinion: Is There a Crisis?, The Economist, July 17, 1999 Advanced
democracies differ considerably from each other, but in recent years they
have shared a common pattern of public disillusionment with institutions
and politicians. The first in a series of three briefs dealing with this
development examines the general decline in public trust and voter turnout
in well-established democracies. 14. Political Parties: Empty Vessels?, The
Economist, July 24, 1999 This brief from The Economist series examines the
partial weakening of political parties in modern democracies. 15. Interest
Groups: Ex Uno, Plures, The Economist, August 21, 1999 This brief in The
Economist series reports on the growth of speical-interest lobbying in
modern democracies. 16. Advanced Democracies and the New Politics, Russell
J. Dalton, Susan E. Scarrow, and Bruce E. Cain, Journal of Democracy,
January 2004 In the advanced democracies, there has been a decline of
confidence in representative government accompanied by a shift towards a
mixed repertoire of political expression that includes a greater role for
both “direct democracy” and forms of “advocacy democracy.” This creates new
problems that will require new solutions. 17. Women in National
Parliaments, Inter-Parliamentary Union, February 29, 2004 This table has
been compiled by the Inter-Parliamentary Union on the basis of information
regularly provided by national parliaments. It classifies 181 countries in
decending order by the percentage of women in the lower or single
legislative chamber. Perhaps the biggest surprise is to find Rwanda having
moved from its previous rank of twenty to the top of the list as the
results of elections held in 2003, in the aftermath of a horrific civil
war. Otherwise it is the “usual suspects” among 18. Europe Crawls Ahead …,
Megan Rowling, In These Times, July 22, 2002 Women have moved to high
elective office earlier and at higher rates in some countries than in
others. This article examines what factors have made a differen ce.
France’s new parity law was widely flouted in 2002, but in the German
elections of the same year, self-imposed quotas by several parties played a
key role. 19. What Democracy Is … and Is Not, Philippe C. Schmitter and
Terry Lynn Karl, Journal of Democracy, Summer 1991 The two authors point
out that modern representative democracies vary in their institutions,
practices, and values, depending on their socioeconomic, historical, and
cultural settings. 20. Judicial Review: The Gavel and the Robe, The
Economist, August 7, 1999 Democracies have handed increasing amounts of
power to unelected judges. This article examines the growth and many
different forms of judicial review. 21. Referendums: The People’s Voice,
The Economist, August 14, 1999 The referendum, a form of direct democracy,
takes many forms. This article examines the different kinds of referenda,
looks at the experience so far, and reexamines the arguments about letting
voters decide policy questions directly. 22. The Case for a Multi-Party
U.S. Parliament? American Politics in Comparative Perspective, Christopher
S. Allen, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin, 2004 The author supports the inclusion of
American political institutions in the study of comparative politics. He
presents a brief on behalf of a multi-party parliamentary system for the
United States that can be read as a mental experiment in institutional
transplantation. It underscores the basic insight that institutions are not
neutral but have consequences for the political process itself. 23. When
East Meets West, Robert Cottrell, The Economist, November 22, 2003 The
enlargement of the European Union, from fifteen to twenty-five members in
2004, will inevitably create some turmoil along with opportunities for
newcomers and EU veterans. Almost certainly, the expanded and more diverse
membership will result in a looser-knit Union. 24. The European Union
Cannot Reach Deal on Constitution, John Tagliabue, The New York Times,
December 14, 2003 The European leaders met in December 2003 to work out the
final details of a EU draft constitution, but the talks failed. This
article examines the reasons for collapse of the talks and looks at
possible future developments. 25. In Search of Europe’s Borders: The
Politics of Migration in the European Union, Seyla Benhabib, Dissent, Fall
2002 West European societies are now experiencing changes in the makeup of
their population as a result of immigration. The author provides a
well-informed and much needed perspective on the newcomers and on the
varied political reactions in the host countries. 26. Letter From Poland,
David Ost, The Nation, November 25, 2002 The author reports from Poland on
a decline of the neo-liberal model and some other recent developments of
importance. They include the growth of an extreme Right, the emergence of a
democratic Left, and changes in attitudes towards the Unions and
globalization. 27. Ten Myths About Russia: Understanding and Dealing With
Russia’s Complexity and Ambiguity, David Foglesong and Gordon M. Hahn,
Problems of Post-Communism, November/December 2002 The authors examine ten
widely held illusions about Russia that have clouded our understanding of
that country and promoted unrealistic expectations about its rapid
transformation. They offer a more realistic alternative view. 28. Russian
Democracy Under Putin, Timothy J. Colton and Michael McFaul, Problems of
Post-Communism, July/August 2003 Writing a few months before the
parliamentary elections, two specialists on Russia examine that country’s
political system and conclude that it is quasi-democratic, quasi-autocratic
order. 29. Putin’s Way, The Economist, December 13, 2003 This report on
Russia’s parliamentary elections in December 2003 concludes that the voters
in effect opted for an authoritarian concentration of power in the
president. 30. Globalization’s Double Edge, Robert J. Samuelson,
International Herald Tribune, January 4, 2000 Globalization is a powerful
vehicle for raising economic growth in rich and poor countries alike, but
it erodes local cultures and threatens them with economic and social
instability. 31. Mexico at an Impasse, M. Delal Baer, Foreign Affairs,
January/February 2004 Three years after Mexico’s democratic revolution, the
political system is gridlocked, the economy is stagnant, and relations with
the United States are deteriorating. A crisis is not imminent, but progress
must come soon if Mexico’s grand experiment with political and economic
liberty is to continue. 32. South Africa: Democracy Without the People?,
Robert Mattes, Journal of Democracy, January 2002 More than a decade after
the end of apartheid, the multiracial South African democracy may be headed
for trouble because it still has not dealt effectively with three
requirements of consolidation: inequality-reducing economic growth, stable
institutions, and a supportive political culture. 33. China: The Quiet
Revolution, Doug Guthrie, Harvard International Review, Summer 2003 The
reformers who led China toward a market economy avoided “shock therapy.”
Instead, they moved gradually in implementing changes that in the end
turned out to be a major institutional transformation. This article
explores their strategy and the reasons for the success of their “quiet
revolution.” 34. The Emperor is Far Away, Ezra Vogel, Harvard International
Review, Summer 2003 In this interview, an American specialist on China
examines the accomplishments of the past twenty years as well as the
challenges faced by the country’s new leadership. 35. In March Toward
Capitalism, China Has Avoided Russia’s Path, Henry Chu, Los Angeles Times,
September 16, 1998 This article explains how China has managed so far to
avoid economic and political collapse as it moves from a centrally planned
to a more market-centered economy. 36. New Dimensions of Indian Democracy,
Susanne Hoeber Rudolph and Lloyd I. Rudolph, Journal of Democracy, January
2002 India defies the conventional view that poor and highly diverse
societies are unlikely to remain democratic. What explains the resilience
of India’s democracy? The answer lies in the country’s institutional and
policy responses to a variety of recent challenges. 37. Iran’s Crumbling
Revolution, Jahangir Amuzegar, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2003
Younger Iranians are increasingly questioning the theocracy established by
the 1979 revolution. The hard-line religious leaders have no practical
solutions to the country’s growing social tensions and economic problems.
Left to itself, Iran seems likely to generate its own regime change. 38.
Bin Laden, the Arab “Street,” and the Middle East’s Democracy Deficit, Dale
F. Eickelman, Current History, January 2002 Osama bin Laden speaks in the
vivid language of popular Islamic preachers, and he builds on a deep and
broad resentment against the West. He benefits from the lack of democratic
outlets in much of the Middle East that leaves no established platforms to
express opinions on matters of public concern. 39. There is No Crash Course
in Democracy, John F. Burns, The New York Times, December 14, 2003 John
Burns reports on well-meant American efforts to “teach democracy” in Iraq.
They run up against differing cultures, histories, and aspirations of
teachers and students. 40. The Global State of Democracy, Larry Diamond,
Current History, December 2000 Larry Diamond reviews the remarkable advance
of democratization in the last quarter of the twentieth century. He
distinguishes among the varied states of democracy and warns that many of
the new popular regimes are highly vulnerable. 41. Capitalism and
Democracy, Gabriel A. Almond, PS: Political Science and Politics, September
1991 Towards the end of the Gorbachev era, Gabriel Almond presented a
Soviet audience with some key ideas about the ambiguous relationship
between capitalism and democracy. Drawing in part on the work of other
theorists, this leading political scientist explored ways in which
capitalism both supports and subverts democracy as well as ways in which
democracy may both subvert and foster capitalism. 42. Cultural
Explanations: The Man in the Baghdad Cafe, The Economist, November 9, 1996
This essay critically reviews recent scholarly attempts to explain
economics and politics in terms of cultural differences. 43. Jihad vs.
McWorld, Benjamin R. Barber, The Atlantic Monthly, March 1992 Benjamin
Barber examines two major tendencies that are shaping much of the political
world today. One is a form of tribalism, which pits cultural, ethnic
religious, and national groups against each other. It clashes with a
tendency toward globalism, brought about by modern technology,
communications, and commerce. Both tendencies can threaten democracy.