Political Science

This introduction to politics is designed for first-year students in social sciences and for the general reader interested in the basics of contemporary politic. The text's various sections and lecture summaries deal with the important areas of political science, different systems of democratic government, the fall of communism and post-communist politics, as well as issues in Caribbean politics such as globalization, constitutional reform and regional integration.

The presentations compiled in this volume offer important philosophical insights into a number of critical issues facing the Caribbean region.

Caribbean Political Thought: Theories of the Post-Colonial State reckons with the vast body of radical work and thought on the post-colonial Caribbean state. It focuses on the period after the Second World War, when a significant number of Caribbean countries gained their independence, and the character of the region's post-colonial politics had become clear. The survey of political thought in this collection is divided into four sections: theories of the post-colonial state, theorizing post-colonial citizenship, Caribbean regionalism and political culture. Includes contributions from: Walter Rodney Ernesto Sagas Percy Hintzen Michel-Rolph Trouillot Carl Stone Brian Meeks CY Thomas George Danns M. Jacqui Alexander Norman Girvan George Belle Eudine Barriteau Hilbourne Watson Tracy Robinson Obika Gray Patricia Mohammed Charles Mills C.L.R. James Frantz Fanon Stuart Hall Edouard Glissant Archie Singham Eric Williams Rupert Lewis Jack Dahomay George Lamming Erna Brodber Sylvia Wynter Arthur Lewis Patsy Lewis Havelock R.H. Ross-Brewster"

Few developments have had broader consequences for the public sector than the introduction of the Internet and digital technology. In this book, Darrell West discusses how new technology is altering governmental performance, the political process, and democracy itself by improving government responsiveness and increasing information available to citizens.

Using multiple methods--case studies, content analysis of over 17,000 government Web sites, public and bureaucrat opinion survey data, an e-mail responsiveness test, budget data, and aggregate analysis--the author presents the most comprehensive study of electronic government ever undertaken. Among other topics, he looks at how much change has taken place in the public sector, what determines the speed and breadth of e-government adoption, and what the consequences of digital technology are for the public sector.

Written in a clear and analytical manner, this book outlines the variety of factors that have restricted the ability of policy makers to make effective use of new technology. Although digital government offers the potential for revolutionary change, social, political, and economic forces constrain the scope of transformation and prevent government officials from realizing the full benefits of interactive technology.

"General Elections and Voting in the English-Speaking Caribbean, 1992-2005 provides a historical description and analytical account of elections and election processes in the Commonwealth Caribbean in the six decades since the introduction of Universal Adult Suffrage in the region. The Book studies the first decade of the twenty-first century and includes countries like Anguilla, The Bahamas, Belize and Guyana whose electoral records have not previously been accessible in a single source for the purpose of historical and comparative analysis. However, the work goes further in updating the story of Caribbean elections, political parties and the overall democratic experience, the authors address new and emerging issues including Political Party Financing, Women and Electoral Politics, Caribbean Governance and the overall effectiveness and suitability of the Westminster Model for all the territories of the region. Comprehensive, up to date and current, General Elections and Voting in the English Speaking Caribbean is a valuable compendium of statistical data for political analysts and party officials as well as an indispensable text for students and others interested in the evolution, transformation and the prospect for Caribbean democracy into the twenty-first century and beyond. "

This is an introductory text for students if Caribbean Politics at the undergraduate level. It provides a broad historical sweep from the slave era to the contemporary period, characterised by issues of structural adjustments and globalisation, and in between, the years of worker revolt and protest. The text is structured and presented around a number of core concepts used to analyse Caribbean politics and political systems. Understanding of each concept is aided and enriched by selected readings from both published works as well as original articles specially commissioned for this book. This student-friendly text contains summaries of the key concepts discussed in each section, questions to test students' understanding, suggestions for further reading and a self-assessment section. Key concepts/issues include: 1.Imperialism, Colonialism, Neo-Colonialism, Re-Colonisation 2.Struggles of the working class people 3.The politics of constitutional decolonisation and the Westminster model 4.Party systems and electoral politic 5.Trade Unionism 6.The Politics of change: alternative development strategies 7.Regional integration

Appropriate for introduction to political science or politics courses, INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE covers both normative and empirical issues while examining major political ideologies, institutions, and processes. This text introduces students to the enduring, normative questions of politics and to the different schools of thought concerning these issues. It also provides students with information about political systems and issues in a global context, relating comparative and international issues to everyday life. Finally, it teaches them to think critically about politics, applying logic and empirical analysis to political questions. The social choice framework provides a conceptual model that students can understand, apply, and critique.

"The Commonwealth of Nations comprises 54 nations bound by a common thread of inherited democratic principles that have been deepened and expanded over time. In this work, author Carl Dundas, a key player in election observation, reviews the work of Commonwealth election observers and identifies some of the lessons to be learnt from the experiences of several observation missions. The period 1990 2000, covering 32 missions is examined and the collective experience of flawed election processes valued and weighed against the impact of local conditions to allow citizens the opportunity to exercise their franchise freely. Of particular interest is the commentary on the one-party, military or apartheid regimes that were transformed into multiparty democracies. The trials faced by the management bodies of transitional elections in creating a level playing field for the contesting political parties and keeping the election process transparent were significant and particularly challenging. Observing Elections is a special edition of the Integrationist and a useful text for anyone interested in development politics and Commonwealth studies. "

Politics in the Developing World, Second Edition, identifies and analyzes the processes of change that are transforming the politics of the Third World. It deals with central political themes and issues such as globalization--both economic and cultural, and resistance to both--inequality, identity, religion, the military, democracy, the environment, and policy development. Presented in a user-friendly format, the text contains useful pedagogical features including a glossary of key terms, chapter summaries, questions for discussion, chronologies, web links, suggestions for further reading, and boxes highlighting particular issues, events, and ideas. The second edition features four new chapters on "people power," security issues, colonialism and post-colonialism, and globalization/good governance.

Will information technology help reinvent government? It might, but only if it is correctly managed. This book provides a new model for management of information age reform, based on international case-studies drawn from the US, UK, mainland Europe, and developing countries. It offers practical guidance and analytical insights and will be of value to practitioners, students, educators and researchers in both public administration and information systems.