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Rethinking American Electoral Democracy (Controversies in Electoral Democracy and Representation)
by Matthew J. StrebWhile frustration with various aspects of American democracy abound in the United States, there is little agreement over—or even understanding of—what kinds of changes would make the system more effective and increase political participation. Matthew J. Streb sheds much-needed light on all the major concerns of the electoral process in the thoroughly revised third edition of this timely book on improving American electoral democracy. This critical examination of the rules and institutional arrangements that shape the American electoral process analyzes the major debates that embroil scholars and reformers on subjects ranging from the number of elections we hold and the use of nonpartisan elections, to the presidential nominating process and campaign finance laws. Ultimately, Streb argues for a less burdensome democracy, a democracy in which citizens can participate more easily in transparent, competitive elections. This book is designed to get students of elections and American political institutions to think critically about what it means to be democratic, and how democratic the United States really is. Part of the Controversies in Electoral Democracy and Representation series, edited by Matthew J. Streb.
Rethinking America's Highways: A 21st-Century Vision for Better Infrastructure
by Robert W. PooleAmericans spend hours every day sitting in traffic. And the roads they idle on are often rough and potholed, their exits, tunnels, guardrails, and bridges in terrible disrepair. According to transportation expert Robert Poole, this congestion and deterioration are outcomes of the way America provides its highways. Our twentieth-century model overly politicizes highway investment decisions, short-changing maintenance and often investing in projects whose costs exceed their benefits. In Rethinking America’s Highways, Poole examines how our current model of state-owned highways came about and why it is failing to satisfy its customers. He argues for a new model that treats highways themselves as public utilities—like electricity, telephones, and water supply. If highways were provided commercially, Poole argues, people would pay for highways based on how much they used, and the companies would issue revenue bonds to invest in facilities people were willing to pay for. Arguing for highway investments to be motivated by economic rather than political factors, this book makes a carefully-reasoned and well-documented case for a new approach to highways that is sure to inform future decisions and policies for U.S. infrastructure.
Rethinking and Unthinking Development: Perspectives on Inequality and Poverty in South Africa and Zimbabwe
by Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni Busani MpofuDevelopment has remained elusive in Africa. Through theoretical contributions and case studies focusing on Southern Africa’s former white settler states, South Africa and Zimbabwe, this volume responds to the current need to rethink (and unthink) development in the region. The authors explore how Africa can adapt Western development models suited to its political, economic, social and cultural circumstances, while rejecting development practices and discourses based on exploitative capitalist and colonial tendencies. Beyond the legacies of colonialism, the volume also explores other factors impacting development, including regional politics, corruption, poor policies on empowerment and indigenization, and socio-economic and cultural barriers.
Rethinking Antifascism: History, Memory and Politics, 1922 to the Present
by Xavier Tabet Cristina Clímaco Mercedes Yusta Hugo GarcíaBringing together leading scholars from a range of nations, Rethinking Antifascism provides a fascinating exploration of one of the most vibrant sub-disciplines within recent historiography. Through case studies that exemplify the field's breadth and sophistication, it examines antifascism in two distinct realms: after surveying the movement's remarkable diversity across nations and political cultures up to 1945, the volume assesses its postwar political and ideological salience, from its incorporation into Soviet state doctrine to its radical questioning by historians and politicians. Avoiding both heroic narratives and reflexive revisionism, these contributions offer nuanced perspectives on a movement that helped to shape the postwar world.
Rethinking Asian Capitalism: The Achievements and Challenges of Vietnam Under Doi Moi
by Thi Anh-Dao TranThis book attempts to reflect on the changes that Vietnam has experienced over the past 30 years, during and after DoiMoi. Through multi-dimensional empirical investigations, it aims to offer theoretical and empirical accounts for how a variety of socioeconomic regimes emerged after the end of the Cold War. Being methodologically pluralist (including both theoretical and empirical studies), it aims to give a higher profile to heterodox thinking in comparative political economy. Particular attention is given to post-socialist governance, economic transformation, land rights, trade-led growth, civil society participation, climate change, and the post-COVID 19 recovery. This book comes at a time when great changes are about to take place in Southeast Asia, where heterodox economic development strategy is rather understudied. With Asia playing an increasingly important role in the world economy, readers wish not only to hear about the economic transformation but also to see certain hidden aspects or original evidence in order that they can perceive the other dimensions put in place in a market-oriented economy. It will be relevant to students and researchers interested in transitional economics, development economics and the political economy.
Rethinking Australia’s Art History: The Challenge of Aboriginal Art (Studies in Art Historiography)
by Susan LowishThis book aims to redefine Australia’s earliest art history by chronicling for the first time the birth of the category "Aboriginal art," tracing the term’s use through published literature in the late eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Susan Lowish reveals how the idea of "Aboriginal art" developed in the European imagination, manifested in early literature, and became a distinct classification with its own criteria and form. Part of the larger story of Aboriginal/European engagement, this book provides a new vision for an Australian art history reconciled with its colonial origins and in recognition of what came before the contemporary phenomena of Aboriginal art.
Rethinking Authority in Global Climate Governance: How transnational climate initiatives relate to the international climate regime (Routledge Research in Global Environmental Governance)
by Thomas HickmannIn the past few years, numerous authors have highlighted the emergence of transnational climate initiatives, such as city networks, private certification schemes, and business self-regulation in the policy domain of climate change. While these transnational governance arrangements can surely contribute to solving the problem of climate change, their development by different types of sub- and non-state actors does not imply a weakening of the intergovernmental level. On the contrary, many transnational climate initiatives use the international climate regime as a point of reference and have adopted various rules and procedures from international agreements. Rethinking Authority in Global Climate Governance puts forward this argument and expands upon it, using case studies which suggest that the effective operation of transnational climate initiatives strongly relies on the existence of an international regulatory framework created by nation-states. Thus, this book emphasizes the centrality of the intergovernmental process clustered around the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and underscores that multilateral treaty-making continues to be more important than many scholars and policy-makers suppose. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of global environmental politics, climate change and sustainable development.
Rethinking Border Control for a Globalizing World: A Preferred Future (Rethinking Globalizations)
by Leanne WeberThis book provides a new point of departure for thinking critically and creatively about international borders and the perceived need to defend them, adopting an innovative ‘preferred future’ methodology. The authors critically examine a range of ‘border domains’ including law, citizenship, governance, morality, security, economy, culture and civil society, which provide the means and justification for contemporary border controls, and identify early signs that the dynamics of sovereignty and borders are being fundamentally transformed under conditions of neoliberal globalization. The goal is to locate potential pathways towards the preferred future of relaxed borders, and provide a foundation for a progressive politics dedicated to moving beyond mere critique of the harm and inequity of border controls and capable of envisaging a differently bordered world. This book will be of considerable interest to students of border studies, migration, criminology, peacemaking, critical security studies and IR in general.
Rethinking Britain: Policy Ideas for the Many
by Richard Murphy Kate Pickett Stewart Lansley Pauline Allen Johnna Montgomerie Francis Green Ian Gough Keith Ewing Jane Lethbridge Leslie Huckfield Howard Reed Beth Stratford Mary-Ann StephensonWhat if we had a government prepared to implement the policies that could radically change 21st-century Britain and improve people’s lives? Social and economic policies are rarely communicated clearly to the public, but it’s never been more important for citizens to understand and contribute to the debate around the country’s future. In everyday language, Rethinking Britain presents a range of ideas from some of the country’s most influential thinkers such as Kate Pickett and Ha-Joon Chang. From inflation to tax, and health to education, each contribution offers solutions which, if implemented, would lead to a fairer society. Curated by leading economists from the Progressive Economics Group and accompanied by a ‘jargon buster’, this book is an essential aid for citizens who are interested in critiquing inequalities while looking to build a better future.
Rethinking California: Politics and Policy in the Golden State
by David Shafie H. Eric Schockman Matthew CahnThis book explores the state of California -- viewing the state as a holistic political culture that reflects the influence of multiple cultures, ethnic groups, and communities of interest. It starts with a broad historical foundation, and travels through cultural analyses and institutional discussions. The evaluation of specific policy issues affecting the state is an important stop along the way, and the crossroads that bring together the variety of analytic paths. This book is suited for individuals interested in California policy work, and gaining a better understanding of that state's unique political culture.
Rethinking Camelot: JFK, the Vietnam War, and U.S. Political Culture
by Noam ChomskyThe famed political critic &“analyzes the issue most prominently posed in Oliver Stone&’s film JFK . . . strong arguments against Kennedy mythologists&” (Publishers Weekly). Rethinking Camelot is a thorough analysis of John F. Kennedy&’s role in the US invasion of Vietnam and a probing reflection on the elite political culture that allowed and encouraged the Cold War. In it, Chomsky dismisses efforts to resurrect Camelot—an attractive American myth portraying JFK as a shining knight promising peace, foiled only by assassins bent on stopping this lone hero who would have unilaterally withdrawn from Vietnam had he lived. Chomsky argues that US institutions and political culture, not individual presidents, are the key to understanding US behavior during Vietnam. Rethinking Camelot is &“an interesting work not only for the history it explores, but also as a study of how various individuals and groups write and interpret history&” (Choice). Praise for Noam Chomsky &“Chomsky is a global phenomenon . . . perhaps the most widely read voice on foreign policy on the planet.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“The conscience of the American people.&” —New Statesman &“Reading Chomsky is like standing in a wind tunnel. With relentless logic, Chomsky bids us to listen closely to what our leaders tell us—and to discern what they are leaving out . . . The questions Chomsky raises will eventually have to be answered. Agree with him or not, we lose out by not listening.&” —Business Week &“One of the radical heroes of our age . . . a towering intellect . . . powerful, always provocative.&” —The Guardian
Rethinking Capital
by Richard Dien WinfieldThis book develops a comprehensive systematic economic theory, conceiving how the dynamic of market relations generates an economy dominated by the competitive process of individual profit-seeking enterprises. The author shows how, contrary to classical political economy and contemporary economics, the theory of capital is an a priori normative account properly belonging to ethics. Exposing and overcoming the limits of the economic conceptions of Hegel and Marx, Rethinking Capital determines how the system of capitals shapes economic freedom, jeopardizing the very rights in whose exercise it consists. Winfield thereby provides the understanding required to guide the private and public interventions with which capitalism can be given a human face.
Rethinking Capitalism: Economics and Policy for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth (Political Quarterly Monograph Series)
by Michael Jacobs Mariana Mazzucato"Thought provoking and fresh - this book challenges how we think about economics.”Gillian Tett, Financial Times For further information about recent publicity events and media coverage for Rethinking Capitalism please visit http://marianamazzucato.com/rethinking-capitalism/ Western capitalism is in crisis. For decades investment has been falling, living standards have stagnated or declined, and inequality has risen dramatically. Economic policy has neither reformed the financial system nor restored stable growth. Climate change meanwhile poses increasing risks to future prosperity. In this book some of the world’s leading economists propose new ways of thinking about capitalism. In clear and compelling prose, each chapter shows how today’s deep economic problems reflect the inadequacies of orthodox economic theory and the failure of policies informed by it. The chapters examine a range of contemporary economic issues, including fiscal and monetary policy, financial markets and business behaviour, inequality and privatisation, and innovation and environmental change. The authors set out alternative economic approaches which better explain how capitalism works, why it often doesn’t, and how it can be made more innovative, inclusive and sustainable. Outlining a series of far-reaching policy reforms, Rethinking Capitalism offers a powerful challenge to mainstream economic debate, and new ideas to transform it.
Rethinking Capitalist Development: Primitive Accumulation, Governmentality and Post-Colonial Capitalism
by Kalyan SanyalIn this book, Kalyan Sanyal reviews the traditional notion of capitalism and propounds an original theory of capitalist development in the post-colonial context. In order to substantiate his theory, concepts such as primitive accumulation, governmentality and post-colonial capitalist formation are discussed in detail. Analyzing critical questions from a third world perspective such as: Will the integration into the global capitalist network bring to the third world new economic opportunities? Will this capitalist network make the third world countries an easy prey for predatory multinational corporations? The end result is a discourse, drawing on Marx and Foucault, which envisages the post-colonial capitalist formation, albeit in an entirely different light, in the era of globalization.
Rethinking Care in Education: Performativity and Exclusion in the Era of Neoliberal Schooling
by Babak DadvandThis book examines some of the most pressing challenges facing care, equity, and inclusion in education in the age of globalising neoliberal capitalism. Drawing on empirical data collected using a case study of a government secondary school in a low socio-economic status suburb in Melbourne, Australia, this book interrogates the impacts of dominant performative policies and practices on students who have more complex needs, or are from socio-economically marginalised backgrounds. It reviews these policies and practices, which are increasingly driven by the discourses of learning achievement and outcomes measured via high-stakes testing. This book examines how these developments have created (in)visible geographies of exclusion for marginalised students in mainstream schools. It uses notions of belonging, ethics of care and emotional labour as theoretical tools to provide critical analyses of the practices that differentiate and divide among students. This book’s narrative approach is built around recounting ‘deep stories’ of the participants, their dilemmas and predicaments; it synthesises intimate narrative accounts with research-informed analysis and discussions.
Rethinking Children's Citizenship
by Tom CockburnCitizenship is a phenomenon that encompasses the relationships between the state and individuals, rights and responsibilities and identity and nationhood. Yet the relationship between citizenship and childhood has gone relatively unexplored. This book examines this relationship by situating it within the historical development of modern forms of citizenship that have formed contemporary Western notions of childhood and citizenship. The book also engages with recent political and social theory to rethink our current view of citizenship and develops an understanding that emphasises social interdependence and calls for a concomitant re-evaluation of our public spaces that facilitates the recognition of children as participating agents within society. The book will be of interest to those working across a wide number of disciplines, including politics, sociology, education, health, social work, childhood studies, youth studies, law and social policy, together with policy-makers, teachers and practitioners in allied areas.
Rethinking Chinese Politics
by Joseph FewsmithUnderstanding Chinese politics has become more important than ever. Some argue that China's political system is 'institutionalized' or that 'win all/lose all' struggles are a thing of the past, but, Joseph Fewsmith argues, as in all Leninist systems, political power is difficult to pass on from one leader to the next. Indeed, each new leader must deploy whatever resources he has to gain control over critical positions and thus consolidate power. Fewsmith traces four decades of elite politics from Deng to Xi, showing how each leader has built power (or not). He shows how the structure of politics in China has set the stage for intense and sometimes violent intra-elite struggles, shaping a hierarchy in which one person tends to dominate, and, ironically, providing for periods of stability between intervals of contention.
Rethinking Civic Participation in Democratic Theory and Practice (The Theories, Concepts and Practices of Democracy)
by Rod DacombeThis book makes an important contribution to contemporary debates over the place of civic participation in democratic theory and practice. Drawing on a detailed case study of the Blackbird Leys area of Oxford, the book employs a novel empirical approach to ask whether widespread participation in civic life can enhance the prospects for democracy, given the low levels of participation which tend to exist in deprived areas. Throughout, it presents an account of participation rooted in the history and development of the case, in order to avoid the kinds of abstraction which are characteristic of many existing studies in the area. The book will appeal to scholars working on democratic theory in applied settings, and will be of interest to anyone concerned with inequalities in civic participation.
Rethinking Civil Society Regionalism in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities in Democratic Participation and Peacebuilding in the Post-ECOWAS Vision 2020 (New Regionalisms Series)
by Dele KogbeThis book interrogates the extent to which regional civil society organisations have evolved as actors in West Africa. Examining civil society democratic participation in regional integration and involvement in regionalism of peacebuilding, it rethinks how we study civil society in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. Beyond the functional typology of civil society actors as ‘partner’, ‘legitimiser’, ‘resistance/counter-hegemonic’ and ‘manipulator’, the book develops a new analytical framework to understand how organisations such as the West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) and West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) have evolved. Offering analytical perspectives of the actorship of specific regional civil society actors the book draws attention to the tendencies in the previous studies of mistaking an action or misdeed that is empirically specific to particular civil society organisations within a region to the generality of the civic space of the region. Providing an alternative perspective aimed at invoking a new intellectual conversation about civil society regionalism this book advances a new analytical framework of action-based regional identity of civil society, regional presence of activities, regional capacities and societal impact. It will be of interest to academics and scholars of International Relations, global governance, African politics and comparative regionalism.
Rethinking Civilization: Resolving Conflict in the Human Family (Rethinking Globalizations #Vol. 3)
by Majid TehranianRethinking Civilization offers an alternative view of human civilization in a globalizing age. Majid Tehranian analyses the transition from nomadic, to agrarian, commercial, industrial, and digital civilizations and argues that the growing gaps among the five major civilizations have led to terror operating as a form of global communication. This new book explores the uneven pace of development of human societies, particularly in the last two centuries, and argues that this is leading to a global civil war. Taking a long-term historical perspective, and developing a model that explains how empires, resistance, and civilizations have evolved alongside major technological breakthroughs in history, Tehranian offers a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary analysis of the phenomenon. Seeking to counter the current rhetorical trends, Tehranian reconceptualizes "civilization" to make it a useful analytical rather than ideological category. defines the varieties of terrorism, including structural, nuclear, state, opposition, messianic, and anomic. addresses the contemporary problems of global governance and the evolution of international relations. traces the evolution of global communication from orality to literacy, print, electronic, and digital modes. forecasts the emerging problems of encounters among the five civilizations. This unique and original volume will be of great interest to students and researchers of globalization, international relations, peace studies and sociology.
Rethinking College Admissions: Research-Based Practice and Policy
by OiYan A. Poon and Michael N. BastedoRethinking College Admissions probes the many facets of higher education admissions and translates research-backed insights into actionable strategies for innovative, equitable admissions practices.Edited by scholars OiYan A. Poon and Michael N. Bastedo, this collection gives readers an evidence-based understanding of postsecondary admissions practices and structures, exploring many factors that affect college access and educational equity in the United States. These collected essays from leading experts present boundary-pushing applied research on admissions, with implications for policy, practice, and leadership.The volume considers admissions issues from three angles. In the opening essays, contributors offer critical analyses of current admissions approaches in higher education, delineating the delicate balance of equity-building efforts and legal pressures. The contributors offer reflections on whether and how admissions systems further inclusion or inequality. They examine topics such as race-conscious admissions, holistic review without standardized test scores, and student test preparation. The volume&’s next part discusses the many different ways in which admissions work can be done, outlines ethical hazards, and considers potential areas for organizational change. The final essays provide inroads and examples for developing reciprocal relationships in research and practice for the future. They discuss promising approaches for advancing campus diversity, such as admissions lotteries, direct enrollment, and institutional promise programs for high-achieving students from low-income communities.A must-read for practitioners, policy makers, and anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of postsecondary admissions structures, including K–12 educators and counselors, advocacy groups, and students, this work supports data-informed approaches to higher education admissions.
Rethinking The Color Line: Readings In Race And Ethnicity
by Charles A. Gallagher<P>User-friendly without sacrificing intellectual or theoretical rigor, this anthology of current research examines contemporary issues and explores new approaches to the study of race and ethnic relations. <P>The featured readings effectively engage students by helping them understand theories and concepts. <P>Active learning in the classroom is encouraged while providing relevance for students from all ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The fifth edition features ten new articles on such timely topics as: <P> • The U.S. Census’ changing definition of race and ethnicity • Race-based disparities in health • Racial and gender discrimination among racial minorities and women • Being Arab and American • How social control maintains racial inequality • The increase in black and brown incarceration • How racial bias may affect the use of DNA to locate suspects of crimes • How derogatory ethnic and racial images are created and disseminated by the media • The sexualization of African American women through the use of gender stereotypes • The portrayal of light- and dark-skinned biracial characters
Rethinking Community Resilience: The Politics of Disaster Recovery in New Orleans
by Min Hee GoExplores the unintended consequences of civic activism in a disaster-prone cityAfter Hurricane Katrina, thousands of people swiftly mobilized to rebuild their neighborhoods, often assisted by government organizations, nonprofits, and other major institutions. In Rethinking Community Resilience, Min Hee Go shows that these recovery efforts are not always the panacea they seem to be, and can actually escalate the city’s susceptibility to future environmental hazards. Drawing upon interviews, public records, and more, Go explores the hidden costs of community resilience. She shows that—despite good intentions—recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina exacerbated existing race and class inequalities, putting disadvantaged communities at risk. Ultimately, Go shows that when governments, nonprofits, and communities invest in rebuilding rather than relocating, they inadvertently lay the groundwork for a cycle of vulnerabilities. As cities come to terms with climate change adaptation—rather than prevention—Rethinking Community Resilienceprovides insight into the challenges communities increasingly face in the twenty-first century.
Rethinking Comparison: Innovative Methods for Qualitative Political Inquiry
by Erica S. Simmons Nicholas Rush SmithQualitative comparative methods – and specifically controlled qualitative comparisons – are central to the study of politics. They are not the only kind of comparison, though, that can help us better understand political processes and outcomes. Yet there are few guides for how to conduct non-controlled comparative research. This volume brings together chapters from more than a dozen leading methods scholars from across the discipline of political science, including positivist and interpretivist scholars, qualitative methodologists, mixed-methods researchers, ethnographers, historians, and statisticians. Their work revolutionizes qualitative research design by diversifying the repertoire of comparative methods available to students of politics, offering readers clear suggestions for what kinds of comparisons might be possible, why they are useful, and how to execute them. By systematically thinking through how we engage in qualitative comparisons and the kinds of insights those comparisons produce, these collected essays create new possibilities to advance what we know about politics.
Rethinking Confidence-Building Measures (Adelphi series)
by Marie-France DesjardinsConfidence-Building Measures (CBMs) - often seen as the fastest growing sector on the post-Cold War diplomatic agenda - are increasingly viewed by the international community as useful instruments for addressing a range of security and diplomatic issues. Rethinking Confidence-Building Measures warns against an uncritical pursuit of CBMs, arguing that the idea has been oversold. The author asserts that obstacles to meaningful agreements are much more important than usually acknowledged, and the political and military ramifications have been generally ignored. She concludes that the same effort, painstaking negotiation, and possibilities for failure are inherent in CBMs as in the wide array of other potential solutions for managing interstate security relations, but with far fewer substantial results.