Political Science : Constitutions

Party funding has given rise to great controversy since 1997, and continues to do so. In recent years, row has followed row - from million-pound donations, to the so-called ‘loans for peerages’ affair. The question was the subject of an official investigation by Sir Hayden Phillips, whose blueprint for reform was produced in March 2007. This book charts the evolution of the party funding problem in recent years and explores the weaknesses of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which was enacted in a vain attempt to clean up British politics. The book sets out a number of core principles which should inform the development of public policy in this field, and examines the different strategies for the implementation of these principles. Having regard to the experience of othercountries, including Canada, Germany and Sweden, a radical framework ofreform is proposed, designed to address the emerging crisis of party government with serious implications for democracy itself. The main concern is with the development of bold reform initiatives to encourage political parties to recruit and retain members, and give members rights in relation to the government and administration of these parties. This thoughtful yet hard-hitting account by one of the leading scholars in the field will be of interest to constitutional lawyers and political scientists, as well as journalists and those with an interest in the way we are governed. more...

Price: $63.00

The Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution created one of America's most valued freedoms but also one of its greatest controversies. On 184 separate occasions, the Supreme Court had to decide what constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment". This work helps readers makes sense of the controversy. more...

Price: $70.00

Democratic government has now been entrenched in Poland. An increasingly significant European actor, Poland presents problematic but also stimulating challenges to new NATO and EU associates. This authoritative overview examines in depth the constitutional and governmental framework in Poland since 1989 and its central political institutions, mechanisms and actors. Sanford demonstrates how the governmental system evolved pragmatically during the 1990s to cope with modernization and consolidated viable independent statehood consensually around Poland's hardy constitutional values. more...

Price: $90.00

The oneness of China is the norm. Periods of divisions are aberrations. This is how Chinese thinkers, leaders and ultimately the majority of Chinese people have regarded Chinese politics and history for more than 2,000 years. The oneness was never perfect. As long as certain minimal conditions were met and the polity which proclaimed that oneness was widely acknowledged, that was enough. Chinese ruling elites adopted this pragmatic approach so they could ensure that the ideal could always approximate China’s reality. This is a revised edition of a study undertaken to explain what happened during one of the worst periods of division in Chinese history. What were the key factors that helped the centripetal forces to get back to the imperial norm? It begins with the final stage of decline of the Tang dynasty (618–907) and ends 50 years later when it became clear that the foundations for a last push towards unification were in place. more...

Price: $75.40

National government have at their disposal many economic instruments used for national security such as economic sanctions and foreign aid, international trade, FDI, international finance and efforts to attack the sources of funding for international terrorism. The book examines these economic policies and addresses how best to measure the success of these tools by providing detailed case studies which allow us to understand how decisions are made and how best to craft policies to achieve and influence specific outcomes. The book surveys policies currently used and those that may not be appreciated for their national security application. more...

Price: $116.00