The Politics of Governing

by Graham, Lawrence S.

• ISBN13: 9781933116662
• ISBN10: 1933116668
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-06-01
• Publisher: Cq Pr

Summary

It&BAD:rs"s tough to keep students afloat in a sea of detail when moving from country to country in a comparative course. While it&BAD:rs"s important to give students a sense of place, lengthy textbooks can overwhelm them with far too much description. Students are left with no clear path for understanding regional context or for making meaningful cross-national comparisons, and little sense of larger concepts and themes.The Politics of Governing: A Comparative Introduction answers this dilemma in a truly brief text&BAD:-only 320 pages long&BAD:-that frames country case studies within regional chapters. This approach equips students to see the bigger picture and understand how the issues of governing can no longer be separated from events outside a country&BAD:rs"s borders. The authors answer the same set of questions in each chapter&BAD:-What are the purposes of government (the ends of politics)? What do governments do (the functions of politics)? Who exercises political power (the processes of politics)?&BAD:-giving this concise text strong analysis of particular countries within a powerful regional framework.The book incorporates the American experience as a familiar touch point for students and examines those areas of the world in which the U.S. is most engaged: The European chapters highlight the development of supranational institutions and their impact on politics in Great Britain, France, and Germany. These stand in contrast to the transitional politics underway to the east with Central Europe&BAD:rs"s new democracies and the upheavals in Russia, the Ukraine, and the Balkan states keeping those countries at the margins of this new Europe.The diversity of Asian governments is explored within the context of competing forces between markets and democracy, at the core of which stands mainland China.The forces of religion and culture across the Muslim world shape the chapter that encompasses North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with country case studies focused on Morocco, Iran, and Indonesia. The chapter on Latin America highlights the draw of North American markets and the appeal of distinctive political and economic patterns in South America, with case studies on Mexico and Brazil. A final chapter on regional convergence examines both developing countries and competing supranational markets to understand how people in countries caught in between larger, competing regional trading blocs are affected. NOW AVAILABLE!FREE online chapter on Sub-Saharan AfricaBy Philip Morgan, Monterey Institute of International StudiesVisit www.cqpress.com/cs/graham for access.Adding yet more depth, a free online chapter focused on sub-Saharan Africa places Nigeria at center-stage, while contrasting the cases of South Africa and Botswana, to explore the issues of weak and failed states, ethnic and religious strife, and responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
About the Authors	xv
Introduction: A Compass for Studying the Politics of Governing	1	(6)
The United States: The World's Oldest Constitutional Democracy	7	(54)
The Constitution	8	(6)
Social Dynamics	14	(3)
Interest Groups	17	(4)
Political Parties	21	(5)
Elections	26	(6)
The Presidency	32	(7)
Congress	39	(6)
The Federal Bureaucracy	45	(4)
The Judiciary	49	(6)
Conclusion: Inventing and Reinventing a Nation	55	(2)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	57	(4)
The Constitutions and Institutions of Western Europe	61	(38)
The British Constitution	67	(10)
The Monarchy	69	(1)
The Political Executive	70	(1)
The Bureaucracy	71	(1)
The Legislature	71	(3)
The Judiciary	74	(1)
Devolution and Local Government	75	(2)
The French Constitution	77	(5)
The Political Executive	78	(2)
The Bureaucracy	80	(1)
The Legislature	80	(1)
The Judiciary	81	(1)
Decentralization	82	(1)
The German Constitution	82	(5)
The Political Executive	83	(1)
The Bureaucracy	84	(1)
The Legislature	85	(1)
The Judiciary	86	(1)
Federalism	86	(1)
Development of the Constitution of the European Union	87	(8)
Institutions of the European Union	90	(4)
Constitutional Prospects for the European Union	94	(1)
Conclusion	95	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	96	(3)
The Dynamics of European Political Systems: The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union	99	(48)
The Socioeconomic Setting	99	(6)
Political Culture	105	(2)
Civil Society and Social Movements	107	(2)
Interest Groups	109	(4)
The Media	113	(2)
Political Parties and Party Systems	115	(10)
The British Party System and Political Parties	116	(3)
The French Party System and Political Parties	119	(2)
The German Party System and Political Parties	121	(3)
The Party System of the European Union	124	(1)
Electoral Systems and Elections	125	(7)
Political Recruitment	132	(5)
Policy Processes	137	(2)
Theories of EU Development and Governance	139	(1)
Political Views of the European Union	140	(1)
Conclusion: Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union	141	(2)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	143	(4)
Transitional Politics in Central Europe: From Communism to Western-Style Democracy	147	(34)
The Old System in a Nutshell	150	(1)
Comparisons	151	(1)
Framework Applied	152	(1)
Value Consensus	152	(3)
Principal Agents	152	(1)
How Refined?	153	(1)
What Values?	153	(2)
Political Architecture of the State	155	(11)
Basic Constitutional Framework	155	(3)
More Political Architecture	158	(4)
Economic Architecture	162	(4)
Political and Social Dynamics	166	(9)
Forward-versus Backward-Facing	167	(1)
Resource Needs	168	(1)
Legitimacy	169	(1)
Elite Accountability	170	(1)
Elections as Political Art	171	(2)
Doors and Windows	173	(1)
Civil Society	173	(2)
Leadership Cadre: ``Driving Skills''	175	(3)
Generational Change	176	(1)
Confidence	176	(2)
Prognosis	178	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	179	(2)
Transitional Politics in East and Southeastern Europe: Russia, Ukraine, and the Balkans	181	(32)
Russia	182	(12)
Value Consensus	182	(4)
Political Architecture of the State: The Constitution as an Issue	186	(1)
Economic Architecture	186	(3)
Political and Social Dynamics	189	(4)
Leadership	193	(1)
Prognosis	194	(1)
Ukraine	194	(7)
Value Consensus	195	(1)
Political Architecture of the State	196	(1)
Economic Architecture	197	(2)
Political and Social Dynamics: Elections	199	(1)
Leadership	200	(1)
Prognosis	201	(1)
Bosnia and Southeastern Europe	201	(9)
Value Consensus	202	(2)
Political Architecture of the State	204	(1)
Economic Architecture	205	(1)
Political and Social Dynamics	206	(2)
Leadership	208	(2)
Prognosis	210	(1)
Comparing Revisited	210	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	211	(2)
Political Systems in East Asia: From a Great Unity (da tong) to a Greater Diversity	213	(24)
Diversity in East Asian Politics	214	(4)
China's Ineluctable Influence	218	(1)
Confucian at the Core	219	(3)
The Political System of the PRC	222	(9)
Political Party Structure	225	(2)
The State	227	(1)
The Constitution of the PRC	228	(1)
The Limits of Party-State Control	229	(2)
The Political System on Taiwan	231	(2)
The Political System of Japan	233	(2)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	235	(2)
Politics in the Muslim World: Morocco, Iran, and Indonesia	237	(26)
Traditional Principles of Governance	238	(5)
Traditional Institutions and Political Culture	238	(3)
The Colonial Experience	241	(2)
Examples of Governance	243	(1)
Morocco	244	(6)
The Sultanate	244	(1)
Colonial Legacy: From Ruling to Reigning	245	(1)
Reform and Institutionalization	246	(2)
Political Stability	248	(2)
Iran	250	(7)
Dual Governmental System and the Power of the Jurisconsult	250	(3)
The Supreme Leader: Military, Judicial, and Security Power	253	(2)
Hizbollahi Counters Reform	255	(2)
Indonesia	257	(4)
Nationalism and Islam	258	(2)
``Guided Democracy''	260	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	261	(2)
Politics in Latin America: The Mexican and Brazilian Political Systems	263	(30)
Mexico	264	(21)
Constitutional Development	267	(3)
Social Forces	270	(3)
Interest Groups	273	(3)
Political Parties	276	(2)
Governmental Institutions	278	(7)
The System in Action	285	(1)
Brazil	285	(6)
Constitutional Development	286	(1)
Social Forces	287	(1)
Interest Groups	288	(1)
Political Parties	289	(1)
Governmental Institutions	290	(1)
The System in Action	291	(1)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	291	(2)
Regional Convergence in a Diverse World	293	(28)
The New Regionalism	293	(7)
Great Variety---Common Economic Problems	300	(5)
Common Third World Political Problems	305	(5)
Political Institutions and Processes	310	(8)
Futures in the Developing World	318	(2)
Suggestions for Additional Reading	320	(1)
Notes	321	(4)
Index	325