Showing papers on "Politics published in 1992"

Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity

Abstract: Introduction - Scott Lash and Brian Wynne PART ONE: LIVING ON THE VOLCANO OF CIVILIZATION - THE CONTOURS OF THE RISK SOCIETY On the Logic of Wealth Distribution and Risk Distribution The Politics of Knowledge in the Risk Society PART TWO: THE INDIVIDUALIZATION OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY - LIFE-FORMS AND THE DEMISE OF TRADITION Beyond Status and Class? 'I am I' Gendered Space and the Conflict Inside and Outside the Family Individualization, Institutionalization and Standardization Life Situations and Biographical Patterns De-Standardization of Labour PART THREE: REFLEXIVE MODERNIZATION: ON THE GENERALIZATION OF SCIENCE AND POLITICS Science Beyond Truth and Enlightenment? Opening up the Political

The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion

Abstract: In this 1992 book John Zaller develops a comprehensive theory to explain how people acquire political information from elites and the mass media and convert it into political preferences. Using numerous specific examples, Zaller applies this theory to the dynamics of public opinion on a broad range of subjects, including domestic and foreign policy, trust in government, racial equality, and presidential approval, as well as voting behaviour in U.S. House, Senate, and presidential elections. The thoery is constructed from four basic premises. The first is that individuals differ substantially in their attention to politics and therefore in their exposure to elite sources of political information. The second is that people react critically to political communication only to the extent that they are knowledgeable about political affairs. The third is that people rarely have fixed attitudes on specific issues; rather, they construct 'preference statements' on the fly as they confront each issue raised. The fourth is that, in constructing these statements, people make the greatest use of ideas that are, for various reasons, the most immediately salient to them. Zaller emphasizes the role of political elites in establishing the terms of political discourse in the mass media and the powerful effect of this framing of issues on the dynamics of mass opinion on any given issue over time.

Political power beyond the State: problematics of government

Abstract: This paper sets out an approach to the analysis of political power in terms of problematics of government. It argues against an overvaluation of the 'problem of the State' in political debate and social theory. A number of conceptual tools are suggested for the analysis of the many and varied alliances between political and other authorities that seek to govern economic activity, social life and individual conduct. Modern political rationalities and governmental technologies are shown to be intrinsically linked to developments in knowledge and to the powers of expertise. The characteristics of liberal problematics of government are investigated, and it is argued that they are dependent upon technologies for 'governing at a distance', seeking to create locales, entities and persons able to operate a regulated autonomy. The analysis is exemplified through an investigation of welfarism as a mode of 'social' government. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of neo-liberalism which demonstrates that the analytical language structured by the philosophical opposition of state and civil society is unable to comprehend contemporary transformations in modes of exercise of political power.(1).

Capitalist development and democracy

Abstract: It is a commonplace claim of Western political discourse that capitalist development and democracy go hand in hand. Crossnational statistical research on political democracy supports this claim. By contrast, comparative historical studies carried out within a political economy approach argue that economic development was and is compatible with multiple political forms. The authors offer a fresh and persuasive resolution to the controversy arising out of these contrasting traditions. Focusing on advanced industrial countries, Latin America, and the Caribbean, they find that the rise and persistence of democracy cannot be explained either by an overall structural correspondence between capitalism and democracy or by the role of the bourgeoisie as the agent of democratic reform. Rather, capitalist development is associated with democracy because it transforms the class structure, enlarging the working and middle classes, facilitating their self-organization, and thus making it more difficult for elites to exclude them. Simultaneously, development weakens the landed upper class, democracy's most consistent opponent. The relationship of capitalist development to democracy, however, is not mechanical. As the authors show, it depends on a complex interplay of three clusters of power: the balance of power among social classes, power relations between the state and society, and transnational structures of economic and political power. Looking to the future, the book concludes with some reflections on current prospects for the development of stable democracy in Latin America and Eastern Europe.

The Rational Public: Fifty Years of Trends in Americans' Policy Preferences

Abstract: This monumental study is a comprehensive critical survey of the policy preferences of the American public, and will be the definitive work on American public opinion for some time to come. Drawing on an enormous body of public opinion data, Benjamin I. Page and Robert Y. Shapiro provide the richest available portrait of the political views of Americans, from the 1930's to 1990. They not only cover all types of domestic and foreign policy issues, but also consider how opinions vary by age, gender, race, region, and the like. The authors unequivocally demonstrate that, notwithstanding fluctuations in the opinions of individuals, collective public opinion is remarkably coherent: it reflects a stable system of values shared by the majority of Americans and it responds sensitively to new events, arguments, and information reported in the mass media. While documenting some alarming case of manipulation, Page and Shapiro solidly establish the soundness and value of collective political opinion. The Rational Public provides a wealth of information about what we as a nation have wanted from government, how we have changed our minds over the years, and why. For anyone interested in the short- and long-term trends in Americans' policy preferences, or eager to learn what Americans have thought about issues ranging from racial equality to the MX missile, welfare to abortion, this book offers by far the most sophisticated and detailed treatment available.

Inside/Outside: International Relations as Political Theory

Abstract: In this book Rob Walker offers an original analysis of the relationship between twentieth-century theories of international relations, and the political theory of civil society since the early modern period. He views theories of international relations both as an ideological expression of the modern state, and as a clear indication of the difficulties of thinking about a world politics characterized by profound spatiotemporal accelerations. International relations theories should be seen, the author argues, more as aspects of contemporary world politics than as explanations of contemporary world politics. These theories are examined in the light of recent debates about modernity and post-modernity, sovereignty and political identity, and the limits of modern social and political theory. This book is a major contribution to the field of critical international relations, and will be of interest to social and political theorists and political scientists, as well as students and scholars of international relations.

Empowerment: The Politics of Alternative Development

Abstract: 1 Alternative Development: Its Origins and Moral Justification 2 Trajectory: From Exclusion to Empowerment 3 Rethinking the Economy: The Whole--Economy Model 4 Rethinking Poverty: The (Dis)Empowerment Model 5 Political Claims I: Inclusive Democracy and Appropriate Economic Growth 6 Political Claims II: Gender Equality and Intergenerational Equity 7 Practice: From Social to Political Power Epilogue: Some Questions for Rich Countries Bibliography Index

The European rescue of the nation-state

Abstract: This newly revised and updated second edition is the classic economic and political account of the origins of the European Community. On one level it is an original analysis of the forces which brought the EC together, on another it is an explanation based on historical analysis of the future relationship between nation-state and the European Union. Combining political with economic analysis, and based on extensive primary research in several countries, this book offers a challenging interpretation of the history of the western European state and European integration.

The hollow hope : can courts bring about social change?

Abstract: In follow-up studies, dozens of reviews, and even a book of essays evaluating his conclusions, Gerald N. Rosenberg's critics - not to mention his supporters - have spent nearly two decades debating the arguments he first put forward in "The Hollow Hope". With this substantially expanded second edition of his landmark work, Rosenberg himself steps back into the fray, responding to criticism and adding chapters on the same-sex marriage battle that ask anew whether courts can spur political and social reform.Finding that the answer is still a resounding no, Rosenberg reaffirms his powerful contention that it's nearly impossible to generate significant reforms through litigation. The reason? American courts are ineffective and relatively weak - far from the uniquely powerful sources for change they're often portrayed to be. Rosenberg supports this claim by documenting the direct and secondary effects of key court decisions - particularly Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade. He reveals, for example, that Congress, the White House, and a determined civil rights movement did far more than Brown to advance desegregation, while pro-choice activists invested too much in Roe at the expense of political mobilization. Further illuminating these cases, as well as the ongoing fight for same-sex marriage rights, Rosenberg also marshals impressive evidence to overturn the common assumption that even unsuccessful litigation can advance a cause by raising its profile.Directly addressing its critics in a new conclusion, "The Hollow Hope" promises to reignite for a new generation the national debate it sparked seventeen years ago.

Policy networks in British government

Abstract: Policy networks in Britain - a critique of existing approaches, David Marsh and R.A.W. Rhodes the agricultural policy community maintaining a closed relationship, Martin Smith the health service policy community - professionals pre-eminent or under challenge?, Gerald Wiston the civil nuclear network in Britain, Michael Saward sea defences - a professionalized network?, Caroline Cunningham policy networks and issue networks - the politics of smoking, Melvyn Read the case of food and health and the use of network analysis, Michael Mills youth employment policy 1970-1990 - towards the exclusion of the trade unions, David Marsh international monetary relations, policy networks and the Labour Government's policy of non-devaluation, 1964-1967, Rob Stones the European technology community - policy networks in a supranational setting, John Peterson policy communities and issue networks - beyond typology, David Marsh and R.A.W. Rhodes.

In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture

Abstract: Examines the cultural and political dimensions of what it means to be an African today. The author probes the history of the idea of Africa to illuminate an African identity that extends into the continent's multiple diasporas.

Cosmopolitanism and Sovereignty

Abstract: The human future suddenly seems open. This is an inspiration; we can step back and think more freely. Instead of containment or detente, political scientists are discussing grand pictures: the end of history, or the inevitable proliferation and mutual pacifism of capitalist democracies. And politicians are speaking of a new world order. My inspiration is a little more concrete. After developing a rough, cosmopolitan specification of our task to promote moral progress, I offer an idea for gradual global institutional reform. Dispersing political authority over nested territorial units would decrease the intensity of the struggle for power and wealth within and among states, thereby reducing the incidence of war, poverty, and oppression. In such a multilayered scheme, borders could be redrawn more easily to accord with the aspirations of peoples and communities.

Political participation and democracy in Britain

Abstract: Why do some people involve themselves in politics and others not? Which issues are they concerned with? What do they get out of it? Answering such questions is fundamental to understanding political life and the workings of liberal democracies. This book presents the results of one of the most extensive surveys ever undertaken on the levels and patterns of political involvement in Britain. It is based on the findings of a sample survey of nearly 1,600 people across England, Scotland and Wales as well as a further 1,600 men and women and nearly 300 leaders in six specially selected and contrasting communities. These people were asked about the extent to which they had taken political action, particularly at a local level, and the authors found higher levels of participation than previous research has revealed. They analyse these findings in terms of age, gender, social class and education and look at the reactions of local leaders to the efforts people make to influence them.

The Straight Mind and Other Essays

Abstract: A collection of theoretical writings by Monique Wittig, described as one of the most important and influential contemporary French feminist writers. Covering feminist theory, politics, language and literature, Wittig argues that the category of sex is itself a political one and that heterosexuality is a trap, a forced political regime. She proposes that there cannot any longer be women and men, and that as classes and as categories of thought or language have to disappear, politically, economically and ideologically. Taking this idea further, the title essay ends with the conclusion: "lesbians are not women".

Politics, institutions, and welfare spending in industrialized democracies, 1960-82

Abstract: We examine the roles of democratic politics and political institutions in shaping social welfare spending in 18 contemporary capitalist democracies. We explore the social spending consequences of government partisanship, electoral competition and turnout, and the self-interested behaviors of politicians and bureaucrats, as well as such relatively durable facets of political institutions as neocorporatism, state centralization, and traditionalist policy legacies. Pooled time series analyses of welfare effort in 18 nations during the 1960–82 period show that electoral turnout, as well as left and center governments increase welfare effort; that the welfare efforts of governments led by particular types of parties show significant differences and vary notably with the strength of oppositional (and junior coalitional) parties; and that relatively neocorporatist, centralized, and traditionalistic polities are high on welfare effort. Overall, our findings suggest that contrary to many claims, both partisan and nonpartisan facets of democratic politics and political institutions shape contemporary social welfare effort.

Divided we govern : party control, lawmaking, and investigations, 1946-1990

Abstract: In this prize-winning book, which analyzes data from a 44-year period, Mayhew refutes the commonly held myth that the American national government functions effectively only when one political party controls the presidency and Congress. This edition has a new epilogue covering 1991-1992.

Health Politics: Interests and Institutions in Western Europe

Abstract: 1. Institutions of representation and national health insurance politics 2. Doctors versus the state: the economic and political logic of national health insurance 3. The French case: parliament versus executive 4. The Swiss case: referendum politics 5. The Swedish case: executive dominance 6. The limits of institutions.

National identity and the idea of European unity

Abstract: Since the project of European integration began, at issue has always been whether a European political identity could develop to underpin political unification. Is a genuine European identity possible? Anthony Smith takes up the question from the standpoint of his work on nationalism. Why is it that we are witnessing a revival of nationalism even as the globalizing trends of post-industrial society become clearer? Established cultures are essentially antithetical to the development of a cosmopolitan culture, he writes, which poses problems for a European identity. If this is to do more than coexist weakly alongside national and subnational identities, it may come at a dangerous price only if Europe defines itself exclusively against other world actors.

Political Ideologies: An Introduction

Abstract: Introduction - Liberalism - Conservatism - Socialism - Nationalism - Fascism - Anarchism - Feminism - Environmentalism - Democracy - Conclusion: Ideology without End? - Guide to Further Reading - Glossary of Terms and Concepts - Glossary of Political Thinkers

Heroes of Their Own Lives: The Politics and History of Family Violence

Abstract: No wonder you activities are, reading will be always needed. It is not only to fulfil the duties that you need to finish in deadline time. Reading will encourage your mind and thoughts. Of course, reading will greatly develop your experiences about everything. Reading heroes of their own lives the politics and history of family violence boston 188

The Making Of Social Movements In Latin America: Identity, Strategy, And Democracy

Abstract: * Introduction: Theory and Protest in Latin America Today Arturo Escobar and Sonia E. Alvarez. Conceptualizing Social Movements In Contemporary Latin America * Social Movements: Actors, Theories, Expectations Fernando Caldern, Alejandro Piscitelli, and Jos Luis Reyna. * Marxism, Feminism, and the Struggle for Democracy in Latin America Norma Stoltz Chinchilla. * The Study of New Social Movements in Latin America and the Question of Autonomy Judith Adler Hellman. * Culture, Economics, and Politics in Latin American Social Movements Theory and Research A. Escobar. The Making Of Collective Identities * "I Dreamed of Foxes and Hawks'': Reflections on Peasant Protest, New Social Movements, and the Rondas Campesinas of Northern Peru Orin Starn. * From Resistance to Social Movement: The Indigenous Authorities Movement in Colombia Mara Teresa Findji. * Power, Gender, and Development: Popular Women's Organizations and the Politics of Needs in Ecuador Amy Conger Lind. * The Venezuelan Ecology Movement: Symbolic Effectiveness, Social Practices, and Political Strategies Mara Pilar Garca. * Rethinking the Study of Social Movements: The Case of Christian Base Communities in Urban Brazil John Burdick. * Homosexual Identities in Transitional Brazilian Politics Edward MacRae. Articulating Strategies And Democratizing Democracy * Feminisms in Latin America: From Bogot to San Bernardo Nancy Saporta Sternbach, Marysa Navarro-Aranguren, Patricia Chuchryk, and S. E. Alvarez. * The Evolution of Urban Popular Movements in Mexico Between 1968 and 1988 Vivienne Bennett. * Radical Opposition Parties and Squatters Movements in Pinochet's Chile Cathy Schneider. * Democratization and the Decline of Urban Social Movements in Uruguay: A Political-Institutional Account Eduardo Canel. * Popular Movements in the Context of the Consolidation of Democracy in Brazil Ruth Corra Leite Cardoso. * Social Movements and Political Power in Latin America Orlando Fals Borda. * Conclusion: Theoretical and Political Horizons of Change in Contemporary Latin American Social Movements S. E. Alvarez and A. Escobar. *

Inside the state : the bracero program, immigration, and the INS

Abstract: "Inside the State" takes the reader behind the scenes inside the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) - one of the most secretive agencies in the federal government, and one which wields enormous discretionary power. Kitty Calavita documents the internal decision-making processes of the INS that have shaped US policy, and places the current reform movement in historical and theoretical perspective. Connecting structural contradictions in the political economy to the details of agency decision-making, "Inside the State" aims to provide in-depth analyses of the links between abstract theories of the state and real-life political actors and institutions.

Liberals and communitarians

Abstract: Over the past decade, one of the most controversial and influential challenges to liberal political theory has been mounted by a number of writers usually labelled "communitarian". Focusing primarily upon the philosophical and metaphysical underpinnings of liberal accounts of justice, these critics have argued that such accounts presuppose an inadequate conception of the person and of the relationship between individuals and their communities, resulting in an impoverished view of the role of the state. This book traces the progress of the debate. Beginning with an account of John Rawls's "A Theory of Justice", it goes on to provide clear presentations of the work of the main communitarians - Michael Sandel, Alisdair MacIntyre, Charles Taylor and Michael Walzer. This is followed by an assessment of Rawls's more recent work, in which his "political" liberalism is shown to provide resources for a response to the communitarian critique. Finally, the authors examine the writings of two other liberal theorists, Richard Rorty and Joseph Raz, each of whom can be read as pursuing strikingly different lines of argument which avoid the difficulties faced by Rawls but raise new problems of their own. With a guiding agenda of themes and issues, this book is a useful aid to students of contemporary political theory.