Over the past century, democracy spread around the world in turbulent bursts of change, sweeping across national borders in dramatic cascades of revolution and reform.
Nero's reign (AD 54-68) witnessed some of the most memorable events in Roman history, such as the rebellion of Boudica and the first persecution of the Christians-not to mention Nero's murder of his mother, his tyranny and extravagance, and his suicide, which plunged the empire into civil war.
Millions of Americans-including many experienced politicians-viewed Barack Obama through a prism of high expectations, based on a belief in the power of presidential persuasion.
Few transformations in American politics have been as important as the integration of African Americans into the Democratic Party and the Republican embrace of racial policy conservatism.
In recent years, North American and European nations have sought to legally remake religion in other countries through an unprecedented array of international initiatives.
The essential guide to the life, thought, and legacy of Adam SmithAdam Smith (1723-90) is perhaps best known as one of the first champions of the free market and is widely regarded as the founding father of capitalism.
The first chronicle of Stalin's inner political and social circle-from a leading Soviet historianStalin was the unchallenged dictator of the Soviet Union for so long that most historians have dismissed the officials surrounding him as mere yes-men and political window dressing.
A major new account of one of the leading philosopher-statesmen of the eighteenth centuryEdmund Burke (1730-97) lived during one of the most extraordinary periods of world history.
Why churches in some democratic nations wield enormous political power while churches in other democracies don'tIn some religious countries, churches have drafted constitutions, restricted abortion, and controlled education.
A concise and authoritative introduction to Islamic political ideasIn sixteen concise chapters on key topics, this book provides a rich, authoritative, and up-to-date introduction to Islamic political thought from the birth of Islam to today, presenting essential background and context for understanding contemporary politics in the Islamic world and beyond.
Europe's long sixteenth century-a period spanning the years roughly from the voyages of Columbus in the 1490s to the English Civil War in the 1640s-was an era of power struggles between avaricious and unscrupulous princes, inquisitions and torture chambers, and religious differences of ever more violent fervor.
How political incivility broadcast in close-up by the media affects public opinionAmericans are disgusted with watching politicians screaming and yelling at one another on television.
Constituents often fail to hold their representatives accountable for federal spending decisions-even though those very choices have a pervasive influence on American life.
This is the first complete, one-volume English translation of the ancient Chinese text Xunzi, one of the most extensive, sophisticated, and elegant works in the tradition of Confucian thought.
Why economic insecurity spurs so little collective political actionAmericans today face no shortage of threats to their financial well-being, such as job and retirement insecurity, health care costs, and spiraling college tuition.
How governmental failure led to the 2008 financial crisis-and what needs to be done to avoid another similar event Behind every financial crisis lurks a "e;political bubble"e;-policy biases that foster market behaviors leading to financial instability.
Now in paperback: the bestselling author of Gods Politics revives our hope in a politics that reflects our highest common values and offers a roadmap for solving our biggest social problems.
Unlike many national constitutions, which contain explicit positive rights to such things as education, a living wage, and a healthful environment, the U.
The past thirty years have seen a surge of empirical research into political decision making and the influence of framing effects--the phenomenon that occurs when different but equivalent presentations of a decision problem elicit different judgments or preferences.
Why American democracy favors the affluent and educatedPolitically active individuals and organizations make huge investments of time, energy, and money to influence everything from election outcomes to congressional subcommittee hearings to local school politics, while other groups and individual citizens seem woefully underrepresented in our political system.
What a Confucian constitutional government might look like in China's political futureAs China continues to transform itself, many assume that the nation will eventually move beyond communism and adopt a Western-style democracy.
Why policymaking in the United States privileges the rich over the poorCan a country be a democracy if its government only responds to the preferences of the rich?
How Machiavelli's Christianity shaped his political thoughtTo many readers of The Prince, Machiavelli appears to be deeply un-Christian or even anti-Christian, a cynic who thinks rulers should use religion only to keep their subjects in check.
Many Americans wish to believe that the United States, founded in religious tolerance, has gradually and naturally established a secular public sphere that is equally tolerant of all religions--or none.
The contemporary American political landscape has been marked by two paradoxical transformations: the emergence after 1960 of an increasingly activist state, and the rise of an assertive and politically powerful conservatism that strongly opposes activist government.
A lively history of the peculiar math of votingSince the very birth of democracy in ancient Greece, the simple act of voting has given rise to mathematical paradoxes that have puzzled some of the greatest philosophers, statesmen, and mathematicians.
Will to Live tells how Brazil, against all odds, became the first developing country to universalize access to life-saving AIDS therapies--a breakthrough made possible by an unexpected alliance of activists, government reformers, development agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Russian Orthodoxy Resurgent is the first book to fully explore the expansive and ill-understood role that Russia's ancient Christian faith has played in the fall of Soviet Communism and in the rise of Russian nationalism today.
The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters.
