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This book gives fresh insight into the formal and informal workings of this dynamic southern European democracy, thoroughly discussing history, politics, insitutions, parties, economy and foreign policy at an introductory level.
In 1930, Antoni Rovira i Virgili published In Defence of Democracy, a book which is as relevant today as ever, given our current political and social circumstances. It reveals its author to be deeply acquainted with and full of insight into the political theory and philosophy of his time. In coming to the defence of democratic values at a time when autocratic styles of government had a growing appeal, Rovira i Virgili’s intelligence and premonition are impressive. This book will surely appeal to anyone interested in politics and public life.
Political wisdom holds that the political boundaries of a state necessarily coincide with a nation's perceived cultural boundaries. Today, the sociocultural diversity of many polities renders this understanding obsolete. This volume provides the framework for the state-nation, a new paradigm that addresses the need within democratic nations to accommodate distinct ethnic and cultural groups within a country while maintaining national political coherence. First introduced briefly in 1996 by Alfred Stepan and Juan J. Linz, the state-nation is a country with significant multicultural—even multinational—components that engenders strong identification and loyalty from its citizens. Here, Indi...
Applying an innovative approach to capture varieties and dynamics of federal democracies, this collection examines the conditions, mechanisms and practices that make federal democracies work.
When we think of minorities - linguistic, ethnic, religious, regional, or racial - in world politics, conflict is often the first thing that comes to mind. Indeed, discord and tension are the depressing norms in many states across the globe: Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Sudan, Israel, Sri Lanka, Burma, Rwanda, and many more. But as David Lublin points out in this magisterial survey of minority-based political groups across the globe, such parties typically function fairly well within larger polities. In Minority Rules, he eschews the usual approach of shining attention on conflict and instead looks at the representation of minority groups in largely peaceful and democratic countries througho...
A comparison of immigrant integration policies in seven federal countries in light of constitutional structures, ethno-cultural composition and political trends.
The Russian revolution of October 1917, born of the devastation of the Great War, exerted its influence around the globe. Its massive consequences shaped the Twentieth Century and are still with us. Taking 1917 as a point of departure, this book focus on the consequences of imperial and state collapse after 1917 in spatial and chronological dialogue. The contributors examine how profound institutional change created narratives and representations of national memories. They explore the nationalist movements that shaped the new countries and bring to life the communist activists who helped to transform the old world as a tragedy of terrible dimensions unfolded.
This handbook is the first collection of comprehensive teaching materials for teachers and students of Central Asian Studies (CAS) with a strong pedagogic dimension. It presents 22 chapters, clustered around five themes, with contributions from more than 19 scholars, all leading experts in the field of CAS and Eurasian Studies. This collection is not only a reference work for scholars branching out to different disciplines of CAS but also for scholars from other disciplines broadening their scope to CAS. It addresses post-colonial frameworks and also untangles topics from their ‘Soviet’ reference frame. It aims to de-exoticize the region and draws parallels to European or to historically...
Catalan Nationalism offers a fresh socio-political analysis of Catalan nationalism during the Franco regime (1939-1975) and the Spanish transition to democracy.
For thirty years, Alain-G. Gagnon has been one of the world’s leading experts on federalism and multinational democracies. In Minority Nations in the Age of Uncertainty, he presents an articulate and accessible introduction to the ways in which minority nations have begun to empower themselves in a global environment that is increasingly hostile to national minorities. Comparing conditions in Quebec, Catalonia, and Scotland, Gagnon offers six interrelated essays on national minorities, processes of accommodation, and autonomy and self-determination within a modern democratic context. Based on a long career of scholarly study and public engagement, he argues that self-determination for thes...