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The scope of this work is analysing how economic policies chosen by governments are influenced by the power of social groups. The core idea is taken from the single-mindedness theory, which states that preferences of groups and their ability to focus on the consumption of goods enable them to obtain the most favourable policies. This approach exploits the advantages of probabilistic voting theory, ability to manage the multidiemnsionality and possibility to study precisely how politicians tailor their policies to groups' features. Unlike classic probabilistic voting models, my theory assumes that the density function which captures the distribution of political preferences depends on consumption of goods and preferences of individuals. The higher the consumption of goods, the higher the density, the higher the political power. This mechanism is better explained by considering the role played by "swing voters". Since they are pivotal to changing the equilibrium, candidates must favour them because they realise that even a small change in policy could force them to vote for the other candidate, Thus, the lower the loyalty of voters for parties, the higher the benefit they obtain. As a consequence, these voters are better off and represent the winners of the political process.

Cover -- Contents -- Chapter 1 International Social Work - the Vision and the Reality -- Introduction -- Defining International Social Work -- An Historical Understanding of International Social Work -- Opportunities in International Social Work -- Globalisation and International Social Work -- Global Mindedness as a Bridging Theory -- Summary -- Chapter 2 Defining Global Mindedness in Practice: Values, Knowledge and Skills -- Introduction -- What Is Global Mindedness? -- Building Global Mindedness -- Values, Knowledge and Skills for Global Mindedness -- Global Mindedness in Practice: Structure of the Following Chapters -- Summary -- Chapter 3 Global Mindedness in Protection Work -- Introduction -- What Is Protection Work? -- Understanding Vulnerability, Risk and Agency -- Approaches to Protection -- Navigating Protection Work Across Global and Local Contexts -- Protection Work and Competing Rights -- Summary -- Chapter 4 Global Mindedness and Diversity Work -- Introduction -- What Is Diversity Work? -- Cultural and Religious Diversity -- Gender and Diversity -- Abilities Diversity -- Human Rights and Diversity -- Summary -- Chapter 5 Global Mindedness and Structural Work -- Introduction -- What Is Structural Work? -- Power and Structural Work -- Policy Reform and Structural Work -- Social Development and Structural Work -- History and Structural Work -- Empowerment and Structural Work -- Intergenerational Relations and Structural Work -- Summary -- Chapter 6 Global Mindedness and Sustainability Work -- Introduction -- What Is Sustainability Work? -- Environment and Sustainability Work -- Social Development and Sustainability Work -- Transnationalism and Sustainability Work -- Summary -- Chapter 7 Global Mindedness in Practice -- Introduction -- Pushing Boundaries -- Summary -- References -- Index.

In modern democratic societies, one of the main roles of education is to promote critical thinking and open‐mindedness. However, this objective can sometimes be seen as clashing in many societies with another one of education's primary objectives—to inculcate in the younger generation a set of common values and beliefs that reinforces collective identity. The current article examines the tension between these two educational goals—fostering open‐mindedness and critical‐thinking skills, on the one hand, and promoting closed‐minded national identity, on the other hand, in the context of intractable conflicts. In particular, we offer an analysis of the unique challenges of nurturing open‐minded and critical thinking among students in the presence of processes and content common in education systems of conflict‐ridden societies. These challenges are discussed in relation to the role that open‐mindedness and critical thinking could play in promoting peace‐building processes were they not hindered by nationalistic educational approaches designed to ensure unwavering support of the conflict.

This chapter examines the implications of COVID-19 for civility as public-mindedness. First, the pandemic has exacerbated various types of morally uncivil behaviour, such as discrimination and hate. Moreover, COVID-19 has created opportunities for some political actors to put forward sectarian agendas, grounded in partial interests and controversial beliefs, that breach the demands of justificatory civility. Furthermore, some policies to contain the pandemic have resulted in unreasonable 'strains of commitment' for members of marginalized sectors of the population, such as racial minorities, women, the LGBTIQ+ community, and older people; governments should acknowledge this aspect when publicly justifying these policies. Finally, justificatory civility during the pandemic has been undermined by scientific uncertainty around particular aspects of the virus itself; limited research on its social and cultural dimensions; and the politicization of science for personal or partisan advantage. The chapter advances numerous suggestions to counteract these challenges to moral and justificatory civility.

Introducing the virtue of good timing and some surprising functions of practical reason -- Tolerance and open-mindedness joined at the hip -- An Aristotelian account of civility -- Tweaking open-mindedness -- The mirage of unconditional forgiveness -- Integrity uncluttered -- The will to power, the ambition of the powerless, and the web to the rescue -- The way of the creator detours through cyberspace to bypass the gatekeepers -- An Aristotelian architectonic : recapitulation, extrapolation, and wild speculation.