On this page you can find details of the latest books written or edited by staff members of the Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus.

Fragile States

Lothar Brock, Hans-Henrik Holm, Georg Sorensen and Michael Stohl

Today a billion people, including about 340 million of the world's extreme poor, are estimated to live in 'fragile states'. This group of low-income countries are often trapped in cycles of conflict and poverty, which make them acutely vulnerable to a range of shocks and crises.

This engaging book defines and clarifies what we mean by fragile states, examining their characteristics in relation to "weak" and "failed" states in the global system, and explaining their development from pre-colonial times to the present day. It explores the connections between fragile statehood and violent conflict, and analyses the limitations of outside intervention from international society. The complexities surrounding 'successes' such as Costa Rica and Botswana - countries which ought to be fragile, but which are not - are analysed alongside the more precarious cases of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan and Haiti.

Absorbing and authoritative, Fragile States will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of international relations, security studies and development.

Contents
Introduction
1. Major Characteristics of Fragile States
2. The Formation of Fragile States
3. Fragile Statehood and Violent Conflict
4. Coping with State Fragility
5. Surprising Deviations: Fragility Escaped
6. Conclusion: The Fragile State Dilemma
References
Index

Reviews
'An empirical triumph with policy relevance - truly unique in our field.'
- George A. Lopez, University of Notre Dame

'Largely based on the analyses of selected country studies, this important investigation into the roots of state fragility brings out results which question the need for further development assistance and instead find arguments for changes in, for instance, farm policies of rich countries. Particularly noteworthy in this book is the inclusion of cases that have avoided the state fragility that has afflicted neighboring countries. This gives further food for thought on how insightful governance can escape the dilemmas of state fragility.'
- Peter Wallensteen, Uppsala University

Practical information:
Publisher: Polity
ISBN: Hardback: 9780745649412
ISBN10: Hardback: 0745649416
ISBN: Paperback: 9780745649429
ISBN10: Paperback: 0745649424
Publication Dates ROW:Dec 2011
Publication Dates US:Jan 2012
Publication Dates Aus & NZ:Feb 2012
Edition: 1
Pages: 200
Price (hardback): £45.00 / €54.00
Price (paperback): £13.99 / €16.80

The authors:
Lothar Brock (Peace Research Institute, Frankfurt)
Hans-Henrik Holm (Danish School of Media and Journalism)
Georg Sorensen (University of Aarhus)
Michael Stohl (University of California, Santa Barbara)

For further information, additional material, ordering details etc., please consult the publisher's website: http://politybooks.com/book.asp?ref=9780745649412

International Politik NU

- magtbalance, værdier og samarbejde

Morten Winther Bülow og Tonny Brems Knudsen (red.)

Forfattere:
Derek Beach, Morten Winter Bülow, Knud Erik Jørgensen, Tonny Brems Knudsen, Tina Magaard, Jørgen Dige Pedersen, Rasmus Brun Pedersen, Mette Skak, Georg Sørensen, Morten Valbjørn og Clemens Stubbe Østergaard

De 12 kapitler i bogen er skrevet til af nogle af de fremmeste forskere og formidlere inden for studiet af international politik. Sproget er let og vedkommende, og koblingen af korte introduktioner og mere empiriske tematekster gør det lettere at koble teori og virkelighed i en spændende undervisning. De teoretiske perspektiver bliver sat i spil i belysningen af emnerne.

Praktiske oplysninger:

Forlag: systime
Udg.: November 2011

• BOG:
  Isbn 10: 8761631248
  Isbn 13: 9788761631244
  Udgave: 1
  Sider: 247
  Pris: kr. 248,-
• eBOG:
  Isbn 10: 8761645168
  Isbn 13: 9788761645166
  Udgave: 1
  Sider: 247
  Pris: kr. 62,-
• iBOG:
  247 sider | 80 interaktive opgaver | 50 andre opgaver | 12 læsefokus spørgsmålssæt | 70 videoer | 25 cases | 18 primærtekster | 130 figurer | 300 ordforklaringer | eBog | lærer/klasselicens pr. bruger: ½ år kr. 50,- | 1 år kr. 65,- | 2 år kr. 117,- | 3 år kr. 156,-

For yderligere information, supplerende materiale, bestilling mv., henvises til forlagets hjemmeside: http://www.systime.dk/international-politiknu-1.html

Explaining Compliance

- Business Responses to Regulation

Christine Parker, Vibeke Lehmann Nielsen, eds

Explaining Compliance consists of sixteen specially commissioned chapters by the world's leading empirical researchers, examining whether and how businesses comply with regulation that is designed to affect positive behaviour changes.

Each chapter consists of reflective summaries on business compliance with different state or voluntary regulation, and the theoretical lessons to be drawn from it. As a whole, the book develops understanding and explanations of how, why and in what circumstances, firms come to comply with regulation, and when they do not. It also uncovers the complexity, ambiguity and transformation of regulation as it is interpreted, implemented and negotiated by firms, their stakeholders and internal constituencies in everyday business life.

This unique and detailed resource will appeal to academics, graduate students and senior undergraduates in law, political science, sociology, criminology, economics, and psychology, as well as business and interdisciplinary areas such as law and society, and law and economics. Anyone researching business regulation, corporate social responsibility, regulation and compliance, enforcement and compliance, and public administration, will also find this book beneficial.

Contents
Contributors include: G. Auld, J. Borck, B. Cashore, C. Coglianese, L.B. Edelman, Y. Feldman, S. Gilad, G.C. Gray, N. Gunningham, F. Haines, B. Hutter, R.A. Kagan, O. Lobel, P. May, V. Nielsen, C. Parker, M. Potoski, A. Prakash, S. Renckens, M. Rorie, S.S. Silbey, S.S. Simpson, S.A. Talesh, D. Thornton, T. Tyler, J. van Erp, S. Winter

Reviews

'A timely and important set of analyses on how and why businesses respond to regulation in the way that they do from some of the leading authors in the field, covering business responses to both state and non-state regulatory systems.'
– Julia Black, London School of Economics, UK

'A thoughtful collection on meaning and method in compliance. Parker and Nielsen assemble stellar scholars to provide a state-of-the-art understanding of business compliance with regulation.'
– John Braithwaite, Australian National University, Canberra

'Business responses to regulation is a key area of social science research. Parker and Nielsen’s collection brings together an excellent group of scholars with innovative, and I believe highly influential contributions that problematize the relations between regulation and compliance. The collection is a highly welcome addition to our field, that will redefine the research agenda on compliance. A significant achievement that will help to improve policy making and frame the scholarly research agenda for the years to come.'
– David Levi-Faur, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and the Free University of Berlin, Germany

‘Taking a broad view of regulation, and covering a wide range of issues and industries, this collection is the most innovative effort to date to understand the responses of business firms to regulation. The book brings together an impressive group of scholars who analyze the concept of compliance and offer theoretically informed studies of its assumed links to regulation. A must read for both academics and practitioners, this ground-breaking collection firmly establishes a scholarly field of compliance studies.’
– Ronen Shamir, Tel Aviv University, Israel

'A timely and important set of analyses on how and why businesses respond to regulation in the way that they do from some of the leading authors in the field, covering business responses to both state and non-state regulatory systems.'
– Julia Black, London School of Economics, UK

Practical information:
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: Hardback 978 1 84844 885 8
This book is also available as an ebook: 978 0 85793 873 2
Date of publication: November 2011
Edition: 1
Pages: 400
Price: Hardback £95.00 - on-line price £85.50

For further information, additional material, ordering details etc., please consult the publisher's website: http://www.e-elgar.co.uk/bookentry_main.lasso?id=13787&breadcrumlink=&breadcrum=&sub_values=&site_Bus_Man=&site_dev=&site_eco=&site_env_eco=&site_inn_tech=&site_int_pol=&site_law=&site_pub_soc

The EU Comitology System in Theory and Practice

Jens Blom-Hansen

Series: Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics - Palgrave Macmillan

There is a glaring imbalance between the impressive amount of research into first-tier EU decision-making by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament and the limited research into second-tier EU rule-making by the Commission and the comitology committees.

This book seeks to redress that imbalance and find answers to fundamental unresolved questions about the comitology system. It looks at why the system was created, how it has evolved over time and how it functions day to day.

The EU Comitology System in Theory and Practice applies a novel theoretical approach, the delegation perspective, and provides answers by analysing a plurality of data sources, including EU legislative databases, survey data of comitology committees, legal documents and news reports. The book argues that member states use the comitology system to strike a balance between delegating powers to the Commission and controlling it.

Practical information:
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN: 9780230241428
Date of publication: 18 Oct 2011
Edition: 1
Pages: 232
Price: £57.50

For further information, additional material, ordering details etc., please consult the publisher's website: http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=389141

Radikalisering blandt unge muslimer i Europa

Dansk version af fem rapporter fra CIR

Martin Kryhl Jensen (red.)

Center for Forskning i Islamisme og Radikaliseringsprocesser (CIR) har tidligere publiceret fem forskellige rapporter baseret på empiriske studier om henholdsvis Aarhus, Danmark generelt, Frankrig (Lille), Italien (Parma og Verona) og Storbritannien (Leicester).

De er alle blevet udgivet på engelsk, men vi i CIR syntes, at en dansk version i et koncist format ville være på sin plads for at formidle resultaterne til en bredere dansk offentlighed. Selvom det nu er et stykke tid siden, at de oprindelige rapporter blev udgivet, mener vi, at et resume af rapporterne på dansk kan være nyttigt.

CIR er glad for, at Martin Kryhl Jensen med engagement og professionalisme har påtaget sig den delikate opgave at resumere fem forskellige rapporter forfattet af fem forskellige forskerhold i fire forskellige lande.

Martin Kryhl Jensen har overført forfatternes rapporter med stor integritet og med sin stil formået at formidle deres resultater i et lettilgængeligt sprog. Samtidig er Martin Kryhl Jensens tilgang reflekterende og kritisk, og han har ikke holdt sig tilbage fra at stille spørgsmålstegn ved forskernes fremgangsmåde eller deres tolkning af rapporternes resultater.

Martin Kryhl Jensen er udddannet cand.mag. i historie og statskundskab fra Aarhus Universitet og arbejder som underviser i gymnasieskolen.

Praktiske oplysninger:
Udg.: Center for Forskning i Islamisme og Radikaliseringsprocesser (CIR)
Institut for Statskundskab, Aarhus Universitet
ISBN: 978-87-92540-16-4
Udgivelsesår: 2011
Udgave: 3
Sider: 118
Pris: kr. 50

Bogen kan bestilles ved henvendelse til:

Ida Warburg, Centre Secretary

Centre for Studies in Islamism and Radicalisation (CIR)
Department of Political Science, Aarhus University
Bartholins Allé 7, DK-8000 Aarhus C

Tel. + 45 89 42 13 06 - Fax: +45 86 13 98 39 - E-Mail: warburg@ps.au.dk - www.cir.au.dk

Politik og forvaltning

3. udgave

Jørgen Grønnegård Christensen, Marius Ibsen og Peter Munk Christiansen

Tredje reviderede udgave af en af de absolutte kernetekster inden for offentlig forvaltning.

Politik og forvaltning tegner et præcist og aktuelt billede af den offentlige forvaltning og giver en introduktion til den mest centrale litteratur på området. Bogens omdrejningspunkt er forvaltningen, som den ser ud nu. Den gør status efter de senere års store administrative reformer, som på afgørende vis har skabt en ny forvaltning og nye styringsformer.

Samtidig slår dansk forvaltningstradition fortsat stærkt igennem. Trods vidtgående ændringer og europæisering har dansk forvaltning bevaret sine historiske grundtræk: Der er stadig et tæt og fortroligt samarbejde mellem den politiske ledelse og embedsværket, og den danske forvaltning er på verdensplan en af de få, der er kendetegnet ved meget få politiske udnævnelser.

Denne nye udgave af bogen er suppleret med et kapitel om kernen i EU's forvaltning, Kommissionen, dens organisation og institutioner samt dens tætte samspil med de nationale forvaltninger. 

Om forfatterne: Jørgen Grønnegård Christensen er professor i offentlig forvaltning ved Institut for Statskundskab, Aarhus Universitet. Marius Ibsen er kommunaldirektør i Gladsaxe Kommune, og Peter Munk Christiansen er professor i komparativ politik ved Institut for Statskundskab, Aarhus Universitet.

Praktiske oplysninger:
Forlag: Hans Reitzels Forlag
Isbn: 9788741255514
Udgivelsesår: 2011
Udgave: 3
Sider: 296
Pris: kr. 298

For yderligere information, supplerende materiale, bestilling mv., henvises til forlagets hjemmeside: www.gyldendal-akademisk.dk/Books/9788741255514.aspx

A Liberal World Order in Crisis

- Choosing between Imposition and Restraint

Georg Sørensen

The collapse of the bipolar international system near the end of the twentieth century changed political liberalism from a regional system with aspirations of universality to global ideological dominance as the basic vision of how international life should be organized. Yet in the last two decades liberal democracies have not been able to create an effective and legitimate liberal world order. In A Liberal World Order in Crisis, Georg Sorensen suggests that this is connected to major tensions between two strains of liberalism: a "liberalism of imposition" affirms the universal validity of liberal values and is ready to use any means to secure the worldwide expansion of liberal principles. A "liberalism of restraint" emphasizes nonintervention, moderation, and respect for others.

This book is the first comprehensive discussion of how tensions in liberalism create problems for the establishment of a liberal world order. The book is also the first skeptical liberal statement to appear since the era of liberal optimism—based in anticipation of the end of history—in the 1990s. Sorensen identifies major competing analyses of world order and explains why their focus on balance-of-power competition, civilizational conflict, international terrorism, and fragile states is insufficient.

Publisher: Cornell University Press
Date of publication: November 2011
ISBN-10: 0-8014-5022-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8014-5022-8
Ref.no.: 9780801450228
Pages: 232
Language: English
Price: $31.96 (List price: $39.95)

For further information and ordering details, please visit the publisher’s website at: www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100795250

Stata - En praktisk introduktion

Kim Mannemar Sønderskov

Stata er et af de bedste og mest brugervenlige allround-statistikprogrammer og vinder stadig større udbredelse inden for bl.a. samfunds- og sundhedsvidenskaberne. Denne guide introducerer læseren til programmet og gennemgår, hvordan Stata anvendes til videnskabelig analyse af kvantitative data. Gennem en række eksempler og øvelser med virkelige data guides læseren igennem datahåndtering, basale uni- og bivariate analyser samt lineær regression. Derudover behandles mere avancerede emner som fx illustration af resultaterne fra interaktionsmodeller.

Bogen er skrevet til studerende, der ikke tidligere har arbejdet med statistiksoftware, og er således velegnet i metode- og statistikundervisningen på BA-niveau. Bogen er dog også velegnet til erfarne brugere af andre programmer og til Stata-brugere, der ønsker overblik over programmets grundlæggende funktionalitet.

Kim Mannemar Sønderskov er adjunkt ved Institut for Statskundskab, Aarhus Universitet.

Omtale:
”Med denne praktiske introduktion til Stata er det blevet lige så nemt at lave egne statistiske analyser som med andre statistik-pakker. Gennem en række praktiske øvelser lærer man at lave alt lige fra simple statistiske opgørelser til komplekse regressionsanalyser. Bogen er ideel til undervisningsbrug, til selvstudium for begyndere i statistisk analyse og som forudsætning for at arbejde videre med de endnu mere avancerede analyser, som Stata også giver mulighed for.”

- Søren Risbjerg Thomsen, professor i statskundskab, Aarhus Universitet.

Praktiske oplysninger:
Forlag: Hans Reitzels Forlag
Isbn: 9788741255347
Udgivelsesår: 2011
Udgave: 1
Sider: 216
Pris: kr. 198

For yderligere information, supplerende materiale, øvelsesfiler, bestilling mv., henvises til forlagets hjemmeside: http://www.gyldendal-akademisk.dk/Books/9788741255347.aspx

Velfærdsstaten - En introduktion

Carsten Jensen

Velfærdsstaten er en central del af mange danskeres hverdag. Stort set alle har nydt godt af overførselsindkomster eller velfærdsservices såsom efterløn, børnepasning eller hospitalsbehandling. Derudover er der mange, som har deres daglige virke som producenter af den megen velfærd. Derfor står velfærdsstaten som et af de væsentligste kendetegn ved vores samfundsindretning og naturligvis også som et af de mest hotte politiske emner i Danmark.

Denne bog introducerer til velfærdsstatens opbygning og kendetegn med fokus på tre spørgsmål: Hvad er en velfærdsstat? Hvorfor er der velfærdsstater? Hvilken betydning har velfærdsstater?

Forlag: Hans Reitzels Forlag
ISBN: 9788741254586
Udgivelsesår: 2011
Udgave: 1
Sider: 200
Pris: kr. 248,00

For yderligere information, supplerende materiale, bestilling mv., henvises til forlagets hjemmeside: www.gyldendal-akademisk.dk/Books/9788741254586.aspx

A Western Source of Islamism:

Soundings in the Influence of Alexis Carrel on Sayyid Qutb

John Møller Larsen

Islam is undoubtedly the main source of Islamism, but it is not the only one. From the middle of the 19th century, Islamist ideology has been inspired by western sources, too. Doctrines like scienticism, Marxism, Nazism and Third Worldism have influenced contemporary Islamist ideologues.

In this context, the French surgeon and biologist Alexis Carrel stands as a front figure who inspired not only Sunni Islamists like Sayyid Quṭb, but also Shi‘a Islamists in Iran.

That non-Islamic ideas have played an important role in the formulation of Islamism may appear unexpected. How could an anti-western Muslim thinker like Sayyid Quṭb feel so ideologically related to a western, pro-Nazi Nobel Prize winner?

The resolution of this enigma is the main issue of this book.

John Møller Larsen possesses a highly professional knowledge of the Arabic language and Islamic history. In addition, he is very familiar with Sayyid Quṭb's life and ideas, Quṭb having been the subject of his PhD dissertation. All these elements together render this book exceptional.

Practical information:

Published by: Centre for Studies in Islamism and Radicalisation (CIR)
Pages: 112
Price: DKK 75 / € 10

For further information, ordering details etc.,

please refer to CIR’s website, www.cir.au.dk, or contact

Ida Warburg, Centre Secretary
Centre for Studies in Islamism and Radicalisation (CIR)
Department of Political Science
Aarhus University
Bartholins Allé 7
DK-8000 Aarhus C
DENMARK

Tel. + 45 89 42 13 06
Fax: +45 86 13 98 39
E-Mail: warburg@ps.au.dk

Soon available also via Aarhus University's webshop

Requisites of Democracy:
Conceptualization, Measurement, and Explanation

Jørgen Møller & Svend-Erik Skaaning

This book brings together the conceptual and theoretical writings of Joseph Schumpeter, Robert A. Dahl, Guillermo O’Donnell, and T. H. Marshall. It demonstrates that most of the different conceptions of democracy in the democratization literature can be ordered in one systematic regime typology that distinguishes between ‘thinner’ and ‘thicker’ definitions of democracy.

The authors argue that the empirical pattern revealed by this typology is explained by the combination of internal structural constraints and international factors facilitating democracy. The result of such contending forces is that most of the democratizations in recent decades have only produced competitive elections, rather than ‘more demanding’ attributes of democracy such as political liberties, the rule of law, and social rights.

Examining theoretical and empirical approaches to measuring, defining and understanding democracy, the book will be of interest to scholars of political theory and comparative politics in general and democratization studies in particular.

Contents:

Publisher: Routledge
Date of publication: 1 July 2011
Pages: 164
Language: English
Series: Democratization Studies
Hardback: 978-0-415-59681-7: $130.00
eBook: 978-0-203-80803-0: $130.00

For further information, sample material and ordering details, please visit the publisher’s website at: www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415596817/