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. . . a well-researched and well-written book, with some nice anecdotal detail and a crisp turn of phrase. The contextual detail of events is excellent. Toni Weller, Library and Information History In this tour de force, Leonard Dudley makes a persuasive and exciting case that changes in information and communication technologies were a driving force behind a series of political, social, and economic transformations over the last millennium, starting with the collapse of the Carolingian Empire and ending with the dissolution of the Soviet block. His case that the relevant ICT change was an important cause in each transformation seems overwhelming to me, while his more contentious implied cas...
An exploration and survey of the activities of right-wing extremist parties in the region stretching from Germany to Russia. It seeks to show that radical right activities can have pernicious effects even if right-wing extremists do not themselves succeed in obtaining seats in government.
This comparative study of the political cultures of the major european nations, explores the notion of nationhood as it applies in different political contexts.
Has terrorism lost the power to shock and appal? Have liberal democracies learned to tolerate terrorism? Using case studies of governments’ and societies’ responses to terrorism, this book, first published in 1991, shows how attitudes towards terrorism have developed. Five western countries with differing political structures and histories are studied: Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, Israel, Italy and Spain. The analysis investigates the roles of social, political, legal, professional and religious institutions and movements in formulating the approved attitude towards terrorism that governs political bodies as well as society at large. This book will be of interest to students of politics and sociology.
Governments and Markets in East Asia examines the relationship between economic performance, elite co-operation, and political regime stability in the context of the Asian crisis, and argues that economic crisis is not the cause of greater political harmony or discord, but rather that it serves as a catalyst that may encourage elites to cooperate or conflict depending upon the particular circumstances at the time of crisis. This book maintains that the political consequences of the Asian crisis varied according to the type of elite that existed in each stricken society. Including a comprehensive comparative study of five countries' experiences during the economic crisis: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and the Philippines, this book investigates the pre-crisis political context and elite configuration of these five countries, and considers what lessons can be drawn from their experiences. Constituting an impressive body of descriptive and theoretical material on the Asian crisis, this book looks towards the implications of economic crisis for elite behaviour and political stability.
The Concise Encyclopedia of Comparative Sociology presents the current state of knowledge in comparative sociology for students, scholars, and the educated lay public. The major aim of comparative sociological research is to identify similarities and differences among societies, studying variation across both geographical regions and historical periods. This volume is divided into six broad categories: Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Comparing Societies, Comparative Historical Sociology, Comparing Institutions and Social Structures, Comparing Social Processes, Comparing Nation States and World Regions, and Biographies of Exemplary Comparative Sociologists. Nearly 60 essays written b...
The Roots of Terrorism is the first volume in the new Democracy and Terrorism series, a three volume project intended to explore one of the most pressing issues of our time: how to reconcile the need to fight terrorism with our desire to protect and enhance democratic values.
Paperback edition of the pathbreaking book on the role of exiles in international relations, with a new foreword (including material on the war in Iraq). "In a world increasingly shaped by transnational organizations and processes, this is a timely and welcome subject, and Yossi Shain provides an informative overview." --Rogers Brubaker, Harvard University, in The American Journal of Sociology "Engrossing." --International Affairs "Mr. Shain is at his best stitching together information that hitherto had not been systematically related to analytical themes. . . . A major contribution to understanding the patterns and complexities of the politics of those at home abroad." --International Migr...
Despite their historical importance, empires have received scant attention from social scientists. Now, Alexander J. Motyl examines the structure, dynamics, and continuing relevance of empire—and asks, "Why do empires decline? Why do some empires collapse? And why do some collapsed empires revive?" Rejecting choice-centered theories of imperial decline, Motyl maintains that the very structure of empires promotes decay and that decay in turn facilitates the progressive loss of territory. Although most major empires have in fact declined in this manner, some, such as the Soviet Union, have collapsed suddenly and comprehensively. Motyl explains how and why collapse occurs, why such an outcome...