- Table View
- List View
Explaining American Politics: Issues and Interpretations (Routledge Revivals)
by Robert WilliamsFirst published in 1990, Explaining American Politics looks at substantial and specific problems in American politics. Focusing on the key issues in contemporary American government, the contributors give lively and provocative interpretations of controversial topics such as the New Right, perceptions of the Presidency, the alleged irresponsibility of Congress, the workings of bureaucracy, Supreme Court activism, and the decline of political parties. This book will be indispensable to all students of American politics as well as to the reader who wants to understand what is really happening in the world’s most complex and fascinating political system.
Explaining Auschwitz and Hiroshima: Historians and the Second World War, 1945-1990 (The New International History)
by Richard J. BosworthFirst published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Explaining Contemporary Asian Military Modernization: The Myth of Asia’s Arms Race (Asian Security Studies)
by Sheryn LeeThis book proposes a novel theoretical framework of "interactive arming" in order to explain armament dynamics in contemporary Asia. Frequently, the modernisation of contemporary naval forces in Asia is described as an "arms race," with the underlying assumption being that weapons acquisitions and increases in defence expenditure are competitive and bilateral and due to conflicting purposes or mutual fears. This book argues that the concept of an arms race is an unsuitable one for explaining contemporary military modernisation in 21st-century Asia. Instead, it proposes a novel and innovative concept of "interactive arming" and argues that what drives conflict is political rivalry, not weapons acquisitions. Instead of perceiving arming as abnormal behaviour, the book views arming as a natural strategic behaviour of states and military modernisation as a basic requirement for a state’s ability to survive. This book will be of much interest to students of Asian security, strategic studies and international relations in general.
Explaining Episodes of Growth Accelerations, Decelerations, and Collapses in Western Africa
by Patrick Imam Gonzalo SalinasA report from the International Monetary Fund.
Explaining Foreign Policy in Post-Colonial Africa
by Stephen M. MaguThis book explores foreign policy developments in post-colonial Africa. A continental foreign policy is a tenuous proposition, yet new African states emerged out of armed resistance and advocacy from regional allies such as the Bandung Conference and the League of Arab States. Ghana was the first Sub-Saharan African country to gain independence in 1957. Fourteen more countries gained independence in 1960 alone, and by May 1963, when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was formed, 30 countries were independent. An early OAU committee was the African Liberation Committee (ALC), tasked to work in the Frontline States (FLS) to support independence in Southern Africa. Pan-Africanists, in alliance with Brazzaville, Casablanca and Monrovia groups, approached continental unity differently, and regionalism continued to be a major feature. Africa’s challenges were often magnified by the capitalist-democratic versus communist-socialist bloc rivalry, but through Africa’s use and leveraging of IGOs – the UN, UNDP, UNECA, GATT, NIEO and others – to advance development, the formation of the African Economic Community, OAU’s evolution into the AU and other alliances belied collective actions, even as Africa implemented decisions that required cooperation: uti possidetis (maintaining colonial borders), containing secession, intra- and inter-state conflicts, rebellions and building RECs and a united Africa as envisioned by Pan Africanists worked better collectively.
Explaining Foreign Policy: U.S. Decision-Making in the Gulf Wars
by Steve A. YetivSteve A. Yetiv has developed an interdisciplinary, integrated approach to studying foreign policy decisions, which he applies here to understand better how and why the United States went to war in the Persian Gulf in 1991 and 2003. Yetiv's innovative method employs the rational actor, cognitive, domestic politics, groupthink, and bureaucratic politics models to explain the foreign policy behavior of governments. Drawing on the widest set of primary sources to date-including a trove of recently declassified documents-and on interviews with key actors, he applies these models to illuminate the decision-making process in the two Gulf Wars and to develop theoretical notions about foreign policy. What Yetiv discovers, in addition to empirical evidence about the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars, is that no one approach provides the best explanation, but when all five are used, a fuller and more complete understanding emerges. Thoroughly updated with a new preface and a chapter on the 2003 Iraq War, Explaining Foreign Policy, already widely used in courses, will continue to be of interest to students and scholars of foreign policy, international relations, and related fields.
Explaining Foreign Policy: U.S. Decision-Making in the Gulf Wars
by Steve A. YetivSteve A. Yetiv has developed an interdisciplinary, integrated approach to studying foreign policy decisions, which he applies here to understand better how and why the United States went to war in the Persian Gulf in 1991 and 2003. Yetiv’s innovative method employs the rational actor, cognitive, domestic politics, groupthink, and bureaucratic politics models to explain the foreign policy behavior of governments. Drawing on the widest set of primary sources to date—including a trove of recently declassified documents—and on interviews with key actors, he applies these models to illuminate the decision-making process in the two Gulf Wars and to develop theoretical notions about foreign policy. What Yetiv discovers, in addition to empirical evidence about the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars, is that no one approach provides the best explanation, but when all five are used, a fuller and more complete understanding emerges.Thoroughly updated with a new preface and a chapter on the 2003 Iraq War, Explaining Foreign Policy, already widely used in courses, will continue to be of interest to students and scholars of foreign policy, international relations, and related fields.
Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil
by Ron RosenbaumDocuments a variety of authors' takes on the reasons behinds Hitler's actions.
Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil, updated edition
by Ron RosenbaumIn Explaining Hitler, Ron Rosenbaum investigates the meanings and motivations people have attached to Hitler and his crimes against humanity. What does Hitler tell us about the nature of evil? In often dramatic encounters, Rosenbaum confronts historians, scholars, filmmakers, and deniers as he skeptically analyzes the key strains of Hitler interpretation. A balanced and thoughtful overview of a subject both frightening and profound, this is an extraordinary quest, an expedition into the war zone of Hitler theories, "a provocative work of cultural history that is as compelling as it is thoughtful, as readable as it is smart” (New York Times). First published in 1998 to rave reviews, Explaining Hitler became a New York Times-bestseller. This new edition is an update of that classic and a critically important contribution to the study of the twentieth century’s darkest moment.
Explaining Inequality
by Maurizio Franzini Mario PiantaInequalities in incomes and wealth have increased in advanced countries, making our economies less dynamic, our societies more unjust and our political processes less democratic. As a result, reducing inequalities is now a major economic, social and political challenge. This book provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the economics of inequality. Until recently economic inequality has been the object of limited research efforts, attracting only modest attention in the political arena; despite important advances in the knowledge of its dimensions, a convincing understanding of the mechanisms at its roots is still lacking. This book summarizes the topic and provides an interpretation of the mechanisms responsible for increased disparities. Building on this analysis the book argues for an integrated set of policies addressing the roots of inequalities in incomes and wealth Explaining Inequality will be of interest to students, researchers and practitioners concerned with inequality, economic and public policy and political economy.
Explaining International Relations Since 1945
by Ngaire WoodsThe book is a collection of 16 articles on international relations by leading authors in the field. It discusses new theoretical concepts with numerous examples taken from world events. The effectiveness of the UN, NATO, SEATO, the EEC, etc. is discussed in detail.
Explaining NATO Enlargement
by Robert W. RauchhausThis work evaluates the pros and cons of NATO enlargement. It explains why NATO offered membership to three of its Cold War adversaries and makes recommendations about which countries, if any, should be offered membership in the future.
Explaining News
by Cristina ArchettiThe book develops a new multidisciplinary model to understand elite press news in the twenty-first century.
Explaining Support for Populism in Contemporary Latin America (Routledge Studies in Latin American Politics)
by Dinorah AzpuruExplaining Support for Populism in Contemporary Latin America investigates the stronghold that populism exerts on citizens in the developing world. More specifically, relying on regional surveys, this book explores why many citizens consistently supported eight populist presidents who were elected in contemporary Latin America. It examines the determinants of support for the populist presidents who governed Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua between 1999 and 2019, and the variables that explain support for the most recent populist presidents in Mexico, Brazil and El Salvador between 2018 and 2023. Unique to this approach is a strong emphasis on the demand-side of populism and the use of country-specific survey data across the years. This book explores the determinants of support for populist presidents in four dimensions: demographic variables, ideological and policy-preference variables, performance variables, and variables related to representative democracy. Understanding what drives people to support populist leaders is critical for revitalizing representative democracy in Latin America. Furthermore, insights about the factors that lead citizens to support populism in Latin America can also inform the analysis of support for populism in other parts of the world.
Explaining War and Peace: Case Studies and Necessary Condition Counterfactuals (Contemporary Security Studies)
by Gary Goertz Jack LevyThis edited volume focuses on the use of ‘necessary condition counterfactuals’ in explaining two key events in twentieth century history, the origins of the First World War and the end of the Cold War. Containing essays by leading figures in the field, this book analyzes the causal logics of necessary and sufficient conditions, demonstrates the variety of different ways in which necessary condition counterfactuals are used to explain the causes of individual events, and identifies errors commonly made in applying this form of causal logic to individual events. It includes discussions of causal chains, contingency, critical junctures, and ‘powder keg’ explanations, and the role of necessary conditions in each. Explaining War and Peace will be of great interest to students of qualitative analysis, the First World War, the Cold War, international history and international relations theory in general.
Explaining Wealth Inequality: Property, Possession and Policy Reform (Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy)
by Benedict AtkinsonThis book discusses the origins of wealth inequality and explains how societies can reform to avoid the catastrophe of inequality-induced social breakdown. It develops a theoretical and practical understanding of the principles behind the concept of ownership and property, complete with historical examples. It proposes a new research perspective focusing on how the problem of wealth concentration is ameliorated by cooperative and collaborative initiatives to enhance the public sphere, without derogating from the private. The book is based on research data compiled from taxation and household data to explore the theme that wealth inequality is made inevitable by possessive behaviour expressed in possessive language. It shows that while inequality is inescapable, we can adopt policies where resources are more efficiently and broadly distributed for public benefit. Such policies are directed towards encouraging voluntary, as opposed to compulsory, wealth transfer to achieve public good. The primary market for the book consists of academics and students from the fields of economics, including growth and developmental economics, law, sociology, history, business and international trade. It also provides a practical resource for government policy analysts wanting to develop a more detailed understanding of the role played by wealth inequality in a range of social problems.
Explaining in the Secondary School
by Prof E Wragg Dr George BrownThis book explores strategies for building up a repertoire of ideas, approaches and techniques that allow teachers to develop effective explanatory skills. It covers issues such as the use of an appropriate language register and analogies for handling topics with which teachers might be unfamiliar.
Explaining the Cosmos: The Ionian Tradition of Scientific Philosophy
by Daniel W. GrahamExplaining the Cosmos is a major reinterpretation of Greek scientific thought before Socrates. Focusing on the scientific tradition of philosophy, Daniel Graham argues that Presocratic philosophy is not a mere patchwork of different schools and styles of thought. Rather, there is a discernible and unified Ionian tradition that dominates Presocratic debates. Graham rejects the common interpretation of the early Ionians as "material monists" and also the view of the later Ionians as desperately trying to save scientific philosophy from Parmenides' criticisms. In Graham's view, Parmenides plays a constructive role in shaping the scientific debates of the fifth century BC. Accordingly, the history of Presocratic philosophy can be seen not as a series of dialectical failures, but rather as a series of theoretical advances that led to empirical discoveries. Indeed, the Ionian tradition can be seen as the origin of the scientific conception of the world that we still hold today.
Explaining the Iraq War: Counterfactual Theory, Logic and Evidence
by Frank P. HarveyThe almost universally accepted explanation for the Iraq War is very clear and consistent - the US decision to attack Saddam Hussein's regime on March 19, 2003 was a product of the ideological agenda, misguided priorities, intentional deceptions and grand strategies of President George W. Bush and prominent 'neoconservatives' and 'unilateralists' on his national security team. Despite the widespread appeal of this version of history, Frank P. Harvey argues that it remains an unsubstantiated assertion and an underdeveloped argument without a logical foundation. His book aims to provide a historically grounded account of the events and strategies which pushed the US-UK coalition towards war. The analysis is based on both factual and counterfactual evidence, combines causal mechanisms derived from multiple levels of analysis and ultimately confirms the role of path dependence and momentum as a much stronger explanation for the sequence of decisions that led to war.
Explanation and Teleology in Aristotle's Science of Nature
by Mariska LeunissenIn Aristotle's teleological view of the world, natural things come to be and are present for the sake of some function or end (for example, wings are present in birds for the sake of flying). Whereas much of recent scholarship has focused on uncovering the (meta-)physical underpinnings of Aristotle's teleology and its contrasts with his notions of chance and necessity, this book examines Aristotle's use of the theory of natural teleology in producing explanations of natural phenomena. Close analyses of Aristotle's natural treatises and his Posterior Analytics show what methods are used for the discovery of functions or ends that figure in teleological explanations, how these explanations are structured, and how well they work in making sense of phenomena. The book will be valuable for all who are interested in Aristotle's natural science, his philosophy of science, and his biology.
Explanation in the Special Sciences: The Case of Biology and History (Synthese Library #367)
by Andreas Hüttemann Marie I. Kaiser Oliver R. Scholz Daniel PlengeBiology and history are often viewed as closely related disciplines, with biology informed by history, especially in its task of charting our evolutionary past. Maximizing the opportunities for cross-fertilization in these two fields requires an accurate reckoning of their commonalities and differences—precisely what this volume sets out to achieve. Specially commissioned essays by a team of recognized international researchers cover the full panoply of topics in these fields and include notable contributions on the correlativity of evolutionary and historical explanations, applying to history the latest causal-mechanical approach in the philosophy of biology, and the question of generalized laws that might pertain across the two subjects. The collection opens with a vital interrogation of general issues on explanation that apart from potentially fruitful areas of interaction (could the etiology of the causal-mechanical perspective in biology account for the historical trajectory of the Roman Empire?) this volume also seeks to chart relative certainties distinguishing explanations in biology and history. It also assesses techniques such as the use of probabilities in biological reconstruction, deployed to overcome the inevitable gaps in physical evidence on early evolution. Methodologies such as causal graphs and semantic explanation receive in-depth analysis. Contributions from a host of prominent and widely read philosophers ensure that this new volume has the stature of a major addition to the literature.
Explanatorium of History: From the First Tools to the Climate Crisis (DK Explanatorium)
by DKDiscover the story of &“us&” — from the dawn of human history up to the world we live in today.This visually stunning history encyclopedia for children takes you on an epic fact-packed journey through the past. Explore historical events through vivid illustrations and engaging explanations.Inside the pages of this fascinating history book for kids ages 10-14, you&’ll find: • Gorgeous images of objects, paintings and landscapes that bring history to life. • In-depth information using targeted captions and annotation. • Supporting artwork panels allow for a deeper understanding. • Comprehensive historical reference. Welcome to the SI Explanatorium. Take a look inside to reveal how history works! From the evolution and migrations of early humans to the rise and fall of great empires like Ancient Rome and the Aztecs, this history reference book shows you the major turning points in history.Get the inside track on wars and conflict, including European knights, Japanese samurai, Inca warriors and the major clashes of World War I, World War II, the Cold War, the War on Terror and so much more. It&’s the perfect children&’s visual encyclopedia for young history buffs.There are more SI Explanatoriums to explore! Get closer to nature than you&’ve ever been before with SI Explanatorium of Nature and see the world of science come to life with SI Explanatorium of Science.
Explodierende Vielfalt: Wie Komplexität entsteht
by Eberhard KlemptVerstehen wir die Welt? Wie ist unsere Welt entstanden? Warum gibt es so viel Materie und so wenig Antimaterie? Wie bildeten sich die weiträumigen Strukturen in unserem Universum? Und wie entstanden aus der unbelebten Materie die ersten reproduktionsfähigen Lebewesen? Welcher Anpassungsdruck erzeugte die Artenvielfalt und letztlich die Hominiden? Wie entwickelten sich Bewusstsein, Kreativität, Religion? In dem vorliegenden Buch beantworten herausragende Wissenschaftler diese und viele weitere spannende Fragen und erklären, wie aus einfachen Anfängen und simplen Regeln immer wieder komplizierte Strukturen entstanden sind. Diese sogenannte Selbstorganisation wird an Beispielen aus den verschiedensten Disziplinen demonstriert – sei es bei der Geburt des Universums, auf der Ebene der Quarks und der Atome, bei der Entstehung des Lebens und bei seiner Ausdifferenzierung in die Vielzahl der Lebensformen bis hin zum Menschen selbst, mit seinen kulturell und wissenschaftlich immer höher entwickelten Gesellschaften. Interessierte Leser können mit Hilfe dieses Buches nachvollziehen, mit welchen Erkenntnissen und Thesen die Wissenschaft heute erklärt, wie die Natur mit einfachen Grundbausteinen und Gesetzen solch komplexe Gefüge geschaffen hat.
Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws who Hacked Ma Bell
by Steve Wozniak Phil LapsleyBefore smartphones, back even before the Internet and personal computer, a misfit group of technophiles, blind teenagers, hippies, and outlaws figured out how to hack the world’s largest machine: the telephone system. Starting with Alexander Graham Bell’s revolutionary "harmonic telegraph,” by the middle of the twentieth century the phone system had grown into something extraordinary, a web of cutting-edge switching machines and human operators that linked together millions of people like never before. But the network had a billion-dollar flaw, and once people discovered it, things would never be the same.Exploding the Phone tells this story in full for the first time. It traces the birth of long-distance communication and the telephone, the rise of AT&T’s monopoly, the creation of the sophisticated machines that made it all work, and the discovery of Ma Bell’s Achilles’ heel. Phil Lapsley expertly weaves together the clandestine underground of "phone phreaks” who turned the network into their electronic playground, the mobsters who exploited its flaws to avoid the feds, the explosion of telephone hacking in the counterculture, and the war between the phreaks, the phone company, and the FBI.The product of extensive original research, Exploding the Phone is a ground-breaking, captivating book.
Explodobook: The World of 80s Action Movies According to Smersh Pod
by John RainThe 1980s. A time of fear: fear of the unknown, fear of your neighbours, fear of drugs, fear of sex, fear of strangers, fear of videos, and the very real fear that the world would end at any moment in an awful, and very sudden, nuclear attack. However, in those times of turmoil and worry, there was a comfort that soothed the mind, and acted as a quiet balm: action movies. Video shops were bursting at the seams with rampant gunfire, sex, drugs, rock, roll, cars on fire, people on fire, guns, bombs, and people dressed in army fatigues (and that was just the staff). Heroes were born shrouded in fire and violent revenge, they were not only armed with guns, but also red-hot quips, that served as a muscly arm around the shoulder, and a wink that everything was going to be okay. So thank you Arnold, Sylvester, Sigourney, Bruce, Eddie, Charles, Patrick, Mel, Chuck and everyone else that made it happen. You saved the world, in your own inimitable way. Join John Rain, the author of the critically-acclaimed Thunderbook: The World of Bond According to Smersh Pod, as he examines a choice selection of the greatest action movies from the decade when the explosion was king.