Annotation This book argues that democratization is inherently international: states democratize through a process of socialization to a liberal-rational global culture. This can clearly be seen in Taiwan and Thailand, where the elites and attentive public now accept democracy as universally valid. But in China, the ruling communist party resists democratization, in part because its leaders bel…
The fifth edition contains several major changes. One is a new introductory chapter that briefly reviews China's past history and cultural heritage. Several reviewers who have used the textbook for their classes have pointed out the need to provide historical perspective for those students who have not been exposed to Chi- nese history and cultural traditions.
This book is one of the major outcomes of the Searching for Peace in Asia Pacific project of the European Centre for Conflict Prevention (ECCP). Numerous individuals and organizations from the Asia Pacific region, Europe. the United States, and Canada provided their advice, insights, and support in shaping the project, participated in workshops and seminars, gave feedback on draft texts, contri…
During the ascendency of European colonial power, the single word "Asia" was casually employed to encompass the vast area stretching from Pakistan to Japan, from Mongolia to Borneo. Only recently has the Western mind begun to comprehend the myriad variations in culture, religion, race, and political structure that exist within Asia, and their sharp differences in approaching the universal chall…
This lively and accessible new text provides a uniquely broad-ranging Introduction to the governance and politics of Pacific Asia. Thematically structured around the key institutions and issues, it is genuinely comparative in its approach to the whole region. A range of representative countries (China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philipp…
The Soviet Union is changing, and its future is uncertain. For seventy years the country has been controlled by the Communist party. No organized opposition was allowed, and during most of that period the party tolerated no alternative philosophy to Marxism-Leninism, the official ideology.
The book offers a valuable case study of a country coming back to Europe, but it also provides an opportunity for analyzing the influence of communism on what had been a significant interwar European state. The book's strong comparative element will make it invaluable as well for those seeking to understand contemporary Central and Eastern Europe.
The Routledge Handbook of German Politics and Culture offers a wide-ranging and authoritative account of Germany in the 21st century. It gathers the expertise of internationally leading scholars of German culture, politics, and society to explore and explain historical pathways to contemporary Germany the current ‘Berlin Republic’ society and diversity Germany and Europe Germany and …
The Presentational style of the book is designed to make it immediately accessible and stimulating. The text illustrated throughtout ny a wealth of tables, diagrams, photohgraphs and summary boxes.
"We are living through a period of dramatic political change - Brexit, the election of Trump, the rise of extreme right movements in Europe and elsewhere, the resurgence of nationalism and xenophobia and a concerted assault on the liberal values and ideals associated with cosmopolitanism and globalization. Suddenly we find ourselves in a world that few would have imagined possible just a few ye…