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Slave soldiers are a distinctively Muslim phenomenon. Though virtually unknown in the non-Muslim world, they have been a constant and pervasive feature of the Muslim Middle East from the ninth century AD into modern times. Why did Muslim rulers choose to place military and political power in the hands of imported slaves? It is this question which Dr Crone seeks to answer. Concentrating on the period from the rise of the Umayyads to the dissolution of the 'Abbasid empire (roughly AD 650–850), she documents the consequences of the fusion between religion and politics in Islam, which she sees as an essential forging characteristic of the Muslim social structure and state. Primarily addressed to specialists and advanced students of Arabic and Islamic history, the book will also appeal to comparative historians and social anthropologists

"African politics is one of the most vibrant and dynamic areas of research, and the fastest growing. In addition to important debates around the potential for democratic consolidations, the drivers of ethnic violence, the barriers to development, and the role of foreign powers, researchers are engaged in an important conversation about the need to "decolonize" African studies and to make sure that we study Africa ethically. This volume - the largest ever published on African politics - provides essential insights into these all of questions and many many more. Bringing together world leading researchers from Africa, the United States and Europe, it features cutting-edge chapters on a remarkably broad range of topics including helpful chapters on key methodologies and approaches as well as all of the major topics in the discipline. Each clearly written piece provides a concise summary of the state of the art before drawing on new ideas and evidence to push the debate forward. The volume is therefore essential reading for both first time students and established researchers. Curated by a widely respected team of editors, particular areas of strength include: political institutions; identity politics and the significance of ethnicity and religion; the African state and its strengths and weaknesses; development politics; economic policy and management; ideas and ideologies; international relations and regional politics; conflict, violence and civil war; political and social movements; media and political communication; elections and democracy; research methods and approaches; and, ethics and the politics of research"--

"American Neoconservatism moves beyond recent debates over the intricacies of the Bush administration's foreign policy to offer a deeper look at the philosophical premises of this 'new' conservatism in light of the historical events and changing social compacts that have created a demand for it over the past decades. It surveys neoconservative discourses on democracy, the liberal state, capitalism, national security, international law and global liberal governance, and draws attention to the systematic links between the domestic and international dimensions of neoconservative political sociology. Taking issue with neoconservatism's self-image, Drolet argues and demonstrates that American neoconservatism is not the centrist 'liberal' conservatism that it pretends to be--and that many analysts have diagnosed in recent years. To the extent that neoconservatism is committed to the Enlightenment discourse of liberalism, these commitments are firmly subordinated to an authoritarian form of cultural and philosophical conservatism, which is in fact ferociously predatory on liberal values and practices. Neoconservatism is not a conservative variant of liberalism but a deeply atavistic reaction to liberal modernity. It owes a lot more to the authoritarian intellectual milieu of interwar Europe than to the liberal tradition that its protagonists allegedly want to reform and protect against its enemies"--

"Shocking moments in society create an extraordinary political environment that permits political and opinion changes that are unlikely during times of normal politics. Strong emotions felt by the public during catastrophes, even if experienced only vicariously through media coverage are a powerful motivator of public opinion and activism. This is particularly true when emotional reactions coincide with attributing blame to governmental agencies or officials. By examining public opinion during one extraordinary event, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Lonna Rae Atkeson and Cherie D. Maestas show how media information interacts with emotion in shaping a wide range of political opinions about government and political leaders. Catastrophic events bring citizens together, provide common experiences and information, and create opinions that transcend traditional political boundaries. These moments encourage citizens to reexamine their understanding of government, its leaders, and its role in a society from a less partisan perspective"--

Simon Wren-Lewis' widely-read Mainly Macro blog is an influential resource for policymakers, academics and social commentators. This book tells how damaging political and economic events of recent years became inevitable and serves as a warning to avert future disasters on this scale.

by Algernon Sydney. With his letters trial apology and some memoirs of his life ; Volltext // Exemplar mit der Signatur: München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- 4 Pol.g. 210

India`s 2009 Elections is an inquiry into the 15th General Elections of India. It explores how the elections played out, what factors influenced the electorate, and how the elections are an important contribution to India's democracy. Authored by renowned scholars and analysts from various backgrounds, the collection of articles critically examines multiple areas of the Indian polity:. - Coalition and alliance politics, representation, national integration, and women's participation. - Dominant party, competitive two-party, and multi-party states including Gujarat, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Kera

By the 1980s, UK government research laboratories were an often quirky but always essential part of the state sector. In one of the most radical experiments in the organization and management of scientific research attempted in the UK, successive Conservative governments sought to reform these laboratories by applying the market-based solution of 'New Public Management'. Scrutinising Science explores and critiques that reform process by examining the laboratories' new organizational forms, the new visions of what science is for implicit in the reform agenda and the new forms of scientific knowledge production that have arisen as a consequence