Lord Hugh Cecil, commenting in 1912 on the British Conservative party's staying power, said that the party's success was largely a matter of temperament, "recruited from...the natural conservatism that is found in almost every human mind." The Conservatives regarded the parties of the left as faddists or federations of pressure groups. In this thorough analysis, Coetzee examines the condition of the Conservative party during the two decades preceding World War I--a transitional period for the party, marked by the foundation of an unprecedented number of conservative pressure groups. Cecil's comment, Coetzee argues, obscures the extent to which conservative pressure groups forced their party to adapt in Edwardian England. The British Navy League, the Tariff Reform League, the Anti-Socialist Union, and a host of other groups changed the face of British conservatism, though not without considerable internal party conflict. In addition to providing a complete account of the pressure groups' origins, organizations, successes, and failures, Coetzee ties their histories to the debates within the Conservative party itself, and to the local elections. In so doing, he demonstrates how the party of the right was ultimately able to convince the electorate that its views were more "national" and "patriotic" than those of the parties of the left.

Party Systems and Country Governance focuses on the variety of party systems across the world and their effects on country governance and the conceptualisation and measurement of country governance. International aid agencies have spent millions of dollars believing that the presence of stable party systems contributes to better country governance. This study largely supports the assumptions of the aid agencies. To measure governance, the authors used the existing World Bank Governance Indicators for 2007 on 212 countries. They collected parliamentary party data for 189 countries. The authors identified fifteen additional countries that did not hold elections for parliamentary parties and eight countries that held non-partisan elections, seating no deputies by party. Together these 212 countries account for virtually all the variations in party systems across the world.

Entertaining starts with setting a fabulous table. In Courtney Allison’s signature French Country Cottage style, she showcases a myriad of romantic table settings for every occasion. Courtney provides the styling expertise to host your own French Country Cottage–inspired gathering, whether in the backyard, at the beach, under an old oak tree, or in a country barn. A simple picnic; coffee by the lake; a cheese board for friends outdoors; a bistro table for two; a long table for a formal meal—each setting exhibiting Allison’s dreamy style for you to emulate. The pièce de résistance in every venue, any setting, is the gorgeous arrangements of seasonal flowers; Courtney’s bouquets will take your breath away from spring to fall, for outdoors and inside.

The Los Angeles Times bestseller "Intelligent....Their book represents a burgeoning literary genre--studies of Roveology, which is the art of using what Republicans embrace, marketing information and what they theoretically are wary of, federal power, to elect more Republicans." --George Will, Newsweek "Persuasive....Hamburger and Wallsten discuss in great detail the misuse of executive branch power for raw political purposes." --Mark Schmitt, Washington Monthly The single greatest priority for the Bush administration has been the consolidation of executive power. That power has been wielded like never before for partisan gain: to win current and future elections for Republicans across America. The Democrats had everything going for them in the 2006 election, but all the obstacles Republicans have been constructing paid off by denying them an even bigger win. Democrats are confident going into 2008, but the Republican advantages endure. Through a rigorous examination of the GOP machine, this book reveals how a true Democratic resurgence faces steep barriers--barriers erected by conservatives who have worked to build their dominant position since the days of Barry Goldwater. "Incisive journalistic digging...One Party Country does a good job of spelling out the GOP electoral strategy objectively and in detail." --The Christian Science Monitor

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD “Nothing short of magic.” —Elizabeth Acevedo, New York Times bestselling author of The Poet X From the acclaimed poet featured on Forbes Africa’s “30 Under 30” list, this powerful novel-in-verse captures one girl, caught between cultures, on an unexpected journey to face the ephemeral girl she might have been. Woven through with moments of lyrical beauty, this is a tender meditation on family, belonging, and home. my mother meant to name me for her favorite flower its sweetness garlands made for pretty girls i imagine her yasmeen bright & alive & i ache to have been born her instead Nima wishes she were someone else. She doesn’t feel understood by her mother, who grew up in a different land. She doesn’t feel accepted in her suburban town; yet somehow, she isn't different enough to belong elsewhere. Her best friend, Haitham, is the only person with whom she can truly be herself. Until she can't, and suddenly her only refuge is gone. As the ground is pulled out from under her, Nima must grapple with the phantom of a life not chosen—the name her parents meant to give her at birth—Yasmeen. But that other name, that other girl, might be more real than Nima knows. And the life Nima wishes were someone else's. . . is one she will need to fight for with a fierceness she never knew she possessed.

Climate change is one of the most pressing problems facing the global community. Although most states agree that climate change is occurring and is at least partly the result of humans’ reliance on fossil fuels, managing a changing global climate is a formidable challenge. Underlying this challenge is the fact that states are sovereign, governed by their own laws and regulations. Sovereignty requires that states address global problems such as climate change on a voluntary basis, by negotiating international agreements. Despite a consensus on the need for global action, many questions remain concerning how a meaningful international climate agreement can be realized. This book brings together leading experts to speak to such questions and to offer promising ideas for the path toward a new climate agreement. Organized in three main parts, it examines the potential for meaningful climate cooperation. Part 1 explores sources of conflict that lead to barriers to an effective climate agreement. Part 2 investigates how different processes influence states’ prospects of resolving their differences and of reaching a climate agreement that is more effective than the current Kyoto Protocol. Finally, part 3 focuses on governance issues, including lessons learned from existing institutional structures. The book is unique in that it brings together the voices of experts from many disciplines, such as economics, political science, international law, and natural science. The authors are academics, practitioners, consultants and advisors. Contributions draw on a variety of methods, and include both theoretical and empirical studies. The book should be of interest to scholars and graduate students in the fields of economics, political science, environmental law, natural resources, earth sciences, sustainability, and many others. It is directly relevant for policy makers, stakeholders and climate change negotiators, offering insights into the role of uncertainty, fairness, policy linkage, burden sharing and alternative institutional designs.

During the golden age of English country house entertaining, from the death of Prince Albert in 1861 to the outbreak of World War I, invitations passed back and forth among members of the aristocracy. Barstow brings to life the personalities and lifestyles of a vanished age in this carefully researched and illustrated study. International royalty and the political figures of the day also feature, none more memorably than the Shah of Persia, who offered to buy the Marchioness of Londonderry and advised the Prince of Wales to execute the Duke of Sutherland when he became king. The text reveals the social and political importance of the house party and also describes the role of the country house in its local and national setting. The decline of country house living after World War I and the beginnings of the National Trust and other efforts to save for the nation these former playgrounds of the elite form the concluding chapters.

The book examines the cleavage structures and the positioning of political parties in countries of Southern Africa including Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. Each case compares the relevant cleavages according to the formulae set of Rae and Taylor with the policies of the competing political parties according to the Manifesto Research Group Wordscores analysis. The comparative perspective concludes with the definitions of Left, Right and Liberal in the context of the Southern Africa and shows determinant of party success and failure.