This study of political institutions provides an objective appraisal of the precolonial institutions of the Basotho before colonial rule in 1868. It appraizes the impact of colonial rule on the old political structure, the introduction of new institutions and the development of new perceptions.

Twelve international economists analyze every government since Peron's first presidency, including the latest military administrations. The years 1958-74 are examined in a new light and the postscript refers to President Alfonsin's changing economic strategy in his first years of government.

Most African economies range from moderately advanced capitalist systems with modern banks and stock markets to peasant and pastoral subsistent systems. Most African countries are also characterized by parallel institutions of governance – one is the state sanctioned (formal) system and the other is the traditional system, which is adhered to, primarily but not exclusively, by the segments of the population in the subsistence peasant and pastoral economic systems. Traditional Institutions in Contemporary African Governance examines critical issues that are largely neglected in the literature, including why traditional institutions have remained entrenched, what the socioeconomic implications of fragmented institutional systems are, and whether they facilitate or impede democratization. The contributors investigate the organizational structure of traditional leadership, the level of adherence of the traditional systems, how dispute resolution, decision-making, and resource allocation are conducted in the traditional system, gender relations in the traditional system, and how the traditional institutions interact with the formal institutions. Filling a conspicuous gap in the literature on African governance, this book will be of great interest to policy makers as well as students and scholars of African politics, political economy and democratization.

Over the past thirty years Japan has shown that it is a highly dynamic society, and its economic policy-making has often astonished the world. Japanese politics, however, though sometimes showing dynamism, are very stable and frequently strangely immobilist. In this book, six specialists on Japanese politics seek to find out why.

The central leadership of the Soviet political system in Moscow is analyzed by a group of Western political researchers. The text covers the entire Soviet period from 1917 to the present day, but special emphasis is placed on the post-Stalin years and new developments of the 1980s.

Martin Chanock's illuminating and definitive perspective on that development examines all areas of the law including criminal law and criminology; the Roman-Dutch law; the State's African law; and land, labour and 'rule of law' questions.

This book is designed to provide an overview of the development and substance of international human rights law, and what is meant concretely by human rights guarantees, such as civil and political rights, and economic and social rights. It highlights the rights of women, globalization and human rights education. The book also explores domestic, regional and international endeavors to protect human rights. The history and role of human rights NGOs coupled with an analysis of diverse international mechanisms are succinctly woven into the text, which well reflects the scholarship and erudition of the authors. This lucidly written and timely volume will be of great help to anyone seeking to understand this area of law, be they students, lawyers, scholars, government officials, staff of international and non-international organizations, human rights activists or lay readers.