First Published in 1986. The papers in this volume were originally delivered at a series of seminars held at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London, between January and May 1984. The inspiration for the scheme was the Soviet succession struggle of 1982 but further reflection indicated that the problem of elderly leaderships, and the apparent absence of legitimate succession mechanisms, applied to nearly all communist systems.
As the 16th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (October 1st, 2002) draws near, China watchers in Washington, Tokyo, Taipei and many other places have their eyes intently fixed on the political scene in Beijing. Most are predicting problems involved in the transition process as well as speculating on the final leadership line-up. Nevertheless, such speculation is intellectually rather futile. To avoid being too speculative, the contributors to this study have focused instead on two key aspects of China's leadership transition: first, changes in the politics of leadership transition, and second, real and potential problems and challenges that China's younger, fourth generation leaders have to grapple when they take over.
As a new decade begins the popular demand for change has meant that the social and political fabric of the the Eastern Bloc countries has been irrevocably altered. This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the key political, economic and social areas of East German society, such as the military and the church, areas which will intrinsically involved with the movement for change.
"This book, in one convenient volume, is the first comprehensive exploration of all episodes of Xi Jinping's (b. 1953) life history and his political career, begun at age 17. Part I explores Xi's formative childhood and youth experience as well as his governance record spanning every administrative level from the village to the capital. Part II focuses on Xi's first five-year term as General Secretary (2012-2017) and as President (2013-2018). The author discusses all major issues including Xi's legitimacy building, consolidation of power, ideological redefinition, party rectification, anti-corruption efforts, and control of dissent up until 2018. He explores reforms in the economy, social policy, the judiciary, military, and foreign relations in the same period. Xi's political life mirrors the vicissitudes of the Maoist and reform eras, and sheds light on the regime's hopes and fears, strengths and weaknesses, and the changing zeitgeist of the times. By adopting a multi-disciplinary, comparative, and social science approach, this book unpacks and explains immensely complex phenomena, and offers fresh insights into the dynamics of governance in China encompassing both progressive and regressive features. It synthesizes a large corpus of cutting-edge research on China, takes issue with influential theories such as the "one party, two coalitions" view of Chinese politics, and rejects conventional wisdom that views China as a "frozen and closed system" under "one-man rule." This original contribution to scholarship explores how Xi Jinping and his team introduced an unprecedented transformation of Chinese society and politics, and initiated an activist global outreach"--
The collapse of communism was one of the most defining moments of the twentieth century. At its peak, more than a third of the world's population had lived under communist power. What is communism? Where did the idea come from and what attracted people to it? What is the future for communism? This Very Short Introduction considers these questions and more in the search to explore and understand communism. Explaining the theory behind its ideology, and examining the history and mindset behind its political, economic and social structures, Leslie Holmes examines the highs and lows of communist power and its future in today's world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
First Published in 1992. The present collection of essays brings together the concepts of change and development, by using the concept of evolution to explore various forms of change in the communist and 'post-communist' world. The author's experience of living in the provinces of the Soviet Union later persuaded them of the inappropriateness of at least a rigid application of the concept of totalitarianism. This title will also satiate the further interest of the interaction between 'capitalism' (or liberal democracy) and 'communism', particularly the impact of capitalism's technical innovations on some of communism's basic principles of rule.
This volume features the perspective of a new generation of younger China scholars, men and women who themselves grew up in China, but earned their PhDs overseas.
How can we strengthen the capacity of governments and parties to manage arrivals and departures at the top? Democracy requires reliable processes for the transfer of power from one generation of leaders to the next. This book introduces new analytical frameworks and presents the latest empirical evidence from comparative political research.
Leadership has never been more important – and divisive – than it is today. The idea and discourse of the leader remains a critical factor in organizational and societal performance, but there is evident tension between the persistent focus on the critical importance of individual leaders and the increasing emphasis on collective leadership. The Routledge Companion to Leadership provides a survey of the contentious and dynamic discipline of leadership. This collection covers key themes in the field, including advances in leadership theory, leadership in a range of contexts and geographies, leadership failure, leadership process, and leadership development. Topics range from micro studies to wider political analyses of leadership, taking in unusual but important aspects such as portrayals of leadership in architecture, media, and science fiction. Contributions from 61 internationally renowned authors from 16 countries make available the full range of perspectives, approaches, and insights on the idea of leadership. Providing both a social sciences and a psychological approach, these go beyond common themes to offer diverse perspectives on such topics as emotion and leadership, portrayals of leadership. This volume situates leadership debates and evidence within contemporary leadership crises, while ensuring that the explorations of the issues are of enduring relevance. With wide and critical coverage of the key topics and potent contextualization of themes in current events, The Routledge Companion to Leadership is the ideal resource for graduate study in leadership.
