Andrea Chandler - Böcker

"The political and economic changes that occurred in the Soviet Union in the six and one-half years of Mikhail Gorbachev's tenure as General Secretary were breathtaking in their scope and rapidity, going far beyond most observeiS' expectatiom. Certainly, the process of refonn which we call perestroilal transfonned the ossified one-party socialist state that had prevailed underGorbachev's predecessors. The reasons for embarking on such a coume of reform were varied-eamomic aism and a decline in the Soviet state's ability to provide social welfare services for its citizens, an increasingly apathetic population, and a tense international environment-all of these factoiS convinced the Soviet leadeiShip of the necessity of drastic change. The policies of Gorbachev set refonn in motion: freeing public expression (glllsnost); encouraging economic decentralization and private initiative; and creating a more cooperative relationship with the West."

A reference for those who seek a deeper understanding of national ferment in the USSR, this volume presents the dilemmas posed by the national question, in the words of the people who will ultimately shape its resolution. The authors juxtapose statements by leading all-union, republican and grass-roots political figures to provide a balanced perspe

In studies of comparative politics and public policy specifically, interpersonal friendship has been generally regarded as a matter that belongs to the private domain, rather than a site for government intervention. And yet, friendship is inherently political. While friendships can and do evolve spontaneously between individuals, political factors can help to bring people together or drive them apart.Fomenting Friendship examines the ways in which friendship has been perceived in comparative politics, and the barriers to friendship that exist in capitalist society. These barriers, Andrea Chandler contends, have been shaped by government policy. Reviewing the abundant evidence that shows that access to friendship is socially determined, and that a lack of access to friendship disadvantages the individual in numerous ways, Chandler effectively makes the case that government has a role to play in encouraging interpersonal friendship, including calling upon politicians to model friendly and inclusive behaviour in public.This book is a natural resource for all those looking for answers and best policy practices for encouraging friendship and uncovering unanswered questions about friendship.The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.Funding for the Open Access has been provided by the Department of Political Science, Carleton University.

Through compelling and insightful analysis of the Russian case, this book explores the role that social welfare plays in regime transitions. It examines the role that gender and social welfare has played in Russia's post-communist political evolution from Yeltsin's assumption of the presidency to Putin's return for a third term as president in 2012

Through compelling and insightful analysis of the Russian case, this book explores the role that social welfare plays in regime transitions. It examines the role that gender and social welfare has played in Russia's post-communist political evolution from Yeltsin's assumption of the presidency to Putin's return for a third term as president in 2012