Continuities in Poland's Permanent Transition

Continuities in Poland's Permanent Transition PDF Author: H. Wydra
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0333983009
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
This book examines change in post-1989 Poland by linking it analytically to the continuity of Poland's past. It argues that the first reality of objective-institutional change is underpinned by the continuity of second realities. Based on an interdisciplinary analysis of the Polish case, this study proposes a new conceptual framework for the study of transitional societies and revises standard assumptions in transitology and democratization studies.

Continuities in Poland's Permanent Transition

Continuities in Poland's Permanent Transition PDF Author: H. Wydra
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0333983009
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 267

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book examines change in post-1989 Poland by linking it analytically to the continuity of Poland's past. It argues that the first reality of objective-institutional change is underpinned by the continuity of second realities. Based on an interdisciplinary analysis of the Polish case, this study proposes a new conceptual framework for the study of transitional societies and revises standard assumptions in transitology and democratization studies.

Communism and the Emergence of Democracy

Communism and the Emergence of Democracy PDF Author: Harald Wydra
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139462180
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
Before democracy becomes an institutionalised form of political authority, the rupture with authoritarian forms of power causes deep uncertainty about power and outcomes. This book connects the study of democratisation in eastern Europe and Russia to the emergence and crisis of communism. Wydra argues that the communist past is not simply a legacy but needs to be seen as a social organism in gestation, where critical events produce new expectations, memories and symbols that influence meanings of democracy. By examining a series of pivotal historical events, he shows that democratisation is not just a matter of institutional design, but rather a matter of consciousness and leadership under conditions of extreme and traumatic incivility. Rather than adopting the opposition between non-democratic and democratic, Wydra argues that the communist experience must be central to the study of the emergence and nature of democracy in (post-) communist countries.

Democracy In Poland

Democracy In Poland PDF Author: Raymond Taras
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429980671
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
Ever-changing election rules, a highly fluid party system, a constitution considered illegitimate by more than one major political actor, polarized political elites, and a system of corruption that has grown up together with the young democracy itself -these characterize contemporary Polish politics. At the same time Poland is frequently identified as the most successful example of a transition from communism to capitalism, having led this series of world-changing transitions. It has distanced itself from a turbulent history as pawn in Eastern Europe's international politics to become a leading candidate for membership in the exclusive European Union club. As Polish democratic politics evolves it is taking unexpected forms and producing equally unexpected results. Through a comprehensive analysis of politics in this young European democracy, Marjorie Castle and Ray Taras explain the complexity and uncertainty of political processes and outcomes in Poland. Poland'spast -the flawed Second Republic established after World War I, as well as the imperfect independence in the Soviet shadow following World War II's devastation - dramatizes the unique historic opportunity it was given in 1989 to determine its own political future and perhaps eventually become a major European power. Choices made in 1989 and thereafter would not only construct a new democracy but shape and limit its possibilities. The primary focus here is on contemporary politics: what the fundamental political cleavages are, whether parties adequately represent popular interests, who the political elites are and what games they play, whatinfluence the Catholic Church still holds in an aspiring Western-style secular republic, and what policy challenges face Poland in the future. Inimitable political leaders, changing political arenas, and complexpolicy-making processes come to life through a fascinating narrative characterized by an insider's insight.

Poland's EU Accession

Poland's EU Accession PDF Author: Sergiusz Trzeciak
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136622608
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
This book examines the process of Poland’s accession negotiations to the European Union between 1998-2003. An empirical study based on Robert Putnam’s two-level game model, it charts the influence and role of key domestic actors and groups on the negotiations especially in three critical, controversial, areas - areas where EU accession threatened to bring about a profound transformation to Polish life - agriculture, with particular emphasis on direct payments and production quotas; the purchase of real estate by foreigners; and the free movement of labour. This book demonstrates the complex interaction between the domestic and international level of negotiations and furthermore, shows how critical this link can be to negotiation outcomes at the international level. It reveals how susceptible Poland’s negotiation process was to domestic pressure, particularly public opinion and interest groups. Drawing heavily on qualitative analysis – such as press releases, news wires, policy documents, as well as quantitative analyses, such as the use of opinion polls, and supported by in-depth, unrestricted interviews with key Polish decision-makers, this book examines the dynamics of policy formation in Poland and shows how this translated into the final conditions of accession.

Politics in Europe

Politics in Europe PDF Author: M. Donald Hancock
Publisher: CQ Press
ISBN: 1483323056
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 833

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Book Description
Thoroughly updated, this sixth edition of Hancock et al.’s Politics in Europe remains an approachable yet rigorous introduction to the region—the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, and the European Union. Its strong analytic framework and organization, coupled with detailed country coverage written by country experts, ensure that students not only get a robust introduction to each country, but also are able to make meaningful cross-national comparisons. Key updates include the latest in European politics, including recent election results, the content and impact of the Eurozone crisis, the emergence of a new “Nordic model” of welfare capitalism, and coverage of key social and political issues including globalization, terrorism, immigration, gender, religion, and transatlantic relations.

Europe Since 1989

Europe Since 1989 PDF Author: William Outhwaite
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131753865X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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Book Description
Europe Since 1989 charts the development of Europe east and west since the 1989 revolutions. It analyses the emergent European society, the development of a European public sphere, and civil society. Most books on Europe are heavily biased to the West and Europe Since 1989 takes the opposite approach. It argues that the transformation of the postcommunist world has implications for the whole of Europe and explores the interplay between long-term fundamental tendencies and chance events and the possible futures which confront contemporary Europe. With close attention to political, economic and other social transformations, and an appendix which gives special attention to European macro regions (Nordic/Baltic Europe, Mediterranean Europe), it offers a sociology of Europe with a strong interdisciplinary emphasis.

Social Movements and the New State

Social Movements and the New State PDF Author: Brian K. Grodsky
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 0804783667
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
The world's democracies cheered as the social movements of the Arab Spring ended the reigns of longstanding dictators and ushered in the possibility of democracy. Yet these unique transitions also fit into a broader pattern of democratic breakthroughs around the globe, where political leaders emerge from the pro-democracy movement that helped affect change. In Social Movements and the New State, Brian Grodsky examines the relationships between new political elites and the civil society organizations that brought them to power in three culturally and geographically disparate countries—Poland, South Africa, and Georgia. This book argues that the identities and personal networks developed during the struggle provide "movement activists" with opportunities to influence minor issues, but that new and differing institutional pressures create schisms on broader policy that can turn prior bonds into a liability rather than an asset. Drawing on media analyses and more than 150 elite interviews, Grodsky offers a rare empirical assessment of the degree to which social movement organizations shape activists' beliefs and actions over the long term.

Bibliographie Internationale de Science Politique

Bibliographie Internationale de Science Politique PDF Author:
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 9780415284028
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 680

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Book Description
IBSS is the essential tool for librarians, university departments, research institutions and any public or private institution whose work requires access to up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge of the social sciences.

The Democratization Disconnect

The Democratization Disconnect PDF Author: Brian K. Grodsky
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442269359
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
The most recent wave of democratic revolutions has convinced many in the West of the triumph of political rights. But in this provocative book, Brian Grodsky argues forcefully that nothing could be further from the truth. Today’s revolutionaries—both democratic and non-democratic—are much like those who preceded them throughout history. They’ve all come into power promising enhanced political, but especially economic, rights: higher wages, better living standards, more security. The difference between today’s pro-democracy leaders and yesterday’s non-democratic ones, the author demonstrates, rests on the perceived international legitimacy of the democratic template. Now, when even the most abusive regimes feel the need to label themselves democracies, opponents delegitimize rulers by calling them undemocratic. This sets the stage for what Grodsky calls the “democratization disconnect.” Leaders and followers fight for political change not as an end, but as the most acceptable means to attain economic rights. But by selling democracy as a panacea for the ills of the preceding regime, new elites simultaneously cheapen the notion of democracy and, by creating unrealistic popular expectations, set it up for failure. Putting a fresh new spin on hotly debated current events, this clear-eyed and informed book will be essential reading for all politically engaged readers.

Post-Soviet Armenia

Post-Soviet Armenia PDF Author: Irina Ghaplanyan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315282674
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 246

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Book Description
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia has struggled to establish itself, with a faltering economy, emigration of the intelligentsia and the weakening of civil society. This book explores how a new national elite has emerged and how it has constructed a new national narrative to suit Armenia’s new circumstances. The book examines the importance of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, considers the impact of fraught relations with Turkey and the impact of relations with other neighbouring states including Russia, and discusses the poorly-developed role of the very large Armenian diaspora. Overall, the book provides a key overview to understanding the forces shaping all aspects of present-day Armenia.