Download or read book Underwriting Democracy written by George Soros and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the 1970s, George Soros, the Hungarian-born financier, funded opposition movements under Communist regimes. Here, he recounts his efforts to further the cause of democracy in eastern Europe, and calls for the Soviet economy to be restructured around a hard currency.

Download or read book Just Giving written by Rob Reich and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-05-05 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The troubling ethics and politics of philanthropy Is philanthropy, by its very nature, a threat to today’s democracy? Though we may laud wealthy individuals who give away their money for society’s benefit, Just Giving shows how such generosity not only isn’t the unassailable good we think it to be but might also undermine democratic values. Big philanthropy is often an exercise of power, the conversion of private assets into public influence. And it is a form of power that is largely unaccountable and lavishly tax-advantaged. Philanthropy currently fails democracy, but Rob Reich argues that it can be redeemed. Just Giving investigates the ethical and political dimensions of philanthropy and considers how giving might better support democratic values and promote justice.

Download or read book The International Dimensions of Democratization written by Laurence Whitehead and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1996 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Seven of 14 chapters deal with the Americas, three others provide analytic context (four treat democratization in Europe). In Americas-specific chapters, leading scholars address themes related to Caribbean democracy, US human rights policy and 'political development assistance,' international political party associations, and international dimensions of development in Brazil and Chile"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 57.

Download or read book For Democracy s Sake written by Kevin F. F. Quigley and published by Woodrow Wilson Center Press. This book was released on 1997-03-07 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This pathbreaking study examines foundations' democracy assistance programs in Central Europe in the years immediately following the fall of the Berlin Wall, both measuring their size and evaluating their strategies.

Download or read book Consolidating the Third Wave Democracies written by Larry Diamond and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 1997-08-13 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An in-depth analysis of the struggle to consolidate new and fragile democracies—available two paperback volumes for course use. The global trend that Samuel P. Huntington has dubbed the "third wave" of democratization has seen more than 60 countries experience democratic transitions since 1974. While these countries have succeeded in bringing down authoritarian regimes and replacing them with freely elected governments, few of them can as yet be considered stable democracies. Most remain engaged in the struggle to consolidate their new and fragile democratic institutions. Consolidating the Third Wave Democracies provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges that they face. Consolidating the Third Wave Democracies is available in two paperback volumes, each introduced by the editors and organized for convenient course use. The first paperback volume, Themes and Perspectives, addresses issues of institutional design, civil-military relations, civil society, and economic development. It brings together some of the world's foremost scholars of democratization, including Robert A. Dahl, Samuel P. Huntington, Juan J. Linz, Guillermo O'Donnell, Adam Przeworski, Philippe C. Schmitter, and Alfred Stepan. The second paperback volume, Regional Challenges, focuses on developments in Southern Europe, Latin America, Russia, and East Asia, particularly Taiwan and China. It contains essays by leading regional experts, including Yun-han Chu, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, Thomas B. Gold, Michael McFaul, Andrew J. Nathan, and Hung-mao Tien.

Download or read book Contesting Conformity written by Jennie C. Ikuta and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-04-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans valorize resistance to conformity. "Be yourself!" "Don't just follow the crowd!" Such injunctions pervade contemporary American culture. We praise individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Steve Jobs who chart their own course in life and do something new. Yet surprisingly, recent research in social psychology has shown that, in practice, Americans are averse and at times, even hostile to individuals who express traits associated with non-conformity, such as individuality, free judgment, and creativity. This disjunction between our public rhetoric and practice raises fundamental questions: Why is non-conformity valuable? Is it always valuable-or does it pose dangers as well as promise benefits for democratic societies? What is the relationship between non-conformity as an individual ideal and democracy as a form of collective self-rule? Contesting Conformity provides a new interpretive lens to the writings of Alexis de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, and Friedrich Nietzsche to investigate non-conformity and its relationship to modern democracy. While there are important differences among them, all three thinkers worry that certain aspects of democracy--namely, the power of public opinion, the tyranny of social majorities, and the commitment to moral equality--encourage conformity, thus suppressing dissent, individuality, and creativity. Taken together, Tocqueville, Mill, and Nietzsche show us that to the extent that we are committed to democracy, we must find ways to foster non-conformity, but we must do so within certain moral and political constraints. Drawing new insight from their work, Jennie Ikuta argues that non-conformity is an intractable issue for democracy. While non-conformity is often important for cultivating a just polity, non-conformity can also undermine democracy. In other words, democracy needs non-conformity, but not in an unconditional way. This book examines this intractable relationship, and offers resources for navigating the relationship in contemporary democracies in ways that promote justice and freedom.

Download or read book George Soros written by Peter L. W. Osnos and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2022-03-08 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compelling new picture of one of the most important, complex, and misunderstood figures of our time. The name George Soros is recognized around the world. Universally known for his decades of philanthropy, progressive politics, and investment success, he is equally well known as the nemesis of the far right—the target of sustained attacks from nationalists, populists, authoritarian regimes, and anti-Semites—because of his commitment to open society, freedom of the press, and liberal democracy. At age 91, Soros still looms large on the global stage, and yet the man himself is surprisingly little understood. Asking people to describe Soros is likely to elicit different and seemingly contradictory answers. Who is George Soros, really? And why does this question matter? Biographers have attempted to tell the story of George Soros, but no single account of his life can capture his extraordinary, multifaceted character. Now, in this ambitious and revealing new book, Soros's longtime publisher, Peter L. W. Osnos, has assembled an intriguing set of contributors from a variety of different perspectives—public intellectuals (Eva Hoffman, Michael Ignatieff), journalists (Sebastian Mallaby, Orville Schell), scholars (Leon Botstein, Ivan Krastev), and nonprofit leaders (Gara LaMarche, Darren Walker)—to paint a full picture of the man beyond the media portrayals. Some have worked closely with Soros, while others have wrestled with issues and quandaries similar to his in their own endeavors. Their collective expertise shines a new light on Soros's activities and passions and, to the extent possible, the motivation for them and the outcomes that resulted. Through this kaleidoscope of viewpoints emerges a vivid and compelling portrait of this remarkable man's unique and consequential impact. It has truly been a life in full.

Download or read book Democracy Assistance written by Peter Burnell and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-23 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This examination of how Western governments support democracy worldwide considers how countries use this aid. Attention is paid to post-conflict situations and semi-authoritarian regimes where democratization has stalled, and international support of democratic decentralization is assessed.

Download or read book Democracy without Borders written by Jean Grugel and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-01-04 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book carves out a new area of democratisation studies by analysing the transnational dimension and the role of non state actors across three different geographical regions. Chapters utilise empirical data from Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Download or read book Democracy from Above written by Jon C. Pevehouse and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2005-01-13 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These findings bridge international relations and comparative politics while also providing guidelines for policymakers who wish to use regional organizations to promote democracy."--BOOK JACKET.

Download or read book Rethinking European Social Democracy and Socialism written by Alan Granadino and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-03-22 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a combined focus on social democrats in Northern and Southern Europe, this book crucially broadens our understanding of the transformation of European social democracy from the mid-1970s to the early-1990s. In doing so, it revisits the transformation of this ideological family at the end of the Cold War, and before the launch of Third Way politics, and examines the dynamics and power relations at play among European social democratic parties in a context of nascent globalisation. The chronological, methodological and geographical approaches adopted allow for a more nuanced narrative of change for European social democracy than the hitherto dominant centric perspective. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of social democracy, the European Centre-left, political parties, ideologies and more broadly to comparative politics and European politics and history.

Download or read book Democracy in Crisis around the World written by Saliba Sarsar and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-11-05 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the twenty-first century, democracies across the globe are in crisis. The strength of basic democratic institutions and core enduring political principles and values are eroding in key regions and countries. Authoritarian regimes are rising and populist leaders are emerging. Democracy in Crisis across the World weaves threads of history and politics in two parts to analyze how long this trend may last and what the future may bring. By first examining the state of democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa, the second part of the collection highlights to democratic trajectory of India, China, Russia, and the United States. Ending with a look at how the world’s governments have responded to the coronavirus pandemic, contributors argue that unless democracy is defended with resolution and nurtured with resilience, it will fall.

Download or read book Greek Democracy and the Junta written by Ioannis Tzortzis and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-01-23 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the dictatorship of the Colonels in Greece, there was an attempt at self-transformation into some form of civilian rule in 1973: the so-called 'Markezinis experiment', named after the politician who assumed the task of heading the transition government and lead to elections. It lasted a mere eight weeks, faced heavy opposition from both the opposition elites and the civil society and eventually collapsed by a military hard-liners' coup. This book argues that the failure of the 'Markezinis experiment' paved the way for the actual transition of 1974 as it happened. Using British and American archival resources, as well as unique private archives and personal interviews, the book concludes by briefly seeking to trace some potential alternative paths for the failed self- transformation attempt, and by accounting for the long-term consequences of the failure of the 'Markezinis experiment'.

Download or read book The Americanization of European Union Democracy Promotion written by José M. Magone and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2023-11-03 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Americanization of European Union Democracy Promotion: Ideology, Diversity, and United States Hegemony is a timely and thought-provoking exploration of the origins, development and growing prominence of international democracy promotion in the past hundred years.

Download or read book The European Union and the Promotion of Democracy written by Richard Youngs and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2002-01-03 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book assesses European Union policies aimed at encouraging democratization in East Asia and the North African and Middle Eastern States within the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership - these two regions being the source of some of the strongest conceptual challenges to 'Western' liberal democracy since the end of the cold war. The book addresses theoretical debates over the international dimensions of political change and the EU's characteristics as an international actor. The factors both driving and inhibiting European democracy promotion policies are explored. The book outlines the EU's distinctive bottom-up philosophy, aimed at constructing the socio-economic and ideational foundations for political liberalization, but argues that the EU has in practice failed to develop a fully comprehensive and coherent democracy promotion strategy.

Download or read book Parties Politics and Democracy in the New Southern Europe written by P. Nikiforos Diamandouros and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2001-06-11 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the acclaimed Politics of Democratic Consolidation, Nikiforos Diamandouros, Richard Gunther, and their co-authors showed how democratization unfolded in Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, culminating in consolidated democratic regimes. This volume continues that analysis, posing the basic question: What kind of democratic politics emerged in those countries? It presents systematic analyses of the basic institutions of government and of the dynamics of electoral competition in the four countries (set in comparative context alongside several other democracies), as well as detailed studies of the evolution of the major parties, their electorates, their ideologies, and their performances in government over the past twenty years. The authors reach two major conclusions. First, the new democracies' salient features are moderation, centripetalism, and the democratization of erstwhile antisystem parties on the Right and Left. Second, no single "Southern European model" has emerged; the systems differ from one another about as much as do the other established democracies of Europe. Contributors: P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, University of Athens • Richard Gunther, Ohio State University • Thomas C. Bruneau, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey • Arend Lijphart, University of California at San Diego • Leonardo Morlino, University of Florence • Risa A. Brooks, Stanford University • José R. Montero, Autonomous University of Madrid • Giacomo Sani, University of Pavia • Paolo Segatti, University of Trieste • Gianfranco Pasquino, University of Bologna • Takis S. Pappas, College Year, Athens • Hans-Jrgen Puhle, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main • Anna Bosco, University of Trieste

Download or read book Deepening Local Democracy in Latin America written by Benjamin Goldfrank and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2015-09-10 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The resurgence of the Left in Latin America over the past decade has been so notable that it has been called “the Pink Tide.” In recent years, regimes with leftist leaders have risen to power in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Venezuela. What does this trend portend for the deepening of democracy in the region? Benjamin Goldfrank has been studying the development of participatory democracy in Latin America for many years, and this book represents the culmination of his empirical investigations in Brazil, Uruguay, and Venezuela. In order to understand why participatory democracy has succeeded better in some countries than in others, he examines the efforts in urban areas that have been undertaken in the cities of Porto Alegre, Montevideo, and Caracas. His findings suggest that success is related, most crucially, to how nationally centralized political authority is and how strongly institutionalized the opposition parties are in the local arenas.