Development on the Periphery Democratic Transitions in Southern and Eastern Europe

by Wiarda, Howard J.

• ISBN13: 9780742530331
• ISBN10: 0742530337
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-11-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

In Development on the Periphery, noted scholar Howard J. Wiarda tackles the important question of development in Southern and Eastern Europe. Comparing the two regions gives us insight into the similarities and differences that have united and separated these areas for thousands of years. Both areas have undergone impressive transitions to democracy, experienced vast social changes, embraced open markets, developed Western political party systems, and joined the EU and NATO. However, the differences between the regions, and in particular, their individual countries, show us that development occurs by many routes'¬ ;and that culture, geographic location, and timing do matter. The transitions to democracy of both Southern and Eastern Europe are among the most encouraging and exciting events of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and students of the region will benefit from this accessible and thorough comparative study.

Author Biography

Howard J. Wiarda is Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations and head of the Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia.

Table of Contents

Introduction : Southern Europe and Eastern Europe : toward a Europe whole, free, and democratic	p. 1
Southern, or Mediterranean, Europe	p. 17
Eastern Europe and the search for a democratic political culture	p. 61
Transitology and the need for new theory	p. 79
Spain 2010 : a normal country?	p. 95
The new Portugal	p. 120
From foreign-policy isolation to global presence : Spain in Latin America and Portugal in East Timor	p. 132
Marxist-Leninist regimes in transition	p. 155
Defining the borders of the new Europe	p. 177
The politics of European enlargement	p. 212
Conclusion : toward a new Europe	p. 245
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