The UK's Changing Democracy
The UK's Changing Democracy

Author: Patrick Dunleavy

Publisher: LSE Press

Published: 2018-11-01

Total Pages: 521

ISBN-13: 1909890464

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The UK’s Changing Democracy presents a uniquely democratic perspective on all aspects of UK politics, at the centre in Westminster and Whitehall, and in all the devolved nations. The 2016 referendum vote to leave the EU marked a turning point in the UK’s political system. In the previous two decades, the country had undergone a series of democratic reforms, during which it seemed to evolve into a more typical European liberal democracy. The establishment of a Supreme Court, adoption of the Human Rights Act, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish devolution, proportional electoral systems, executive mayors and the growth in multi-party competition all marked profound changes to the British political tradition. Brexit may now bring some of these developments to a juddering halt. The UK’s previous ‘exceptionalism’ from European patterns looks certain to continue indefinitely. ‘Taking back control’ of regulations, trade, immigration and much more is the biggest change in UK governance for half a century. It has already produced enduring crises for the party system, Parliament and the core executive, with uniquely contested governance over critical issues, and a rapidly changing political landscape. Other recent trends are no less fast-moving, such as the revival of two-party dominance in England, the re-creation of some mass membership parties and the disruptive challenges of social media. In this context, an in-depth assessment of the quality of the UK’s democracy is essential. Each of the 2018 Democratic Audit’s 37 short chapters starts with clear criteria for what democracy requires in that part of the nation’s political life and outlines key recent developments before a SWOT analysis (of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) crystallises the current situation. A small number of core issues are then explored in more depth. Set against the global rise of debased semi-democracies, the book’s approach returns our focus firmly to the big issues around the quality and sustainability of the UK’s liberal democracy.

Beautiful C++
Beautiful C++

Author: J. Guy Davidson

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Published: 2021-12-16

Total Pages: 747

ISBN-13: 0137647867

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Discover the Beauty of Modern C++ " Beautiful C++ presents the C++ Core Guidelines from a developer's point of view with an emphasis on what benefits can be obtained from following the rules and what nightmares can result from ignoring them. For true geeks, it is an easy and entertaining read. For most software developers, it offers something new and useful." --Bjarne Stroustrup, inventor of C++ and co-editor of the C++ Core Guidelines Writing great C++ code needn't be difficult. The C++ Core Guidelines can help every C++ developer design and write C++ programs that are exceptionally reliable, efficient, and well-performing. But the Guidelines are so jam-packed with excellent advice that it's hard to know where to start. Start here, with Beautiful C++. Expert C++ programmers Guy Davidson and Kate Gregory identify 30 Core Guidelines you'll find especially valuable and offer detailed practical knowledge for improving your C++ style. For easy reference, this book is structured to align closely with the official C++ Core Guidelines website. Throughout, Davidson and Gregory offer useful conceptual insights and expert sample code, illuminate proven ways to use both new and longstanding language features more successfully, and show how to write programs that are more robust and performant by default. Avoid "bikeshedding": stop wasting valuable time on trivia Don't hurt yourself by writing code that will cause problems later Know which legacy features to avoid and the modern features to use instead Use newer features properly, to get their benefits without creating new problems Default to higher-quality code that's statically type-safe, leak resistant, and easier to evolve Use the Core Guidelines with any modern C++ version: C++20, C++17, C++14, or C++11 There's something here to improve virtually every program you write, design, or maintain. For ease of experimentation, all sample code is available on Compiler Explorer at https://godbolt.org/z/cg30-ch0.0. Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

Jack Herer's the Emperor Wears No Clothes
Jack Herer's the Emperor Wears No Clothes

Author: Jack Herer

Publisher: Quick American Archives

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 9781878125026

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Oversized volume containing everything known about the usefulness of the cannabis plant. Completely revised, updated and expanded for more ways that hemp can really save the world.

Illiterate America
Illiterate America

Author: Jonathan Kozol

Publisher: Doubleday

Published: 2011-11-02

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 0307800571

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It is startling and it is shaming: in a country that prides itself on being among the most enlightened in the world, 25 million American adults cannot read the poison warnings on a can of pesticide, a letter from their child’s teacher, or the front page of a newspaper. An additional 35 million read below the level needed to function successfully in our society. The United States ranks forty-ninth among 158 member nations of the UN in literacy, and wastes over $100 billion annually as a result. The problem is not merely an embarrassment, it is a social and economic disaster. In Illiterate America, Jonathan Kozol, author of National Book Award-winning Death at an Early Age, addresses this national disgrace. Combining hard statistics and heartrending stories, he describes the economic and the human costs of illiteracy. Kozol analyses and condemns previous government action—and inaction—and, in a passionate call for reform, he proposes a specific program to conquer illiteracy. One out of every three American adults cannot read this book—which is why everyone else must.