Download or read book Baltic Democracy at the Crossroads written by Sten Berglund and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Little more than a decade after the fall of communism, the Baltic States and Poland, alongside several other Central European states, have been invited to join the European Union from 2004. The speed of change has been breathtaking, surprising even the most optimistic voices. This volume gives a comprehensive overview of the state of democracy around the eastern Baltic seaboard, highlighting in particular the importance of elites in newly emerging democracies. This is the first first volume to provide in-depth analysis of the rapidly changing political circumstances of the Baltic countries, Poland, and Kaliningrad to a wide audience, covering the transformation from the Soviet-style nomenklatura to competitive elites; changing political behavior; and the links between citizens and elites. In addition, the book covers the interconnections between networks of elites, including local elites. One chapter also analyzes the delicate issue of the detached Russian region of Kaliningrad.
Download or read book Baltic Biographies at Historical Crossroads written by Aili Aarelaid-Tart and published by . This book was released on 2014-01-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lying on the coastline of the Baltic Sea, the small but strategically well located Baltic territories have historically found themselves in the middle of many power struggles between larger states, empires and other power-holders. This book brings together life stories from five generations of Balts, living through the diverse and recurring transformations of the 20th century; occupations, war, independence, totalitarianism, and democratic rule and market economy.
Download or read book The Contested Status of Political Elites written by Lars Vogel and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-07-17 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemporary Western societies are witnessing ground-breaking social, economic and political changes at an accelerating pace. These changes are challenging the way democracy works and the role that political elites play in this system of government. Using a theoretical and empirical approach, this volume argues that political elites are urged to develop new strategies in order to achieve interest aggregation, to safeguard collective action, and to maintain elite autonomy and stability. The adaptive capacities of political elites are assessed through case studies, comparative and longitudinal analyses of their social structure, their recruitment patterns, and their attitudes. The book includes contributions from reputable scholars in the field of elite research and specialists on individual political systems across Europe and the US. It provides an analytical framework demonstrating that political elites are inevitable and potentially able to respond successfully to varying challenges. The book will be of key interest to scholars and students of political elites, democracy, comparative politics, political participation and European Politics.
Download or read book Models of Democracy in Nordic and Baltic Europe written by Nicholas Aylott and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-04-15 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the ways in which representative democracy works in two neighbouring collections of European states: the Nordic (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) and the Baltic (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). Starting from a Nordic vantage point, contributors explore the extent to which aspects of politics function similarly or dissimilarly across the two groups of democratic states, acknowledging the differences in models of democracy that occur within each group. Authors explore the possibility that some of the apparently successful institutional features of Nordic politics have somehow influenced politics in the Baltic states, despite the considerable contextual differences between the two groups. The Nordic-Baltic comparison is particularly worthy of study, given the comparative stability of the Nordic democracies and the half century of occupation by a totalitarian dictatorship that the Baltic states endured. The central, guiding questions are: how does political representation work in countries that have a lot in common, but also a few significant contextual dissimilarities; and what, if any, relationships between the respective styles of democracy can be identified? Using a variety of theories, perspectives and methods, the empirical studies that populate the book seek to offer reflections on these questions.
Download or read book Democratic Crossroads written by Richard Youngs and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Democratic Crossroads, Richard Youngs argues that there are three crises are altering the balance between democratic and authoritarian dynamics around the world: climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic legacy, and geopolitical conflict. Yet while they add to the strains on democracy, they are also awakening a momentum of democratic resilience and renewal. Youngs argues that without stronger commitments to uphold and improve democratic norms and practices, democracy may not weather these challenges. In a moment of pivotal change, this book highlights key factors that will determine democracy's fortunes in the future.
Download or read book Political Culture in the Baltic States written by Kjetil Duvold and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-10-26 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is the first systematic and comparative effort to capture political culture in the Baltic countries, including political orientation and support for democracy. Revolving around public opinion data from the 1990s and onwards, including two recent surveys commissioned by the authors, the book takes stock of the political climate prevailing in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania a quarter of a century after reclaiming independence and fifteen years after becoming members of NATO and the EU. These three countries share the same geopolitical fate and many contemporary challenges, and yet each has been marked by their own transitions and struggles between nation building and European integration, Western and post-Soviet orientations, and past experience and future aspirations.
Download or read book The Baltic Sea Region written by Witold Maciejewski and published by Baltic University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 686 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe written by Sten Berglund and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2013-04-01 with total page 861 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ÔLots has changed in Eastern Europe in the past quarter-century and the new edition of this major study of the region sets out these changes in directions for the better and for the worse.Õ Ð Richard Rose, University of Strathclyde, UK ÔThis Handbook offers a historically informed, systematic account of the political development in Central and Eastern Europe. Two chapters lay out a framework for comparison. 26 specialists provide analyses for 19 countries. In an appendix, each of these country chapters documents election results, government composition, the electoral system, and the constitutional framework. The concluding chapter synthesizes the major results. The Handbook is the most comprehensive source for an up-to-date analysis of all Central and Eastern European countries within the sphere of influence of the European Union. It is a Òmust haveÓ for students and scholars interested in how to evaluate the state of democracy in this region of the globe.Õ Ð Hans-Dieter Klingemann, New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE and Social Science Research Center Berlin, Germany This third edition of The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe provides an authoritative and thorough analysis of the political changes, which have occurred in Central and Eastern Europe since the demise of communism. It offers an historical, comparative perspective of the region and focuses on the social consequences of the democratisation process. The country-specific chapters are written by scholars with well-documented area expertise on their respective cases: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. Each chapter includes detailed examinations of elections, the formation of governments, electoral systems and constitutional arrangements. These in-depth and up-to-date analyses are supplemented by conclusions on the party systems and emerging political structures in the region as a whole, as well as the consolidation of democracy in a post-communist setting. The revised and expanded version of The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe provides a state-of-the art companion, which will be indispensable for students and scholars in the social sciences including political science, comparative politics, European studies and political history, as well as for policy makers and practitioners.
Download or read book The Kaliningrad Challenge written by Hanne-Margret Birckenbach and published by LIT Verlag Münster. This book was released on 2003 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Kaliningradskaya Oblast, Russia's Baltic enclave which soon will turn into an island amid the enlarged EU and NATO, constitutes a twofold challenge to European politics: Due to its economic, social, historical, geographical, strategic, and cultural peculiarities the detached region may become a source of instability. However, due to the same peculiarities the region also bears the potential to serve as a pilot-region for an EU-Russian partnership. To meet the latter perspective all actors concerned need to engage in a dialogue-based, coordinated, and problem-solving approach. This study provides recommendations to a wide range of actors on how to approach the Kaliningrad challenge in a proactive manner. It presents a policy paper drafted by a group of Kaliningrad experts from eight countries and is complemented by fourteen issue-oriented chapters which provide in-depth reasoning on the suggestions made by the group. Hanne-Margret Birckenbach is professor of political sciences at the University of Giessen, Germany. Christian Wellmann is deputy director of SHIP--The Schleswig-Holstein Institute for Peace Research, Germany.
Download or read book The Baltic Nations and Europe written by John Hiden and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of all the Soviet Union's subject nationalities, the three Baltic republics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, were the most determined and best organised in seizing the opportunities created by glasnost and perestroika to win freedom from Moscow's grip. At the time of first publication, in 1991, the final section of the book was speculative. Now for this revised edition, the authors have provided a new final chapter which brings the story up to date -- and the three republics to political independence again.
Download or read book Latvia A Work in Progress written by Matthew Kott and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2016-03-22 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A quarter century after the formation of the Popular Front and a decade since joining the EU, processes of state- and nation-building in Latvia are still on-going. Issues such as citizenship, language policy, minority rights, democratic legitimacy, economic stability, and security all remain objects of vigorous public discussion. The current situation also reflects longer-standing debates on the relationship between state, nation, and sovereignty in Latvian society and polity. By examining different aspects of these relationships, this volume aims to reveal both key turning points and continuities in Latvia's development, thereby helping to inform current debates.
Download or read book The European Union and Party Politics in Central and Eastern Europe written by P. Lewis and published by Springer. This book was released on 2006-10-30 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the influence of the EU on party politics in the ten 'new' EU countries from a variety of perspectives and using a range of empirical sources. The book thus makes an original and distinctive contribution both to contemporary EU studies and to the literature on CE party systems and party development.
Download or read book Borderlines and Borderlands written by Alexander C. Diener and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From our earliest schooldays, we are shown the world as a colorful collage of countries, each defined by their own immutable borders. What we often don't realize is that every political boundary was created by people. No political border is more natural or real than another, yet some international borders make no apparent sense at all. While focusing on some of these unusual border shapes, this fascinating book highlights the important truth that all borders, even those that appear "normal," are social constructions. In an era where the continued relevance of the nation state is being questioned and where transnationalism is altering the degree to which borders effectively demarcate spaces of belonging, the contributors argue that this point is vital to our understanding of the world. The unique and compelling histories of some of the world's oddest borders provide an ideal context for this group of experts to offer accessible and enlightening discussions of cultural globalization, economic integration, international migration, imperialism, postcolonialism, global terrorism, nationalism, and supranationalism. Each author's regional expertise enriches a textured account of the historical context in which these borders came into existence as well as their historical and ongoing influence on the people and states they bound. To view more maps from the David Rumsey Map Collection, visit www.davidrumsey.com. Contributions by: Eric D. Carter, Karen Culcasi, Alexander C. Diener, Joshua Hagen, Reece Jones, Robert Lloyd, Nick Megoran, Julian V. Minghi, David Newman, Robert Ostergren, and William C. Rowe.
Download or read book Political culture Texte imprim values and identities in the Baltic Sea region The Baltic Sea region Northern dimensions European perspectives written by Mai-Brith Schartau, Sten Berglund, Mikko Lagerspetz, Bernd Henningsen and published by BWV Verlag. This book was released on 2011-06-27 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reconciling the diversity of political cultures, values and national identities with the European integration project is one of the most fundamental challenges contemporary Europe is facing. This challenge is readily apparent in the Baltic Sea region with its mosaic of peoples, cultures and identities. The impact of the ongoing process of European integration on the post-Communist societies on the Eastern rim of the Baltic Sea is indisputable. The negotiations between the European Union and the East European candidate countries were in fact accompanied by a large scale transfer of organization.
Download or read book The Making of the European Union written by Sten Berglund and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Making of the European Union argues that the process of European integration has drifted into serious crisis, perhaps the most serious since the Danes voted against the Treaty of the European Union in 1992. Analysing the conditions for European integration, this book applies a citizens' or 'bottom-up' perspective on the integration process. The difficulties that the constitutional process has encountered illustrate the relevance of bringing public opinion into the analysis of the prospects for European integration. The book describes and analyses the historical, mental, intellectual , and attitudinal denominators of European integration, denominators that have shaped the processes so far and will continue to do so in the future. The authors apply a broad comparative perspective, where European nation-states constitute the primary units of analysis. The focus is on the foundations of European integration, public views about the EU, including various shades of Euroscepticism, and the long-term prospects of the EU. This book will appeal to a wide audience including scholars and researchers in the social sciences - particularly political science, comparative politics and European studies. The book will also be of great interest to journalists and all those involved in the EU, including policy makers and civil servants throughout the EU itself.
Download or read book The Baltic Sea Region A Comprehensive Guide written by Bernd Henningsen and published by BWV Verlag. This book was released on 2017-09-15 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Baltic Sea Region, at the crossroads between East and West, North and South, has long been marked by cultural, ethnical and ideological borders. Overcoming a history of conflict and separation, since the end of the Cold War the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea established widely valued formats of regional cooperation based on shared challenges and opportunities. In comparison with larger regions, however, the Baltic Sea Area is still a blank spot on the global map. This volume's intention is to fill this spot with colour and facts. It provides students, young researchers and other interested parties with basic knowledge of the region. The volume offers a comprehensive introduction into its history, politics, economy and culture, taking into account the various countries' commonalities and differences. By introducing concepts of regionalism and region-building, as well as analysing the structures of regional cooperation the authors and editors demonstrate the Baltic Sea Area's model function as a European macro-region.--Back cover.
Download or read book Old Cultures New Institutions written by Ann Kennard and published by LIT Verlag Münster. This book was released on 2010 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Border regions around the new eastern and south-eastern edges of the European Union have seen the re-emergence of previous cultures and ethnicities. This has caused a reappraisal of people's relationship with history. Border-related institutions established at international, regional and local levels have endeavoured to make the border regions places of cultural encounter, providing a new way forward for future generations through new kinds of cooperation.