You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
This book takes up where Max Weber left off in his study of charisma, and extends and rounds off the theory with insights from other disciplines and new empirical data. Tying Weber's argument about the consequences of societal breakdown to contemporary psychological theorizing on self-efficacy, Douglas Madsen and Peter Snow demonstrate that magnetic personalities must have willing followers.
American presidents often engage in intensive campaigns to obtain public support for their policy initiatives. This core strategy for governing is based on the premise that if presidents are skilled enough to exploit the “bully pulpit,” they can successfully persuade or even mobilize public opinion on behalf of their legislative goals. In this book, George Edwards analyzes the results of hundreds of public opinion polls from recent presidencies to assess the success of these efforts. Surprisingly, he finds that presidents typically are not able to change public opinion; even great communicators usually fail to obtain the public’s support for their high-priority initiatives. Focusing on presidents’ personae, their messages, and the American public, he explains why presidents are often unable to move public opinion and suggests that their efforts to do so may be counterproductive. Edwards argues that shoring up previously existing support is the principal benefit of going public and that “staying private”—negotiating quietly with elites—may often be more conducive to a president’s legislative success.
Comparative politics has undergone significant theoretical changes in recent decades. Particularly since the 1980s, a new generation of scholars have revamped and rejuvinated the study of the subject. Mehran Kamrava examines current and past approaches to the study of comparative politics and proposes a new framework for analysis. This is achieved through a comparative examination of state and social institutions, the interactions that occur between them, and the poltical cultures within which they operate. The book also offers a concise and detailed synthesis of existing comparative frameworks that, up to now at least, have encountered analytical shortcomings on their own. Although analytically different in its arguments and emphasis from the current "Mainstream" genre of literature on comparative politics, the present study is a logical outgrowth of the scholarly works of the last decade or so. It will be essential reading for all students of comparative politics.
Andrews-Lee offers a novel explanation for the persistence of charismatic movements and highlights the resulting challenges for democracy.
Charisma and Myth combines an interdisciplinary examination of myth with the newest developments in the application of charisma theory to history and social life. Through scores of examples ranging from Inuit myth to Christian theology, from Malinowski to martyrology, Charisma and Myth argues definitively that the survival of myth systems mirrors the survival of such charismatic groups as modern street gangs, the Anglo-Saxon comitatus, or Satan's fallen angels in Paradise Lost. Even the smallest charismatic group generates its own set of myths, and, like larger myth systems, depends on continual revolutionary change - not, as might be expected, on the stability of its myths - to survive and to achieve longevity. As this innovative study shows, group leaders must learn first to foster and then to manage the mild chaos and changing symbols of their myths. Charisma and Myth challenges myth theorists from the nineteenth through to the twenty-first century and adds a missing component to our understanding of how and why myths continue to grip our imaginations.
"Third, the authors investigate the relationship between major parties and the state, revealing the extent to which parties are dependent on state resources to maintain power and win votes. Fourth, the contributions assess the importance of different electoral regimes for shaping broader patterns of party competition. Finally, and most important, the authors characterize the nature of the party system in each country - how institutionalized it is and how it can be classified."--BOOK JACKET.
This clearly written and carefully argued narrative presents a less mythical and more human Zapata against the dramatic and chaotic background of the Mexican Revolution.
A general history of Argentina that emphasizes current history and problems.
Edy Kaufman, Department of International Relations, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Yoram Shapiro, Latin American Studies Department, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Joe] Barromi, Director, UN Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Israel Interaction with Latin America has held varying degrees of importance in Israel's foreign relations. This study aims to present a comprehensive analysis of the patterns of continuity and change in Israel's relations with Latin America over a twenty-five year period, from the creation of the state to the 1973 October War, The authors provide a factual survey of major developments in Israeli-Latin American relations since 1948 -- and evaluate the att...
None