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Preface and Acknowledgments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Ram Mudambi
Affiliation:
Case Western Reserve University, Ohio
Pietro Navarra
Affiliation:
Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy
Giuseppe Sobbrio
Affiliation:
Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy
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Summary

In the short space of less than a decade the political landscape of the world has changed dramatically. The fall of the Berlin Wall has brought into being many states with strong desires but little experience with democracy. In addition, the political climate in many of the world's democracies has been far from still. Italy, New Zealand, and Japan have all undertaken major changes in their electoral systems. Many experts describe the political landscape in the United States as being the most polarized in living memory.

In the former Soviet Empire and in many former authoritarian states, there is the widespread desire to roll back the power of the state and implement the popular will. Simultaneously there is the wish to utilize the second-mover advantages of starting with a clean slate to pick and choose the best system, learning from the experiences of the democratic world. The collapse of the centrally planned economies has also undermined the authority of governments in the democracies of the world. This has led to calls for a re-definition of the core functions of the state. Furthermore, electorates in the democracies are becoming increasingly critical of their political establishments as globalization makes life more and more uncertain. These critiques have fueled demands for changes to limit the powers of political agents and to make them more accountable to their constituents.

Type
Chapter
Information
Rules and Reason
Perspectives on Constitutional Political Economy
, pp. xi - xii
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2001

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  • Preface and Acknowledgments
  • Edited by Ram Mudambi, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, Pietro Navarra, Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy, Giuseppe Sobbrio, Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy
  • Book: Rules and Reason
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139175166.002
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  • Preface and Acknowledgments
  • Edited by Ram Mudambi, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, Pietro Navarra, Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy, Giuseppe Sobbrio, Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy
  • Book: Rules and Reason
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139175166.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Preface and Acknowledgments
  • Edited by Ram Mudambi, Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, Pietro Navarra, Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy, Giuseppe Sobbrio, Instituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Prodotti Naturali (Sezione de Messina), Italy
  • Book: Rules and Reason
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139175166.002
Available formats
×