Why, in the last decades of the twentieth century, did industralized nations witness recurring vast public deficits, even in times of peaceful international relations and economic growth? The essays in Politics, Institutions, and Fiscal Policy chart answers sought by economists, political scientists, and government officials. This groundbreaking book looks at states within five industrialized federations Canadian provinces, Swiss cantons, Belgian regions, German lander, and American states as case studies of variation in budget balances since 1980. The work s conclusion compares deficit...

In a nation that lacks consensus on the very nature of the state, and where policy making is heavily controlled by partisan politics, improved policy implementation capabilities are crucial for the very survival of Israeli society. Public Policy in Israel presents a framework for understanding this country's fractured decision-making process and a blueprint for the radical reform of its policy-making system.

H. K. Colebatch's The Work of Policy provides an international perspective on the field of policy analysis. Colebatch collects voices from around the world to consider the applicability of policy models to the actual practice of policy work. International case studies demonstrate that policy work takes a variety of forms, and policy analysis plays only a small role.

Foreign Policy Toward Cuba examines the disagreement between the foreign policy-making communities of the United States and Canada and that of Cuba and the Caribbean region. The book contrasts the differing Cuban foreign policy positions taken by the United States and Canada, contrasting them in turn with Caribbean and Cuban positions on North America. The book uses a wide range of perspectives, paying particular attention to the way the Western Hemisphere understands Cuba and the approaches of Cuban and Caribbean foreign policy toward North America. Of interest to students of Latin America,...

Biotechnology is one of the most important new issues to emerge in the knowledge economy. The Politics of Biotechnology in North America and Europe provides analysts with a perspective on policy-making in scientifically advanced countries that integrate the insights of several approaches and that display a particular sensitivity to the complexity of policy-making conjectures. This perspective allows going beyond the simplistic understandings of biotechnology policy currently prevailing. This volume provides a rigorous analysis and detailed information on biotechnology policy in nine...

Local Government Reforms in Countries in Transition explores the impacts that the end of the Cold War and increased globalization have had on government around the world.

This edited collection assembles cutting-edge comparative policy research on contemporary policies relevant to gender and workplace issues. Contributors analyze contemporary gender-related employment policies ranging from parental leave and maternity programs, sexual harassment, and work/life balance to gender mainstreaming. Gender and Work in Comparative Perspective thoroughly illustrates the richness of understanding that can be gained through the juxtaposition of a variety of research methodologies focused on a common theme. The side-by-side presentation of single case studies on countries...