Christian Democracy and the Fall of Communism - - ebook

Bringing together a group of both international and Malaysian scholars, this book offers an up-to-date and broad analysis of the contemporary state of Malaysian politics and society. Transcending disciplinary boundaries, it offers a look at Malaysian politics not only through the lens of political science but also anthropology, cultural studies, international relations, political economy and legal studies touching on both overlooked topics in Malaysian political life as well as the emerging trends which will shape Malaysia's future. Covering silat martial arts, Malaysia's constitutional identity, emergency legislation, the South China Sea dilemma, ISIS discourse, zakat payment, the fallout from the 1MDB scandal and Malaysia's green movement, Illusions of Democracy charts the complex and multi-faceted nature of political life in a semi-authoritarian state, breaking down the illusions which keep it functioning, to uncover the mechanisms which really underlie the paradoxical longevity of …

Focusing on the Nepali ethnic group living on the borderlands of Sikkim, Darjeeling, and east Nepal, the book 'Ethnicity and Democracy in the Eastern Himalayan Borderland' analyses the growth, success, and proliferation of ethnic politics on the peripheries of modern South Asia. Based on extensive historical and ethnographic research, it critically examines the relationship between culture and politics in a geographical space which is replete with a diverse range of ethnic identities. The book explores the emergence of new modes of political representation, cultural activism, and everyday politics in regional South Asia. Being Nepali offers new perspectives on political dynamics and state formation across the eastern Himalaya which is fuelled by the resurgence of ethnic culture. NB CATALGUSTEKST CHICAGO: This book presents a close look at the growth, success, and proliferation of ethnic politics on the peripheries of modern South Asia, built around a case study of the Nepal ethnic grou…

Faced with the variety and complexity of the forms that direct democracy takes today, this book pays attention first to the main stages in which direct democracy has historically evolved, and then considers at greater length the systems currently in place in different countries. The first chapter provides historical background. The two following chapters are devoted to Europe and to the Americas, where direct democracy is most developed. The analysis of the different forms that direct democracy has historically taken and those that characterize contemporary systems should allow a more balanced judgment for or against direct democracy, both in general and in specific contexts. The Comparative Public Law Treatise is a comprehensive body of publications, addressing the most relevant topics within comparative public law. The Treatise aims to identify and present in an original fashion comparative knowledge in the area of public law, whilst also developing new interpretative guidelines. Eac…

Since its foundation in 1992 the EU has been developing from an international organisation towards a European democracy. The Maastricht Treaty introduced the citizenship of the Union, while the Treaty of Amsterdam included the concept of democracy in the core values of the EU and 'Lisbon' construed the European Union as a democracy without turning the Union into a State. This development has not been foreseen by politicians and scholars. According to the prevailing theories the EU should have become either a sovereign State of Europe or a Europe of sovereign States. The theory of democratic integration, which is presented in this monograph, replaces the outdated paradigm of the Westphalian system of international relations with the civic perspective of democracy and the rule of law. From this angle, it seems obvious that, if two or more democratic states decide to share the exercise of sovereignty in a number of fields with the view to attain common goals, the organisation they establi…

The Theory of Democratic Integration, which will be presented in this treatise, is the first political theory to account for the dual character of the EU as both a Union of States and a Union of Citizens. The new theory brings about a revolutionary breakthrough in EU research as it replaces the traditional Westphalian paradigm of states with the civic perspective of democracy and the rule of law. From this perspective there is no point in governing an organisation of democratic states in an undemocratic manner. At the same time it is equally self-evident that, if two or more democratic states agree to share the exercise of sovereignty in a number of fields with a view to attain common goals, the organisation they establish for this purpose should be democratic too. The Copernican revolution, engendered by the theory of democratic integration, is not only of academic interest. It also has great practical consequences. The first concrete result of the new theory is that it provides for t…

Bodily suffering and patient, Christlike attitudes towards that suffering were among the key characteristics of sainthood throughout the medieval period. Drawing on new work in medieval dis/ability studies, this book analyses the meanings given to putative saints' bodily infirmities in late medieval canonization hearings. How was an individual saint's bodily ailment investigated in the inquests, and how did the witnesses (re)construct the saintly candidates' ailments? What meanings were given to infirmity when providing proofs for holiness? This study depicts holy infirmity as an aspect of sanctity that is largely defined within the community, in continual dialogue with devotees, people suffering from doubt, the holy person, and the cultural patterns ascribed to saintly life. Furthermore, it analyses how the meanings given to saints' infirmities influenced and reflected society's attitudes towards bodily ailments in general.