‘The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear’ Antonio GramsciIs New Zealand’s political settlement beginning to fray? And does this mean we’re entering the interregnum, that ambiguous moment between society-wide discontent and political change? In BWB’s latest book of essays, edited by Morgan Godfery, ten of New Zealand’s sharpest emerging thinkers gather to debate the ‘morbid symp...

Veteran Washington reporter Robert Schlesinger opens a fresh and revealing window on the modern presidency from FDR to George W. Bush—examining the crucial and often hidden role of the speechwriter—the men and women who help presidents find the words that define their places in history.Drawing on scores of interviews with White House scribes and on extensive archival research, Schlesinger weaves intimate, amusing, compelling stories that provide surprising insights...

New Zealanders are too complacent about the continuing erosion of their right to know what government is doing on their behalf. Political risk has become a primary consideration in whether official information requests will be met, and successive governments have allowed free speech rights to be overridden.Drawing on decades of experience as a journalist and editor, Gavin Ellis chronicles the patterns of erosion and calls for entrenchment of the Bill of Rights Act. As supreme law, it would...

The state of Israel is one of the most controversial countries in the world. Yet, its unique creation and rise to power in 1948 has not been adequately explained either by its friends (mainstream Zionists) nor by its detractors (Arabists and post-Zionists).Using a variety of comparative methodologies; from contrasting the Jewish state to other minorities in the Ottoman Turkish Empire to the rise of the four Tigers in Asia to newly independent countries and revolutionary socialist c...

"We went into the general election with an unelectable leader, in a state of chaos with a manifesto that might have swept us to victory in cloud cuckoo land, but which was held in contempt in the Britain of 1983." It is said that those who do not learn from past mistakes are doomed to repeat them, and though Golding was describing the Labour Party of the early 1980s, he could just as easily have been talking about its situation today. A lurch to the left and a party in turmoil — the ascens...

This book is a plea for system change in Australia, referring to the various systems that underpin and shape governance. As the 2013 federal election approaches the many flaws in the system of government in Australia are again evident. However, they do not themselves form the focus of the election debate. During the last years the tone and quality of the parliamentary debate has become the focus of attention though. Most people dont like the combative style that is on display on a daily ba...

Australia has been a federation for more than a hundred years, and an independent country for more than seventy. But its system of government is still based on political compromises thrashed out in the late nineteenth century. In particular, the division of power between national and state governments is dysfunctional, irrelevant to the twenty-first century, and it costs us many billions of dollars every year.

'Even if everyone else succumbs to slavery, we must still fight for our freedom.' Admired by many in the ancient world as the greatest of the classic Athenian orators, Demosthenes was intimately involved in the political events of his day. As well as showing a master orator at work, his speeches are a prime source for the history of the period, when Athens was engaged in a doomed struggle against the rising power of Macedon under the brilliant father and son, Philip and Alexander....

A comprehensive guide explaining the spirit and philosophy of co-operative decision making"Excellent - clear guidance and thoughtful reflection on power and conflict" - THE GUARDIANPractical guidance on how to facilitate the consensus decision making process, looking at common situations and explaining the skills and tools your group can use to ease the path to a decision. The book covers techniques for decision-making in small and large groups as well as v...

Political Parties and Partisanship provides an up-to-date examination of the conceptualizations, causes, and consequences of partisanship in both new and established democracies in Eastern Europe.

Europe’s right-wing and national populist parties are on the upswing, even despite some recent electoral setbacks. They have entered parliaments across Europe and some parties are even participating in national governments. What is remarkable is that right-wing and national populist parties have changed their mobilisation tactics. While predominantly xenophobic in the past, right-wing populists now mobilise against further European integration – and not without success.For all acto...

How corrupt is the West? Europe and North America's formal self-perception is one of high standards in public life. And yet, corruption is receiving ever greater attention in the European, American and Canadian press, with high-profile cases affecting both the corporate and political worlds. This book identifies the driving forces behind such cases, particularly the role of political finance, lobbying, the banking system and organised crime. It analyses the sectors which are particularly p...