Experiencing Politics

Author : John E. McDonough
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 9780520925168
Total Pages : 364 pages
Book Rating : 4.65/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Experiencing Politics written by John E. McDonough and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2000-11-22 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John E. McDonough affords a rare glimpse into the practice of state politics in this insider's account of the fascinating interface between political science and real-life politics. A member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for thirteen years and a skilled storyteller, McDonough eloquently weaves together stories of politics and policy with engaging theoretical models in a way that illuminates both the theory and the practice. By providing a link between scholarship and the world of experience, he communicates much about the essence of representative democracy. In the process, he demonstrates how politics extend beyond the public sphere into many aspects of life involving diverse values and interests. McDonough describes the nature of conflict, the role of interests, agenda setting, the nature and pace of change, the use of language, and more. Accessible, insightful, and original, his stories touch on a broad range of issues—including health care politics, campaigns, and elections; a street gang called the X-men; the death penalty; campaign finance reform, and tenants versus landlords. To the author, politics is everywhere and political dynamics are universal. While the setting for this book is one legislature, the lessons and insights are intended for everyone.

Author : Stephen F. Cohen
Publisher : New York : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0195040163
Total Pages : 239 pages
Book Rating : 4.66/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Rethinking the Soviet Experience written by Stephen F. Cohen and published by New York : Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1986 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written in 1985, this book cuts through the Cold War stereotypes of the Soviet Union to arrive at fresh interpretations of that country's traumatic history and later political realities. The author probes Soviet history, society, and politics to explain how the U.S.S.R. remained stable from revolution through the mid-1980s.

Author : R. D. Laing
Publisher : Penguin UK
ISBN 13 : 014194174X
Total Pages : 171 pages
Book Rating : 4.45/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Politics of Experience and The Bird of Paradise written by R. D. Laing and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 1990-04-26 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In ‘The Politics of Experience’ and the visionary ‘Bird of Paradise’, R.D. Laing shows how the straitjacket of conformity imposed on us all leads to intense feelings of alienation and a tragic waste of human potential. He throws into question the notion of normality, examines schizophrenia and psychotherapy, transcendence and ‘us and them’ thinking, and illustrates his ideas with a remarkable case history of a ten-day psychosis. ‘We are bemused and crazed creatures,’ Laing suggests. This outline of ‘a thoroughly self-conscious and self-critical human account of man’ represents a major attempt to understand our deepest dilemmas and sketch in solutions. ‘Everyone in contemporary psychiatry owes something to R.D. Laing’ Anthony Clare, the Guardian.

Author : Christine Sylvester
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136888519
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.19/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Experiencing War written by Christine Sylvester and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-11-23 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited collection explores aspects of contemporary war that affect average people –physically, emotionally, and ethically through activities ranging from combat to television viewing. The aim of this work is to supplement the usual emphasis on strategic and national issues of war in the interest of theorizing aspects of war from the point of view of individual experience, be the individual a combatant, a casualty, a supporter, opponent, recorder, veteran, distant viewer, an international lawyer, an ethicist or other intellectual. This volume presents essays that push the boundaries of war studies and war thinking, without promoting one kind of theory or methodology for studying war as experiential politics, but with an eye to exploring the possibilities and encouraging others to take up the new agenda. It includes new and challenging thinking on humanitarianism and war, new wars in the Third World, gender and war thinking, and the sense of the body within war that inspires recent UN resolutions. It also gives examples that can change our understanding of who is located where doing what with respect to war –women warriors in Sierra Leone, war survivors living with their memories, and even an artist drawing something seemingly intangible about war –the arms trade. The unique aspect of this book is its purposive pulling together of foci and theoretical and methodological perspectives from a number of disciplines on a variety of contemporary wars. Arguably, war is an activity that engages the attention, the politics, and the lives of many people. To theorize it with those lives and perspectives in mind, recognizing the political contexts of war, is long overdue. This inter-disciplinary book will be of much interest to students of war studies, critical security studies, gender studies, sociology and IR in general.

Author : David D. Laitin
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 9780226467917
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.10/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Politics, Language, and Thought written by David D. Laitin and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1977-05 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the Somali Republic received independence, its parliamentary government decided to adopt three official languages: English, Italian, and Arabic—all languages of foreign contact. Since the vast majority of the nation's citizens spoke a single language, Somali, which then had no written form, this decision made governing exceedingly difficult. Selecting any one language was equally problematic, however, because those who spoke the official language would automatically become the privileged class. Twelve years after independence, a military government was able to settle the acrimonious controversy by announcing that Somali would be the official language and Latin the basic script. It was hoped that this choice would foster political equality and strengthen the national culture. Politics, Language, and Thought is an exploration of how language and politics interrelate in the Somali Republic. Using both historical and experimental evidence, David D. Laitin demonstrates that the choice of an official language may significantly affect the course of a country's political development. Part I of Laitin's study is an attempt to explain why the parliamentary government was incapable of reaching agreement on a national script and to assess the social and political consequences of the years of nondecision. Laitin shows how the imposition of nonindigenous languages produced inequalities which eroded the country's natural social basis of democracy. Part 2 attempts to relate language to political thought and political culture. Analyzing interviews and role-playing sessions among Somali bilingual students, Laitin demonstrates that the impact of certain political concepts is quite different when expressed in different languages. He concludes that the implications of choosing a language are far more complex than previously thought, because to change the language of a people is to change the ways they think and act politically.

Author : John E. McDonough
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520224116
Total Pages : 355 pages
Book Rating : 4.17/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Experiencing Politics written by John E. McDonough and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2000-11-22 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Some people study policy making, other people do it….McDonough’s spirited account of his dual life in the political trenches of the Massachusetts legislature and the analytic turf of the academy carries two powerful messages: scholars have reason to care deeply about the consequences of the governing processes they research and—here’s the shocker—a healthy peppering of political science can actually help practitioners become more effective policy makers."—Mark A. Peterson, author of Healthy Markets?: The New Competition in Medical Care

Author : Thomas Legrand
Publisher : Ocean of Wisdom Press
ISBN 13 : 295775830X
Total Pages : 440 pages
Book Rating : 4.02/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Politics of Being written by Thomas Legrand and published by Ocean of Wisdom Press. This book was released on 2022-01-22 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A profound, insightful, extensively researched, sensitive and much needed essay which provides a precious roadmap for traveling together towards a better world" – Mathieu Ricard What would a wisdom-based or “spiritual” approach to politics look like? How can we tap into science to support our collective conscious evolution? In this groundbreaking work, Thomas Legrand Ph.D. proposes to fundamentally reframe our model of development from its current emphasis on “having” to one focused on “being”. Mobilizing a wealth of scientific research from many different fields, the core teachings of wisdom traditions, and his own personal experience, Legrand articulates how politics can support human flourishing and the collective shift of consciousness that our current challenges demand. An awakening journey into our human and social potential, Politics of Being charts the way for a truly human development in the 21st century, one to reconcile our minds and hearts, and the whole Earth community. Decision and policy-makers, scholars, sustainability and spiritual practitioners, social activists and citizens will benefit from: - an integral map of such a politics as it emerges; - concrete examples and recommendations in numerous areas ranging from education to governance, to justice and economy; - a complex question converted into a clear and tangible agenda; - a wealth of references to deepen their exploration; - and much more. A unique, field-defining, work on what may be the most important subject of our times… and history!

Author : H. Mark Lai
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
ISBN 13 : 0252077148
Total Pages : 298 pages
Book Rating : 4.42/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Chinese American Transnational Politics written by H. Mark Lai and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born and raised in San Francisco, Lai was trained as an engineer but blazed a trail in the field of Asian American studies. Long before the field had any academic standing, he amassed an unparalleled body of source material on Chinese America and drew on his own transnational heritage and Chinese patriotism to explore the global Chinese experience. In Chinese American Transnational Politics, Lai traces the shadowy history of Chinese leftism and the role of the Kuomintang of China in influencing affairs in America. With precision and insight, Lai penetrates the overly politicized portrayals of a history shaped by global alliances and enmities and the hard intolerance of the Cold War era. The result is a nuanced and singular account of how Chinese politics, migration to the United States, and Sino-U.S. relations were shaped by Chinese and Chinese American groups and organizations. Lai revised and expanded his writings over more than thirty years as changing political climates allowed for greater acceptance of leftist activities and access to previously confidential documents. Drawing on Chinese- and English-language sources and echoing the strong loyalties and mobility of the activists and idealists he depicts, Lai delivers the most comprehensive treatment of Chinese transnational politics to date.

Author : DAVID PRICE
Publisher : Westview Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 216 pages
Book Rating : 4.83/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Congressional Experience written by DAVID PRICE and published by Westview Press. This book was released on 1992-09-28 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everyone blames Congress; no one explains it. Congressman David Price, noted scholar and former professor of political science, is uniquely qualified to guide us through the labyrinth of rules, roles, and representatives that is Congress and to show us how the institution can and does function to solve some of the most pressing social problems on the national political agenda today. In an election year filled with name-calling, teeth-gnashing, and Congress-bashing, it is refreshing to hear Price discuss what it means to simultaneously serve his constituency, his country, and his strong personal convictions about good government.As students of the political process, we are instructed in campaign strategy and finance, the advantages and disadvantages of incumbency, how to get a legislative project off the ground, the intricate House committee and subcommittee system, the tortuous route a bill travels to become law, and the strong role of parties in Congress. As voters and constituents, we are treated to firsthand accounts of election campaigns fraught with negative ads, town meetings on Medicare, fierce budget battles on the floor of the House, and persistent efforts on behalf of individual North Carolinians.And as citizen-philosophers, we are drawn into an extended consideration of the complex interrelationships among politics, religion, and ethics. In this context, David Price looks at a variety of issues—the conscientious allocation of housing funds, the correlation between legislative structure and the quality of legislative policy, the confrontation between the public interest and special interests, and the maneuvering of the religious Right—through an introspective lens of moral concern.Congressman David Price shares invaluable insights into debates on such topics as campaign finance reform, congressional term limits, and controlling the federal deficit. At the same time, he imparts a personal glimpse into life “on the Hill” and its impacts on family, friends, and constituents. Congress, as Price is quick to point out, is certainly not without flaws, but the system will be better served by informed voters, committed representatives, and measured reforms than by ill-considered proposals that would weaken the institution. The Congressional Experience combines an engaging, enlightening narrative with photos, figures, maps, and tables to tell the story of David Price's odyssey from the ivory tower of Duke University to the citadel of Capitol Hill. Along the way, we get a clear sense of the challenge, disappointment, elation, and deep concern implicit in serving as a member of Congress—especially the kind of member David Price has chosen to be.

Author : Sir Adam Roberts
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191619175
Total Pages : 432 pages
Book Rating : 4.75/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Civil Resistance and Power Politics written by Sir Adam Roberts and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2011-09-29 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This widely-praised book identified peaceful struggle as a key phenomenon in international politics a year before the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt confirmed its central argument. Civil resistance - non-violent action against such challenges as dictatorial rule, racial discrimination and foreign military occupation - is a significant but inadequately understood feature of world politics. Especially through the peaceful revolutions of 1989, and the developments in the Arab world since December 2010, it has helped to shape the world we live in. Civil Resistance and Power Politics covers most of the leading cases, including the actions master-minded by Gandhi, the US civil rights struggle in the 1960s, the Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979, the 'people power' revolt in the Philippines in the 1980s, the campaigns against apartheid in South Africa, the various movements contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989-91, and, in this century, the 'colour revolutions' in Georgia and Ukraine. The chapters, written by leading experts, are richly descriptive and analytically rigorous. This book addresses the complex interrelationship between civil resistance and other dimensions of power. It explores the question of whether civil resistance should be seen as potentially replacing violence completely, or as a phenomenon that operates in conjunction with, and modification of, power politics. It looks at cases where campaigns were repressed, including China in 1989 and Burma in 2007. It notes that in several instances, including Northern Ireland, Kosovo and, Georgia, civil resistance movements were followed by the outbreak of armed conflict. It also includes a chapter with new material from Russian archives showing how the Soviet leadership responded to civil resistance, and a comprehensive bibliographical essay. Illustrated throughout with a remarkable selection of photographs, this uniquely wide-ranging and path-breaking study is written in an accessible style and is intended for the general reader as well as for students of Modern History, Politics, Sociology, and International Relations.