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Federalism and democratisation in Russia
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ISBN: 1526120763 Year: 2002 Publisher: New York : Manchester University Press,

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Abstract

The collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe has encouraged political scientists to re-examine the comparative literature on democratisation. A vast literature has now been produced comparing transitions from authoritarianism and democratisation in different parts of the world. However, there are two major omissions in the transition literature. First, the focus of research has primarily been on national level politics, and second, the relationship between federalism and democracy has largely been overlooked. This study seeks to redress this imbalance by moving the focus of research from the national level to the vitally important processes of institution building and democratisation at the local level and to the study of federalism and democratisation in Russia. Federal states are much more difficult to set up than unitary ones, and forging a new federal system at the same time as privatising the economy and trying to radically overhaul the political system has clearly made Russia's transition triply difficult. This book builds on Cameron Ross' earlier work, 'Regional Politics in Russia', by combining theoretical perspectives with empirical work to provide a comparative analysis of the electoral systems, party systems and governmental systems in the ethnic republics and regions and to assess the impact of theses different institutional arrangements on democratisation and federalism. Overall, this study argues that Russia's weak and asymmetrical form of federalism has played a major role in thwarting the consolidation of democracy. Federalism and democratisation in Russia exist in contradiction rather than harmony. In a vicious circle authoritarianism at the centre has been nourished by authoritarianism in the regions and vice versa. 'Elective dictatorships' and 'delegative democracies' are now well entrenched in many republics and authoritarian regimes are firmly established in a majority of the regions. This book will be vital reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of Russian politics and democratisation.


Book
The priority of democracy
Authors: ---
ISBN: 1283152568 9786613152565 1400840333 9781400840335 9781283152563 9780691151236 0691151237 Year: 2011 Publisher: Princeton [N.J.] Princeton University Press

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Pragmatism and its consequences are central issues in American politics today, yet scholars rarely examine in detail the relationship between pragmatism and politics. In The Priority of Democracy, Jack Knight and James Johnson systematically explore the subject and make a strong case for adopting a pragmatist approach to democratic politics--and for giving priority to democracy in the process of selecting and reforming political institutions. What is the primary value of democracy? When should we make decisions democratically and when should we rely on markets? And when should we accept the decisions of unelected officials, such as judges or bureaucrats? Knight and Johnson explore how a commitment to pragmatism should affect our answers to such important questions. They conclude that democracy is a good way of determining how these kinds of decisions should be made--even if what the democratic process determines is that not all decisions should be made democratically. So, for example, the democratically elected U.S. Congress may legitimately remove monetary policy from democratic decision-making by putting it under the control of the Federal Reserve. Knight and Johnson argue that pragmatism offers an original and compelling justification of democracy in terms of the unique contributions democratic institutions can make to processes of institutional choice. This focus highlights the important role that democracy plays, not in achieving consensus or commonality, but rather in addressing conflicts. Indeed, Knight and Johnson suggest that democratic politics is perhaps best seen less as a way of reaching consensus or agreement than as a way of structuring the terms of persistent disagreement.


Book
Reforming the European Union
Authors: --- --- ---
ISBN: 1283539837 9786613852281 1400842506 9781400842506 0691153922 9780691153926 0691153930 9780691153933 9780691153926 9780691153933 9781283539838 6613852287 Year: 2012 Publisher: Princeton, New Jersey Princeton University Press

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For decades the European Union tried changing its institutions, but achieved only unsatisfying political compromises and modest, incremental treaty revisions. In late 2009, however, the EU was successfully reformed through the Treaty of Lisbon. Reforming the European Union examines how political leaders ratified this treaty against all odds and shows how this victory involved all stages of treaty reform negotiations--from the initial proposal to referendums in several European countries. The authors emphasize the strategic role of political leadership and domestic politics, and they use state-of-the-art methodology, applying a comprehensive data set for actors' reform preferences. They look at how political leaders reacted to apparent failures of the process by recreating or changing the rules of the game. While domestic actors played a significant role in the process, their influence over the outcome was limited as leaders ignored negative referendums and plowed ahead with intended reforms. The book's empirical analyses shed light on critical episodes: strategic agenda setting during the European Convention, the choice of ratification instrument, intergovernmental bargaining dynamics, and the reaction of the German Council presidency to the negative referendums in France, the Netherlands, and Ireland.


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Services and Employment : Explaining the U.S.-European Gap
Authors: --- ---
ISBN: 069122563X Year: 2007 Publisher: Oxford : Princeton University Press,

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Why is Europe's employment rate almost 10 percent lower than that of the United States? This "jobs gap" has typically been blamed on the rigidity of European labor markets. But in Services and Employment, an international group of leading labor economists suggests quite a different explanation. Drawing on the findings of a two-year research project that examined data from France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States, these economists argue that Europe's 25 million "missing" jobs can be attributed almost entirely to its relative lack of service jobs. The jobs gap is actually a services gap. But, Services and Employment asks, why does the United States consume services at such a greater rate than Europe? Services and Employment is the first systematic and comprehensive international comparison on the subject. Mary Gregory, Wiemer Salverda, Ronald Schettkat, and their fellow contributors consider the possible role played by differences in how certain services--particularly health care and education--are provided in Europe and the United States. They examine arguments that Americans consume more services because of their higher incomes and that American households outsource more domestic work. The contributors also ask whether differences between U.S. and European service sectors encapsulate fundamental trans-Atlantic differences in lifestyle choices. In addition to the editors, the contributors include Victor Fuchs, William Baumol, Giovanni Russo, Adriaan Kalwij, Stephen Machin, Andrew Glyn, Joachin Möller, John Schmitt, Michel Sollogoub, Robert Gordon, and Richard Freeman.

Capacity Building, Governance, and Economic Reform in Africa
Authors: --- --- --- --- --- et al.
ISBN: 1589060725 1455228737 1455274003 Year: 2001 Publisher: Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund,

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This volume, edited by Michel A. Dessart and Roland E. Ubogu, records the presentations made and discussions held during the Inaugural Seminar of the Joint Africa Institute (JAI). The JAI was established in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, by the African Development Bank, the IMF, and the World Bank to meet the pressing training needs of the African continent. The participants discussed four main topics: the changing role of the state, governance, and new capacity requirements; the challenge of achieving macroeconomic stability in Africa; the requirement for capacity building in Africa; and the role of international financial institutions in capacity building in Africa. The seminar was held in November 1999, but the topics and recommendations of the seminar remain current and of particular importance today. The seminar was held in English and French, and both language versions are contained in this volume. 240 pp. 2001.

Keywords

Financial institutions, International --- Institutions financières internationales --- Congresses --- Congrès --- International Monetary Fund --- Africa --- Afrique --- Politics and government --- Economic policy --- Politique et gouvernement --- Politique économique --- 338.22 <6> --- 338.26 <6> --- -Training --- -331.31 --- 338.340 --- AFR / Africa - Afrika - Afrique --- -330.96 --- Skills training --- Education --- Teaching --- International financial institutions --- International finance --- Economische organisatieleer. Economisch beleid. Economische politiek--Afrika --- Economische planning. Nationale plannen. Ontwikkelingsplannen. Meerjarenplannen. Plattelandsontwikkeling. Rural development. Kosten-batenanlyse--Afrika --- Economisch beleid. --- Algemene ontwikkeling in de Derde Wereld. --- -International Monetary Fund --- Mezhdunarodnyĭ vali︠u︡tnyĭ fond --- Международный валютный фонд --- Miz︠h︡narodnyĭ vali︠u︡tnyĭ fond --- Fundo Monetário Internacional --- Fondo Monetario Internacional --- IMF (International Monetary Fund) --- FMI (International Monetary Fund) --- Internationaler Währungsfonds --- Kokusai Tsūka Kikin --- Fonds monétaire international --- Kukche Tʻonghwa Kigŭm --- Kansainvälinen Valuuttarahasto --- Kuo chi huo pi chi chin --- Fondul Monetar International --- Ṣundūq al-Naqd al-Dawlī --- Fondo M. Internacional --- IWF (International Monetary Fund) --- Kō̜ngthun Kānngœ̄n rawāng Prathēt --- MVF (International Monetary Fund) --- Międzynarodowy Fundusz Walutowy --- Mulya Aramudala --- I.M.F. (International Monetary Fund) --- Quỹ tiè̂n tệ quó̂c té̂ --- Nemzetközi Valuta Alap --- صندوق النقد الدولي --- 国际货币基金组织 --- 国際通貨基金 --- 國際貨幣基金組織 --- Fundu Monetariu Internacional --- Ṣundūq al-Naqd al-Duwalī --- DNT (Organization) --- Eastern Hemisphere --- Economic policy. --- -Politics and government. --- 338.26 <6> Economische planning. Nationale plannen. Ontwikkelingsplannen. Meerjarenplannen. Plattelandsontwikkeling. Rural development. Kosten-batenanlyse--Afrika --- 338.22 <6> Economische organisatieleer. Economisch beleid. Economische politiek--Afrika --- Training --- Government - Non-U.S. --- Law, Politics & Government --- Government - Asia --- Internationaal monetair fonds --- International monetary fund --- Institutions financières internationales --- Congrès --- Politique économique --- 330.96 --- 331.31 --- Economisch beleid --- Algemene ontwikkeling in de Derde Wereld --- IMF --- Congresses. --- Banks and Banking --- Public Finance --- Civics and Citizenship --- Social Services and Welfare --- Macroeconomics --- Environmental Economics --- Education: General --- Government Policy --- Provision and Effects of Welfare Program --- Formal and Informal Sectors --- Shadow Economy --- Institutional Arrangements --- Banks --- Depository Institutions --- Micro Finance Institutions --- Mortgages --- National Government Expenditures and Related Policies: General --- Public Enterprises --- Public-Private Enterprises --- Environmental Economics: General --- Civil service & public sector --- Social welfare & social services --- Banking --- Public finance & taxation --- Environmental economics --- Development economics & emerging economies --- Poverty reduction --- Civil society --- Expenditure --- Poverty --- Economic sectors --- Public sector --- Environment --- Banks and banking --- Expenditures, Public --- Finance, Public --- Environmental sciences --- Côte d'Ivoire

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