Suchergebnisse

The status of the Conservative Party in the UK is examined; specific attention is dedicated to exploring the vitality of the foundations of Conservative political hegemony. Developments that suggest the decline of the Conservative Party's political authority are highlighted including a severe reduction in the Conservatives' lead in public poll ratings & its inability to develop a consensual approach toward European economic & political policy. Analysis of 20th century British politics revealed that the Conservative Party successfully recovered from previous threats to its political hegemony; nevertheless, it is demonstrated that the Conservative Party's neo-liberal agenda & other factors have weakened the foundations of its political hegemony. Indeed, it is shown that the Margaret Thatcher government actually eroded support from the established political leaders & classes, enervated efforts to preserve the Union, downplayed the importance of the national economy & capital, & failed to consistently support impending European integration. It is concluded that intra-party tensions regarding the UK's position toward European integration will further reduce the Conservatives' political dominance; however, it is stressed that John Major's electoral victory should disperse neo-Thatcherites for the short term. 1 Figure. J. W. Parker

THE LEGACY OF MARGARET THATCHER IS DEEPLY CONTENTIOUS--AND NOWHERE MORE THAN IN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY ITSELF. WHILE SHE WAS LEADER, SHE INSPIRED ENORMOUS DEVOTION AND ENTHUSIASM IN A SECTION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY PARTY. YET IN OTHER PARTS OF THE PARTY SHE EXCITED DEEP HOSTILITY. SHE POLARIZED THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY IN A MANNER THAT WAS EXCEPTIONAL IN ITS MODERN HISTORY.

ONE OF THE MOST NOTICED FEATURES OF OUR TIME IS THAT GLOBAL PROBLEMS ARE INCREASING AT A FASTER RATE THAN THE EVOLUTION OF THE POLITICAL CAPACITIES TO MANAGE THEM. WHILE THE SPECTER OF COMMUNISM NO LONGER HAUNTS EUROPE. OTHER SPECTERS NOW HAUNT THE GLOBAL CIVILIZATION WHICH DEVELOPED OUT OF EUROPE. SOME OF THE KEY TRENDS OF THIS GLOBAL CIVILIZATION THREATEN AT BEST AN ERA OF MOUNTING DISORDER AND CHAOS IN THE WORLD SYSTEM, AT WORST THE SURVIVAL OF THE HUMAN SPECIES ITSELF. THE PROBLEMS ARE INCREASING FAR FASTER THAN THE ABILITY TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THEM. A KEY REASON FOR THESE INCREASING PROBLEMS IS THE INEXORABLE MOMENTUM OF TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT.

Traditional theory emphasised the unique character of the political traditional and interrelationship of ideas and institutions. The study of British politics has become more fragmented with no single dominant perspective. Theories in 5 main research areas--ideology, the constitution, public policy, political economy and political behaviour--are discussed. (Abstract amended)

An extended review of The Retreat from Class by Ellen Meiksins Wood. Identifies the new true socialists of the 1980s as a disparate group of intellectuals, many with a past in Althusserianism or Maoism, who do not belong to a single party or faction but share a common view of class and socialist strategy. Concentrates on those to the political right of this. (PAS)

"Enriching the existing scholarship on this important exhibition, Italy at Work: Her Renaissance in Design Today (1950-53), this book shows the dynamic role art, specifically sculpture, played in constructing both Italian and American culture after the Second World War. Moving beyond previous studies, this book looks to the archival sources and beyond the history of design for a greater understanding of the stakes of the show. First, the book considers art's role in this exhibition's import-prominent mid-century sculptors like Giacomo Manzù, Fausto Melotti, and Lucio Fontana were included. Second, it foregrounds the particular role sculpture was able to play in transcending the boundaries of fine art and craft to showcase innovative formalist aesthetics of modernism without falling in the critiques of modernism playing out on the international stage in terms of state funding for art. Third, the book engages with the larger socio-political use of art as a cultural soft power both within the American and Italian contexts. Fourth, it highlights the important role race and culture of Italians and Italian-Americans played in the installation and success of this exhibition. Lastly, therefore, this study connects an investigation of modernist sculpture, modern design, post-war exhibitions, sociology, and transatlantic politics and economics to highlight the important role sculpture played in post-war Italian and American cultural production. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, design history, museum studies, Italian studies, and American studies"--