Mario Diani and Doug McAdam (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199251780
- eISBN:
- 9780191599057
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199251789.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Illustrates relational approaches to the study of social movements and collective action. Contributors analyse most recent developments in the analysis of the role of networks as facilitators or ...
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Illustrates relational approaches to the study of social movements and collective action. Contributors analyse most recent developments in the analysis of the role of networks as facilitators or constraints of individual recruitment, various forms of interorganizational networks, and the relationship between social networks and the political context in which social movements operate. They also relate the growing attention to social networks by social movement analysis to broader theoretical debates. Both quantitative and qualitative network analysis are considered, and attention is paid to the time dimension and the evolution of networks, through both simulation models and empirical data. Empirical chapters cover both contemporary and historical episodes of collective action, in reference to authoritarian as well as progressive, left‐libertarian movements. Chapters focusing on individual networks specify different effects of network embeddedness over participation in different types of collective action (Passy, Anheier). Interorganizational relations are explored by looking at leadership dynamics (Diani), the relationship between categorical traits and network position within coalitions (Ansell), and the role of individuals in linking different organizations both synchronically and diachronically (Osa). Network approaches to the political process illustrate shifts in alliance and conflict networks at a time of regime change (Tilly and Wood), the evolution of social networks during protest cycles (Oliver and Myers), and the role of local elites in shaping protest networks in the community (Broadbent). Theoretical chapters discuss network perspectives on social movements in relation to recent theoretical developments in rational choice theory (Gould), cultural analysis (Mische), and the analysis of social mechanisms (McAdam). A radical case is also made for a reorientation of the whole social movement agenda along network lines (Diani).Less
Illustrates relational approaches to the study of social movements and collective action. Contributors analyse most recent developments in the analysis of the role of networks as facilitators or constraints of individual recruitment, various forms of interorganizational networks, and the relationship between social networks and the political context in which social movements operate. They also relate the growing attention to social networks by social movement analysis to broader theoretical debates. Both quantitative and qualitative network analysis are considered, and attention is paid to the time dimension and the evolution of networks, through both simulation models and empirical data. Empirical chapters cover both contemporary and historical episodes of collective action, in reference to authoritarian as well as progressive, left‐libertarian movements. Chapters focusing on individual networks specify different effects of network embeddedness over participation in different types of collective action (Passy, Anheier). Interorganizational relations are explored by looking at leadership dynamics (Diani), the relationship between categorical traits and network position within coalitions (Ansell), and the role of individuals in linking different organizations both synchronically and diachronically (Osa). Network approaches to the political process illustrate shifts in alliance and conflict networks at a time of regime change (Tilly and Wood), the evolution of social networks during protest cycles (Oliver and Myers), and the role of local elites in shaping protest networks in the community (Broadbent). Theoretical chapters discuss network perspectives on social movements in relation to recent theoretical developments in rational choice theory (Gould), cultural analysis (Mische), and the analysis of social mechanisms (McAdam). A radical case is also made for a reorientation of the whole social movement agenda along network lines (Diani).
Jan W. Van Deth and Elinor Scarbrough (eds)
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198294757
- eISBN:
- 9780191599040
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198294751.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This book is the fourth in the ‘Beliefs in government’ series, and focuses on phenomena indicative of widespread change in the value orientations of citizens in Western Europe during the past two ...
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This book is the fourth in the ‘Beliefs in government’ series, and focuses on phenomena indicative of widespread change in the value orientations of citizens in Western Europe during the past two decades. These include a decline in religious belief, waning class values, and rising post‐materialism – along with environmentalism, feminism, and post‐modernism. The extent of these changes, and their impact on the conduct of politics, are the dual concerns of this book. Its first few chapters present a simple model of the relationship between value orientations and political participation, and follow up with an account of how value orientations can be established empirically. Subsequent chapters draw on extensive data from across Europe, in order to track changes in three key types of value orientation – religious/secular, left/right materialism, and materialism/post‐materialism – and additionally discusses the emergence of the value orientations relating to feminism, post‐modernism, and environmentalism. The third part of the book examines the impact of the three key types on political effectiveness, political trust, interest in politics, voting behaviour, and involvement in new social movements. It concludes with an assessment of the implications of changing value orientations for the governability of advanced industrial societies.Less
This book is the fourth in the ‘Beliefs in government’ series, and focuses on phenomena indicative of widespread change in the value orientations of citizens in Western Europe during the past two decades. These include a decline in religious belief, waning class values, and rising post‐materialism – along with environmentalism, feminism, and post‐modernism. The extent of these changes, and their impact on the conduct of politics, are the dual concerns of this book. Its first few chapters present a simple model of the relationship between value orientations and political participation, and follow up with an account of how value orientations can be established empirically. Subsequent chapters draw on extensive data from across Europe, in order to track changes in three key types of value orientation – religious/secular, left/right materialism, and materialism/post‐materialism – and additionally discusses the emergence of the value orientations relating to feminism, post‐modernism, and environmentalism. The third part of the book examines the impact of the three key types on political effectiveness, political trust, interest in politics, voting behaviour, and involvement in new social movements. It concludes with an assessment of the implications of changing value orientations for the governability of advanced industrial societies.
Sue Thomas
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198293484
- eISBN:
- 9780191598944
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198293488.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
This chapter reviews existing research about women in political leadership positions, especially women public officials. Thomas proposes an agenda for future research that includes analysis of the ...
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This chapter reviews existing research about women in political leadership positions, especially women public officials. Thomas proposes an agenda for future research that includes analysis of the impact of women leaders on policy issues and the political process as well as the psychological tools they utilize.Less
This chapter reviews existing research about women in political leadership positions, especially women public officials. Thomas proposes an agenda for future research that includes analysis of the impact of women leaders on policy issues and the political process as well as the psychological tools they utilize.
Philip G. Cerny
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199733699
- eISBN:
- 9780199776740
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199733699.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the primary theme of the book, which is that the fundamental underpinnings of world politics are being transformed in a globalizing world. ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the primary theme of the book, which is that the fundamental underpinnings of world politics are being transformed in a globalizing world. It then discusses domestic politics and international relations in the study of political science; plurality, pluralism, and political theory; social conflict, stability, and globalization; and interest groups and the globalization process. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the primary theme of the book, which is that the fundamental underpinnings of world politics are being transformed in a globalizing world. It then discusses domestic politics and international relations in the study of political science; plurality, pluralism, and political theory; social conflict, stability, and globalization; and interest groups and the globalization process. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.
Kay Lehman Schlozman, Sidney Verba, and Henry E. Brady
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691154848
- eISBN:
- 9781400841912
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691154848.003.0015
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This chapter considers to what extent political recruitment can bring in a more representative set of activists and thus moderate the accent of the political chorus. It investigates ways to break a ...
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This chapter considers to what extent political recruitment can bring in a more representative set of activists and thus moderate the accent of the political chorus. It investigates ways to break a cycle deeply embedded in ongoing social and political processes, zeroing in on the possibility that the processes by which people are recruited to political activity might act as the circuit breaker. Moreover, this chapter finds that there is a process called “rational prospecting” in which those who wish to get others involved in politics follow a strategy of seeking out those prospects who are likely to assent to a request for political activity and to participate effectively when they do, with the result that ordinary processes of recruitment are actually amplifying the class bias in political voice rather than reducing it.Less
This chapter considers to what extent political recruitment can bring in a more representative set of activists and thus moderate the accent of the political chorus. It investigates ways to break a cycle deeply embedded in ongoing social and political processes, zeroing in on the possibility that the processes by which people are recruited to political activity might act as the circuit breaker. Moreover, this chapter finds that there is a process called “rational prospecting” in which those who wish to get others involved in politics follow a strategy of seeking out those prospects who are likely to assent to a request for political activity and to participate effectively when they do, with the result that ordinary processes of recruitment are actually amplifying the class bias in political voice rather than reducing it.
Kathryn Gleadle
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264492
- eISBN:
- 9780191734274
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264492.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History
This chapter considers how, as ratepayers, householders, electors, parliamentary constituents, petitioners, welfare providers, and policy experts, women in Britain were commonly treated as political ...
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This chapter considers how, as ratepayers, householders, electors, parliamentary constituents, petitioners, welfare providers, and policy experts, women in Britain were commonly treated as political subjects. Women were ‘borderline citizens’ whose status hovered permanently in the interstices of the political nation: their involvement could be evoked and sanctioned as quickly as it could be dismissed and undermined. This chapter focuses on the structural qualities of the political process and the ways in which they variously facilitated or limited female participation. It was in the parish that women enjoyed the most expansive opportunities, yet parochial authority was increasingly eroded in this period thanks to reforms such as the Poor Law Amendment Act and the Municipal Corporations Act. This chapter also discusses the involvement of women in parliamentary elections, local elections, and petitioning.Less
This chapter considers how, as ratepayers, householders, electors, parliamentary constituents, petitioners, welfare providers, and policy experts, women in Britain were commonly treated as political subjects. Women were ‘borderline citizens’ whose status hovered permanently in the interstices of the political nation: their involvement could be evoked and sanctioned as quickly as it could be dismissed and undermined. This chapter focuses on the structural qualities of the political process and the ways in which they variously facilitated or limited female participation. It was in the parish that women enjoyed the most expansive opportunities, yet parochial authority was increasingly eroded in this period thanks to reforms such as the Poor Law Amendment Act and the Municipal Corporations Act. This chapter also discusses the involvement of women in parliamentary elections, local elections, and petitioning.
Deborah Posel
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198273349
- eISBN:
- 9780191684036
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198273349.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This book examines some of the crucial political processes and struggles which shaped the reciprocal development of Apartheid and capitalism in South Africa. The book's analysis debunks the orthodoxy ...
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This book examines some of the crucial political processes and struggles which shaped the reciprocal development of Apartheid and capitalism in South Africa. The book's analysis debunks the orthodoxy view, which presents apartheid as the product of a single ‘grand plan’, created by the State in response to the pressures of capital accumulation. Using as a case study influx control during the first phase of apartheid (1948–61), the book shows that apartheid arose from complex patterns of conflict and compromise within the State, in which white capitalists, the black working class, and popular movements exercised varying and uneven degrees of influence. This book integrates a detailed empirical analysis of the capitalist State and its relationship to class interests.Less
This book examines some of the crucial political processes and struggles which shaped the reciprocal development of Apartheid and capitalism in South Africa. The book's analysis debunks the orthodoxy view, which presents apartheid as the product of a single ‘grand plan’, created by the State in response to the pressures of capital accumulation. Using as a case study influx control during the first phase of apartheid (1948–61), the book shows that apartheid arose from complex patterns of conflict and compromise within the State, in which white capitalists, the black working class, and popular movements exercised varying and uneven degrees of influence. This book integrates a detailed empirical analysis of the capitalist State and its relationship to class interests.
Narayan Lakshman
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198069980
- eISBN:
- 9780199081288
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198069980.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Indian Politics
This chapter studies the underlying politics of the trends in disaggregated components of expenditure and revenue. It discusses the technical constraints and processes of political bargaining direct ...
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This chapter studies the underlying politics of the trends in disaggregated components of expenditure and revenue. It discusses the technical constraints and processes of political bargaining direct and limit the flow of funds to poverty-alleviating policies that are implemented by the state government. The chapter presents an analysis that studies the budget formulation process and how it is being practiced at the state government level. The political bargaining processes used by the chief minister and cabinet ministers are also discussed. The important redistributive policies practiced in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are studied, as well as how the politicians are able to influence the patterns of resource allocation. Most of the data gathered come from interviews with administrative officers, political leaders, and political elites.Less
This chapter studies the underlying politics of the trends in disaggregated components of expenditure and revenue. It discusses the technical constraints and processes of political bargaining direct and limit the flow of funds to poverty-alleviating policies that are implemented by the state government. The chapter presents an analysis that studies the budget formulation process and how it is being practiced at the state government level. The political bargaining processes used by the chief minister and cabinet ministers are also discussed. The important redistributive policies practiced in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are studied, as well as how the politicians are able to influence the patterns of resource allocation. Most of the data gathered come from interviews with administrative officers, political leaders, and political elites.
Judith G. Kelley
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691152776
- eISBN:
- 9781400842520
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691152776.003.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Democratization
This introductory chapter discusses the credibility of international institutions and the methods the international community uses to promote good domestic governance. It asks about whether ...
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This introductory chapter discusses the credibility of international institutions and the methods the international community uses to promote good domestic governance. It asks about whether international election monitors improve the quality of elections. Given the logistical and political challenges to their efforts to assess elections, skeptics would have plenty of reasons to question claims that monitoring organizations could actually influence the behavior of politicians in any way. Theoretically, monitors may be able to improve elections through several mechanisms. Yet, as early critics noted, international election monitoring organizations are highly complicated actors and monitoring is a complex undertaking. By injecting themselves into the domestic political process, monitoring organizations raise many questions about their conduct and effects and, by extension, about the motivations of the international actors who sponsor them.Less
This introductory chapter discusses the credibility of international institutions and the methods the international community uses to promote good domestic governance. It asks about whether international election monitors improve the quality of elections. Given the logistical and political challenges to their efforts to assess elections, skeptics would have plenty of reasons to question claims that monitoring organizations could actually influence the behavior of politicians in any way. Theoretically, monitors may be able to improve elections through several mechanisms. Yet, as early critics noted, international election monitoring organizations are highly complicated actors and monitoring is a complex undertaking. By injecting themselves into the domestic political process, monitoring organizations raise many questions about their conduct and effects and, by extension, about the motivations of the international actors who sponsor them.
Arne H. Eide and Benedicte Ingstad (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781847428851
- eISBN:
- 9781447302063
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781847428851.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
This book is about being disabled and being poor, and the social, cultural, and political processes that link these two aspects of living. Environmental barriers, limited access to services, and ...
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This book is about being disabled and being poor, and the social, cultural, and political processes that link these two aspects of living. Environmental barriers, limited access to services, and discriminatory attitudes and practice are among key elements that drive disabled people into poverty and keep them there. The book explores the lived realities of people with disabilities from across the developing world and examines how the coping strategies of individuals and families emerge in different contexts.Less
This book is about being disabled and being poor, and the social, cultural, and political processes that link these two aspects of living. Environmental barriers, limited access to services, and discriminatory attitudes and practice are among key elements that drive disabled people into poverty and keep them there. The book explores the lived realities of people with disabilities from across the developing world and examines how the coping strategies of individuals and families emerge in different contexts.
Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Dina Francesca Haynes, and Naomi Cahn
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195396645
- eISBN:
- 9780199918416
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195396645.003.0000
- Subject:
- Law, Human Rights and Immigration, Public International Law
This introductory chapter first sets out the purpose of the book, which is to explore the role that gender plays in the construction and implementation of the post-conflict transitional process. The ...
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This introductory chapter first sets out the purpose of the book, which is to explore the role that gender plays in the construction and implementation of the post-conflict transitional process. The specific intention is to probe how women fare and to articulate the views given in this book on how various legal and political processes might work better for women. The remainder of the chapter presents some key ideas that frame the overall analysis. Section one sets out the framework utilized to address the legal and political processes that are typically harnessed to subdue conflict. Section two provides a critique of gender mainstreaming and articulates the concept of gender centrality—the application of which might be a means to recalibrate post-conflict processes to better accommodate women’s needs and interests. Section three concludes with an overview of the relevant and developing international legal norms that directly address the roles and rights of women in post-conflict political processes.Less
This introductory chapter first sets out the purpose of the book, which is to explore the role that gender plays in the construction and implementation of the post-conflict transitional process. The specific intention is to probe how women fare and to articulate the views given in this book on how various legal and political processes might work better for women. The remainder of the chapter presents some key ideas that frame the overall analysis. Section one sets out the framework utilized to address the legal and political processes that are typically harnessed to subdue conflict. Section two provides a critique of gender mainstreaming and articulates the concept of gender centrality—the application of which might be a means to recalibrate post-conflict processes to better accommodate women’s needs and interests. Section three concludes with an overview of the relevant and developing international legal norms that directly address the roles and rights of women in post-conflict political processes.
Judy Wajcman
Paul Edwards (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199271900
- eISBN:
- 9780191699559
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199271900.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, HRM / IR, Organization Studies
How does the politics of working life shape modern organizations? Is our desire for meaningful, secure work increasingly at odds with corporate behaviour in a globalized economy? Does the rise of ...
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How does the politics of working life shape modern organizations? Is our desire for meaningful, secure work increasingly at odds with corporate behaviour in a globalized economy? Does the rise of performance management culture represent an intensification of work, or create opportunities for the freewheeling individual career? This timely and engaging book, by leading authorities in the field, adopts the standpoint of the ‘questioning observer’. The book is unique in its multi-dimensional approach, weaving together analysis of individual work experience, political processes in organizations, and the wider context of the social structuring of markets. It identifies central questions about working experience and has a strong analytical foundation based on a political economy framework, giving particular weight to the contradictory character of organizations. These contradictions turn on the competing demands placed on organizations and the different political projects of groups within them. Numerous scholarly debates are addressed — including those on identity projects, gender and work, power and participation, escalation in decision-making, and the meaning of corporate social responsibility.Less
How does the politics of working life shape modern organizations? Is our desire for meaningful, secure work increasingly at odds with corporate behaviour in a globalized economy? Does the rise of performance management culture represent an intensification of work, or create opportunities for the freewheeling individual career? This timely and engaging book, by leading authorities in the field, adopts the standpoint of the ‘questioning observer’. The book is unique in its multi-dimensional approach, weaving together analysis of individual work experience, political processes in organizations, and the wider context of the social structuring of markets. It identifies central questions about working experience and has a strong analytical foundation based on a political economy framework, giving particular weight to the contradictory character of organizations. These contradictions turn on the competing demands placed on organizations and the different political projects of groups within them. Numerous scholarly debates are addressed — including those on identity projects, gender and work, power and participation, escalation in decision-making, and the meaning of corporate social responsibility.
Andreas Osiander
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198278870
- eISBN:
- 9780191684258
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198278870.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
With hindsight, Gentz's words take on the character of a prophecy. If 1789 is a key date for domestic political culture in Europe, then 1914 must be seen as a key date in the history of international ...
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With hindsight, Gentz's words take on the character of a prophecy. If 1789 is a key date for domestic political culture in Europe, then 1914 must be seen as a key date in the history of international society. Fittingly triggered by the assassination of a Habsburg heir, the first general war for a century turned Gentz's nightmare scenario into reality; this time, the old order did not recover. The war brought revolution in the domestic sphere, as illustrated by the abolition of kingship of Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Turkey, and by the triumph of Bolshevism. The idea that the masses should participate in the political process gained fresh and unstoppable momentum, shown for example by the widespread lifting of voting restrictions and the introduction of female suffrage.Less
With hindsight, Gentz's words take on the character of a prophecy. If 1789 is a key date for domestic political culture in Europe, then 1914 must be seen as a key date in the history of international society. Fittingly triggered by the assassination of a Habsburg heir, the first general war for a century turned Gentz's nightmare scenario into reality; this time, the old order did not recover. The war brought revolution in the domestic sphere, as illustrated by the abolition of kingship of Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Turkey, and by the triumph of Bolshevism. The idea that the masses should participate in the political process gained fresh and unstoppable momentum, shown for example by the widespread lifting of voting restrictions and the introduction of female suffrage.
Susan J. Owen
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198183877
- eISBN:
- 9780191674129
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198183877.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, Drama, 17th-century and Restoration Literature
Restoration Theatre and Crisis is a seminal study of the drama of the Restoration, in particular that of the Popish Plot and Exclusion Crisis. This was a time of unprecedented political ...
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Restoration Theatre and Crisis is a seminal study of the drama of the Restoration, in particular that of the Popish Plot and Exclusion Crisis. This was a time of unprecedented political partisanship in the theatre. This book considers all the known plays of this period, including works by Dryden and Behn, in their historical context. It examines the complex ways in which the drama both reflected and intervened in the political process, at a time when the crisis fractured an already fragile post-interregnum consensus, and modern party political methods first began to develop.Less
Restoration Theatre and Crisis is a seminal study of the drama of the Restoration, in particular that of the Popish Plot and Exclusion Crisis. This was a time of unprecedented political partisanship in the theatre. This book considers all the known plays of this period, including works by Dryden and Behn, in their historical context. It examines the complex ways in which the drama both reflected and intervened in the political process, at a time when the crisis fractured an already fragile post-interregnum consensus, and modern party political methods first began to develop.
Mark Mulqueen
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780719097188
- eISBN:
- 9781526104281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719097188.003.0006
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
Examines the response made to FOI legislation in the Oireachtas and suggests that FOI is but one move towards a more functional and developed system of open government in Ireland. Highlighting that ...
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Examines the response made to FOI legislation in the Oireachtas and suggests that FOI is but one move towards a more functional and developed system of open government in Ireland. Highlighting that public trust in government is paramount for a flourishing democracy, the chapter examines the relationship between the Houses of the Oireachtas, the public and the media in terms of developing public confidence in government. The chapter argues that this is predicated on citizens being more knowledgeable about how the political system works, and examines the ways in which the Houses of the Oireachtas, as well as the media, have responded to the Irish FOI regime. The main contention of the chapter is that Oireachtas efforts to inform citizens about the political system and processes do not have the same level of impact or resources as are available to the media. Bearing this in mind, the chapter concludes that many positive efforts to develop public trust in parliament are routinely undermined by an excessively single-minded use of FOI by journalists keen to make a headline.Less
Examines the response made to FOI legislation in the Oireachtas and suggests that FOI is but one move towards a more functional and developed system of open government in Ireland. Highlighting that public trust in government is paramount for a flourishing democracy, the chapter examines the relationship between the Houses of the Oireachtas, the public and the media in terms of developing public confidence in government. The chapter argues that this is predicated on citizens being more knowledgeable about how the political system works, and examines the ways in which the Houses of the Oireachtas, as well as the media, have responded to the Irish FOI regime. The main contention of the chapter is that Oireachtas efforts to inform citizens about the political system and processes do not have the same level of impact or resources as are available to the media. Bearing this in mind, the chapter concludes that many positive efforts to develop public trust in parliament are routinely undermined by an excessively single-minded use of FOI by journalists keen to make a headline.
Philip B. Heymann
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195335385
- eISBN:
- 9780199851690
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195335385.003.0014
- Subject:
- Political Science, American Politics
The case of defining torture in the “War on Terror”, the political processes chosen, and the people chosen to carry them out, produces results that nobody wants while targeting outcomes that only a ...
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The case of defining torture in the “War on Terror”, the political processes chosen, and the people chosen to carry them out, produces results that nobody wants while targeting outcomes that only a fraction of the citizens would find morally acceptable. In the case of “Defining Torture”, the decision maker may choose such a “blinded” process for political reasons. President George Bush did conclude that the provisions of Common Article 3 did not apply to either Al Qaeda or the Taliban and that, further, the Taliban detainees were “unlawful combatants” and, like the Al Qaeda captives, did not qualify as prisoners of wars (POWs) under the Third Geneva Convention.Less
The case of defining torture in the “War on Terror”, the political processes chosen, and the people chosen to carry them out, produces results that nobody wants while targeting outcomes that only a fraction of the citizens would find morally acceptable. In the case of “Defining Torture”, the decision maker may choose such a “blinded” process for political reasons. President George Bush did conclude that the provisions of Common Article 3 did not apply to either Al Qaeda or the Taliban and that, further, the Taliban detainees were “unlawful combatants” and, like the Al Qaeda captives, did not qualify as prisoners of wars (POWs) under the Third Geneva Convention.
Ifat Maoz
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195166439
- eISBN:
- 9780199849796
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195166439.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Although the term reconciliation has been widely used in academic literature regarding international and interethnic conflict, the term has an ambiguous nature as it can be used over a wide variety ...
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Although the term reconciliation has been widely used in academic literature regarding international and interethnic conflict, the term has an ambiguous nature as it can be used over a wide variety of contexts and perspectives and it can be discussed also at micro and macro levels. Thus, the working definition for this study concerns reconciliation as a fusion of cognitive and emotional processes wherein concerned parties accept relationships of peace and are accompanied by certain political and structural processes during the transition from state to state. This chapter attempts to explain what psychological processes are involved in reconciliation and what the necessary conditions for the transition from conflict to peace are.Less
Although the term reconciliation has been widely used in academic literature regarding international and interethnic conflict, the term has an ambiguous nature as it can be used over a wide variety of contexts and perspectives and it can be discussed also at micro and macro levels. Thus, the working definition for this study concerns reconciliation as a fusion of cognitive and emotional processes wherein concerned parties accept relationships of peace and are accompanied by certain political and structural processes during the transition from state to state. This chapter attempts to explain what psychological processes are involved in reconciliation and what the necessary conditions for the transition from conflict to peace are.
Egdūnas Račius
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780748646944
- eISBN:
- 9780748684281
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748646944.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
In the analysis of the attitudes toward and actual participation in the political process in the country, the most interesting group from among Lithuania’s Muslims are its citizens who have converted ...
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In the analysis of the attitudes toward and actual participation in the political process in the country, the most interesting group from among Lithuania’s Muslims are its citizens who have converted to Islam. This is so because their attitudes toward participation in politics could be presumed to have been shaped and influenced by numerous experiences and factors of both an internal and an external nature, major among which are different levels of personal and group socialisation and access to and influence of ‘Islamic’ texts and other material on one’s worldview. As converts are usually very keen on painstakingly observing rules and regulations of their newly adopted religion, as they see them, it is to be expected that the ‘Islamic factor’ should have a profound influence on how they perceive democracy as a political system per se, its compatibility with Islam, and finally their personal decision to take or not to take part in the democratic political process.Less
In the analysis of the attitudes toward and actual participation in the political process in the country, the most interesting group from among Lithuania’s Muslims are its citizens who have converted to Islam. This is so because their attitudes toward participation in politics could be presumed to have been shaped and influenced by numerous experiences and factors of both an internal and an external nature, major among which are different levels of personal and group socialisation and access to and influence of ‘Islamic’ texts and other material on one’s worldview. As converts are usually very keen on painstakingly observing rules and regulations of their newly adopted religion, as they see them, it is to be expected that the ‘Islamic factor’ should have a profound influence on how they perceive democracy as a political system per se, its compatibility with Islam, and finally their personal decision to take or not to take part in the democratic political process.
Carlo Guarnieri
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198298359
- eISBN:
- 9780191685422
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198298359.003.0002
- Subject:
- Law, Legal Profession and Ethics
Even though there is a trend in all contemporary democracies towards courts increasingly playing a politically significant role, there are some important differences in its intensity and the way ...
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Even though there is a trend in all contemporary democracies towards courts increasingly playing a politically significant role, there are some important differences in its intensity and the way judicial activism manifests itself in specific contexts. These differences are related to a range of elements, both inside and outside the judicial system. This chapter focuses on internal elements. Without judicial independence, it is impossible to speak of an autonomous intervention by the judiciary in the political process. To evaluate the degree of independence judges enjoy, both their training and recruitment and the guarantees that exist to safeguard their independent status need to be taken into account. An analysis of such structural aspects introduces another element, the role of the perception of judges, which is influenced in part by the institutional setting in which judges operate.Less
Even though there is a trend in all contemporary democracies towards courts increasingly playing a politically significant role, there are some important differences in its intensity and the way judicial activism manifests itself in specific contexts. These differences are related to a range of elements, both inside and outside the judicial system. This chapter focuses on internal elements. Without judicial independence, it is impossible to speak of an autonomous intervention by the judiciary in the political process. To evaluate the degree of independence judges enjoy, both their training and recruitment and the guarantees that exist to safeguard their independent status need to be taken into account. An analysis of such structural aspects introduces another element, the role of the perception of judges, which is influenced in part by the institutional setting in which judges operate.
Geoffrey K. Roberts
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- July 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719069901
- eISBN:
- 9781781701584
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719069901.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, European Union
The study of German electoral politics has been neglected of late, despite being one of the most pervasive elements of the German political process. This book argues that concentration on electoral ...
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The study of German electoral politics has been neglected of late, despite being one of the most pervasive elements of the German political process. This book argues that concentration on electoral politics facilitates deeper understanding and appreciation of the German political system. It provides explanations and analysis of the federal electoral system, its evolution and the challenges that have been made to its format; discusses the role of electoral politics in relation to political parties and to the public; and the influence of second-order elections in the German political system. The book goes on to evaluate the effectiveness of the German electoral system in relation to its functions, and challenges the premise that electoral politics makes a difference in Germany. Ultimately, it aims to reconcile the apparently limited role that elections have in determining the composition of governments with the notion that there is a ‘permanent election campaign’ in existence in German politics.Less
The study of German electoral politics has been neglected of late, despite being one of the most pervasive elements of the German political process. This book argues that concentration on electoral politics facilitates deeper understanding and appreciation of the German political system. It provides explanations and analysis of the federal electoral system, its evolution and the challenges that have been made to its format; discusses the role of electoral politics in relation to political parties and to the public; and the influence of second-order elections in the German political system. The book goes on to evaluate the effectiveness of the German electoral system in relation to its functions, and challenges the premise that electoral politics makes a difference in Germany. Ultimately, it aims to reconcile the apparently limited role that elections have in determining the composition of governments with the notion that there is a ‘permanent election campaign’ in existence in German politics.
