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This article explores Linz's contributions to political science from the perspective of his analysis of the dynamics of contemporary political regimes. Building on a profound knowledge of the case of Spain, Linz first offered the most important definition & analysis of an authoritarian regime. Then, he moved on to articulate one of the most significant comparative interpretations of the breakdown of democratic regimes, stressing that most often the opponents of democracy come from within its own ranks. His next tasks included analysis of the different transition paths from authoritarian rule, identification of the conditions leading to the birth of new democracies, & suggestions of the steps to be made in order to consolidate a viable democratic regime. Always keeping in mind the Spanish case, Linz has in fact become a true historical comparativist & has illuminated some of the most important problems faced by contemporary political systems. This article ends by spelling out five principles that have guided Linz's intellectual enterprise, that remain at the heart of his explanations, & that can be fruitfully applied by other scholars. The rich, dense, abundantly footnoted, thoroughly researched essays by Juan Linz are a constant source of inspiration, hypotheses to be followed, ideas, & knowledge. 30 References. Adapted from the source document.

The article analyses the fundamental traits of Italian liberalism in the second half of the 19th century. Based on the unique understanding and welding together of different theoretical models (English, French, German), Italian liberalism has been building a "politics of mediation", directly connected to the new parameters of the political-social sciences. The main goal is that of neutralising political conflict, in its more extreme manifestations, with respect to a liberal order that seeks to preserve and defend itself from any risk that might creep into the fabric of democracy.

This article traces the formation of a new discipline -- international political economy (IPE) -- in terms both of concepts & theoretical debates, & of the social process of its institutionalization, as shown by journals, textbooks, course offerings, & Internet Websites. In its first part, this article presents some well-known definitions of IPE & illustrates different types of theory. Special attention is given to Robert Gilpin, because of the importance of his work & the evolution of his thinking about IPE. In the second, the 30-year life of IPE is analyzed to identify the most important events leading to the creation of a new field of social research: the organization of conferences in the early 1970s; the publication of important books written by unorthodox economists like Kindleberger & Hirschman; & theoretical debates. The work of R. W. Cox, which is related to the "Gramscian turn" in international relations, is a particular focus of attention. Finally, the consequences of the "Fourth Debate" on positivism in international relations are considered in terms of the connection of IPE with constructivism, historical sociology, & the "cultural turn" in the social sciences. The third part shows how the debate on IPE has moved from being fully internal to (American) political science, to include general concerns about the social sciences at the beginning of the 21st century. An extensive bibliography follows. 210 References. Adapted from the source document.

The Pope observes that world peace, justice, & forgiveness are goals more important than ever in light of the tragic terrorist events of 11 Sept. True peace is the work & fruit of justice, moral character, & legal guarantee. After pontificating on the phenomenon of terrorism, based on contempt for human life, the Pope then notes that no religion should tolerate or promulgate violence or terrorism. At the root of any future project of a just & solid society is the ability to forgive. While peace is a condition for development, true peace is only made possible through forgiveness. The Pontiff calls for pardon, understanding, & interfaith cooperation, & concludes with a prayer for peace. J. Sadler

The political role of international theoretical discourse is an essential & most contested issue in the IR contemporary debate. The resistance of traditional perspectives to the inclusion of self-reflective elements on the agenda of international political analysis reflects the inadequacy of the theoretical framework to bear the ambiguous relation between political & theoretical discourse. I argue that metaphorical analysis has the potential both to offer an important self-reflective contribution to IR discipline & to discard its theoretical boundaries -- as defined by positivist & neopositivist assumptions. Political metaphors establish meanings that frame both political & theoretical discourse. The distinction between these two, albeit possible on analytic grounds, is in practice much less tenable; the cognitive representations of each commonly spill over to the other. Once metaphorically established, the meanings attached to these representations play a role that is both influential & latent or, more precisely, influential because latent. The analysis of political metaphors offers the opportunity to shed some light on & investigate the latent meanings that theoretical discourse assimilates from political discourse & vice versa. However, the theoretical requirements of metaphoric analysis are not compatible with the main assumptions that constitute the theoretical framework of IR traditional perspectives. The second part of the article presents reasons why metaphoric analysis, while comfortably adaptable to critical & constructivist research programs, does indeed "threaten" IR disciplinary boundaries -- as defined by the realist, pluralist, & structuralist triad -- but it also offers the opportunity to expand them toward grounds that appear more acceptable both socially & theoretically. 1 Table, 84 References. Adapted from the source document.

This article contributes to the Continental (vs American) IR debate by investigating IR theory in one of the islands of the Continental IR archipelago most successful in keeping secret its vices & virtues: Italy. Here, theoretical IR has proven to be unable to fully exploit post-Cold War opportunities to establish itself as a discipline with higher visibility. Italian theoretical IR tends to produce few efforts at theory-building & some recent theoretical developments never reached the peninsula; further, Italian IR suffers from a certain detachment from broader IR trends in terms of both import, but far more, export, of literature. We suggest that to understand the Italian situation it is necessary to develop an account that goes beyond the traditional purely external explanation of IR developments in a given community, & also draws on the cultural-institutional context, ie, on the organizational characteristics of the research environment, the habits of interaction among national professionals & between them & the external market, & the political culture of the country. 2 Tables, 3 Appendixes, 89 References. Adapted from the source document.

Food security is one of the most complex problems that the world is facing today. This paper discusses the role of international trade in food security and analyzes whether there is a real option to promote or attract land investments, alongside domestic production and international trade for the nations touched by food insecurity. Considering food security as a common purpose for all nations, independently of their level of development or political ideologies, the research concludes that serious cooperation within international agricultural trade negotiations represents the main step towards resolving the most important world challenges such as achieving global food security alongside "Green Growth". International trade is connected with economic development: free trade brings on medium and long term economic growth. Fighting against poverty requires efficient economic policies and, due to the high degree of economic integration reached by the international economy, this is possible only if governments cooperate with each other and with international organizations, avoiding protectionism.

Owing to globalization processes, the nation-state is facing the problem of re-examining its ability to create & maintain order through legislation & law enforcement, as well as its capacity to direct the economy in line with citizens' choices. The use of globalized economic & juridical patterns by private individuals is a great leap forward in economics & personal freedom, considering that the state is continuously loosing its monitoring & checking ability. At the same time, these individuals still live within the framework of the state & also acknowledge its power. Ironically, while trying to sidestep the state, the citizens still look to it to solve their everyday problems. The author investigates the reasons behind the crisis into which a specific model of state -- the Kelsenian & Keynesianan model -- has fallen in recent years. Nevertheless, the crisis of that model does not imply the loss of the possibility of managing the economy & globalization processes. The nation-state remains the most important producer of a great many services & its role in promoting advancements in knowledge & technological innovation is still a central one. One of the most important roles of the nation-state in the global era is that of removing the barriers to the global economy & pursuing the efficiency & innovation of its infrastructures & bureaucratic machinery. In the light of global changes, it is important to rethink the idea that the production of law & institutions can only be legitimated by ballots, or at least that voting always represents the best solution. Other kinds of legitimating processes should instead be considered by contemporary political theory -- for example, considering how people make their political choices like consumers in the free market. Adapted from the source document.

One of the biggest challenges facing the CCP in the twenty-first century is to provide good governance & grapple with the political consequences of its own programme of economic reforms & opening to the outside world. Throughout the system there are problems with the current governing structures & good governance is increasingly recognized by Chinese leaders as a fundamental step for further development. The next (the 17th) National Congress of the CCP, scheduled tentatively for the last part of 2007, will have to deal with many important questions & in particular: to establish the party's line in all major policy sectors; to assure a turnover of leadership generations, tentatively providing preliminary indications of the new leadership who will be most probably in charge from 2012; combine development, reform & stability in order to be able to govern China during the years which follow & during the next decade. Adapted from the source document.