Economic reforms in China have led to the creation of an entirely new social class: the business elite. Entrepreneurs in the foreign and private sectors have benefited tremendously from the new economic freedoms in China, but have they pushed for political reforms as well? To explore this question, Margaret Pearson conducted extensive interviews with Chinese-born managers of foreign-sector firms and researched the activities of private-sector entrepreneurs. She concludes that, contrary to the assumptions of many Westerners, these groups are not at the forefront of democratization or the emergence of a civil society. Rather, she argues, they are at the head of a new form of state-society relations in China, a hybrid of socialist corporatism and clientelism. Ultimately, she demonstrates that this hybrid pattern, which has deep roots in Chinese history, has been shaped by the Chinese state to ensure that economic development will not lead to democratization. As private enterprises mushroom, foreign investment soars, and the standard of living continues to improve in China, all eyes are watching for changes in the political structure. The insights and studied predictions in this book will be invaluable keys to understanding the emerging dimensions of China's social and political future.
Setting / LocationGlobal
Story EraContemporary / Future
Protagonist / CoreChina's New Business Elite Lead Character
"In November 1994 the Norwegian electorate rejected membership of the European Union. Since then the country has struggled to adapt a range of policies to fit in with those of the EU. This book provides the first all-round coverage of the relationship between the EU and its oil-rich northern neighbour and sets out the options open to Norway in the future." "This book will appeal to students and researchers with an interest in European integration and Nordic studies in general."--BOOK JACKET.
Jihad vs. McWorld is a groundbreaking work, an elegant and illuminating analysis of the central conflict of our times: consumerist capitalism versus religious and tribal fundamentalism. These diametrically opposed but strangely intertwined forces are tearing apart--and bringing together--the world as we know it, undermining democracy and the nation-state on which it depends. On the one hand, consumer capitalism on the global level is rapidly dissolving the social and economic barriers between nations, transforming the world's diverse populations into a blandly uniform market. On the other hand, ethnic, religious, and racial hatreds are fragmenting the political landscape into smaller and smaller tribal units. Jihad vs. McWorld is the term that distinguished writer and political scientist Benjamin R. Barber has coined to describe the powerful and paradoxical interdependence of these forces. In this important new book, he explores the alarming repercussions of this potent dialectic for democracy.A work of persuasive originality and penetrating insight, Jihad vs. McWorld holds up a sharp, clear lens to the dangerous chaos of the post-Cold War world. Critics and political leaders have already heralded Benjamin R. Barber's work for its bold vision and moral courage. Jihad vs. McWorld is an essential text for anyone who wants to understand our troubled present and the crisis threatening our future.From the Trade Paperback edition.
"In this book, Michael Alexander has a message for all Canadians: our standard of living is in free fall, and has been for almost 25 years. Currently, Canada's standard of living is 20 percent lower than America's. The author asks why we have failed to achieve our economic potential, and many will find the reasons hard to accept. Some of our most cherished beliefs and values have turned out to be misguided and harmful to our well-being." "When offering solutions, the author turns to the United States, not to advocate the adoption of American ideas and policies as a cure-all, but to pinpoint best practices that have made America the world's foremost economic power. He argues that by combining these practices with our own overdue reforms, we can begin to challenge the thinking that has held us back, and fulfill the promise of the just society." "Competing Against America is a wake-up call for Canada. It's a guide to a more prosperous future. But, as the author stresses, we can get there only if we get our house in order and sweep away bad ideas and regressive policies."--Jacket.
The Panic of 1907. Black Tuesday (1929). Black Monday (1987). The Great Recession (2008). The Flash Crash (2010). Taken together they tell the story of a nation reaching enormous heights of financial power while experiencing precipitous dips that alter and reset a market where millions of Americans invest their savings, and on which they depend for their futures. Nations blends economic and cultural history to show how each of these major crashes provided painful lessons that have strengthened us and helped us to build the nation we know today. "In this absorbing, smart, and accessible blend of economic and cultural history, Scott Nations, a longtime trader, financial engineer, and CNBC contributor, takes us on a journey through the five significant stock market crashes in the past century to reveal how they defined the United States today. THE PANIC OF 1907: When the Knickerbocker Trust Company failed, after a brazen attempt to manipulate the stock market led to a disastrous run on the banks, the Dow lost nearly half its value in weeks Only billionaire J. P. Morgan was able to save the stock market. BLACK TUESDAY (1929): As the newly created Federal Reserve System repeatedly adjusted interest rates in all the wrong ways, investment trusts, the darlings of that decade, became the catalyst that caused the bubble to burst, and the Dow fell dramatically, leading swiftly to the Great Depression. BLACK MONDAY (1987): When 'portfolio insurance,' a new tool meant to protect investments, instead led to increased losses, and corporate raiders drove stock prices above their real values, the Dow dropped an astonishing 22.6 percent in one day. THE GREAT RECESSION (2008): As homeowners began defaulting on mortgages, investment portfolios that contained them collapsed, bringing the nation's largest banks, much of the economy, and the stock market down with them. THE FLASH CRASH (2010): When one investment manager, using a runaway computer algorithm that was dangerously unstable and poorly understood, reacted to the economic turmoil in Greece, the stock market took an unprecedentedly sudden plunge, with the Dow shedding 998.5 points (roughly a trillion dollars in valuation) in just minutes. The stories behind the great crashes are filled with drama, human foibles, and heroic rescues. Taken together they tell the larger story of a nation reaching enormous heights of financial power while experiencing precipitous dips that alter and reset a market where millions of Americans invest their savings, and on which they depend for their futures. Scott Nations vividly shows how each of these major crashes played a role in America's political and cultural fabric, each providing painful lessons that have strengthened us and helped us to build the nation we know today. A History of the United States in Five Crashes clearly and compellingly illustrates the connections between these major financial collapses and examines the solid, clear-cut lessons they offer for preventing the next one."--Jacket
China's New Business Elite by Margaret M. Pearson | Literally Just Books
