by Jean Blondel (1985)
"Ministerial careers and the structure of ministerial careers have been largely neglected areas of study in political science. This third volume of Jean Blondel's comparative study of governments is the first book to explore this important area by examining the similarities and differences among government ministers of the world since 1945. Governments have grown in scope, and spread geographically, to the point where a new phenomenon has emerged -- rule by a political class of ministers regarded as the main instruments of change. Yet ministerial careers and the structure of ministerial careers have been largely neglected areas of study in political science. Jean Blondel's new book is a major, comparative study of the world's government ministers since 1945, which examines both their similarities and differences. Party structures, legislative behaviour, even bureaucratic arrangements vary from country to country, but the nature of the job and the status of ministers is largely uniform, making it possible to study and tackle fundamental questions and assumptions of ministerial government. This volume builds an analytical framework in order to probe the very foundation of the 'ministerial profession' and explore important questions concerning political executives. Do social, economic, cultural or institutional factors contribute to the making of good or bad ministers? Are we justified in complaining about bad government? And, does high ministerial turnover contribute to bad government?"--provided by publisher.
Ann Louise Bardach
An eye-opening account of the last chapter in the life of Fidel Castro: his near death, his enemies and their fifty-year failed battle to eliminate him, and the carefully planned succession and early reign of his brother Raul.
Richard Evans
Evans examines 20th century Chinese history, especially the rise of Communism and the Cultural Revolution, using the career of Deng Xiaoping as the focus.
Dietmar Herz
Dieses Buch bietet einen umfassenden Überblick über Geschichte, Politik und Kultur Palästinas. Im Mittelpunkt stehen der Konflikt der Palästinenser mit dem Staat Israel und die palästinensische Politik unter Yassir Arafat. Die Autoren beschreiben die Hoffnungen und Probleme des Friedensprozesses und zeigen, wo die größten Hindernisse für einen dauerhaften Frieden liegen. Ein Blick auf das vielfältige kulturelle Leben im heutigen Palästina rundet die Darstellung ab. (Quelle: perlentaucher)
Melissa K. Bokovoy
Melissa K. Bokovoy explores the dynamic relationship between the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) and Yugoslavia's peasantry majority from 1941-1953. She challenges current explanations for the party's decision to end all efforts at collectivization. Her argument rests on an extensive examination of the uneasy coalition between a radical, revolutionary elite, hoping to move from a predominantly rural country to a modernized state, and an insurgent peasantry, utterly resistant to change.