A selection of essays by a pioneer in the application of systems theory to political analysis, Macropolitics develops the author's concern with the philosophical foundations of political science, and with the extension of philosophical principles into the realm of empirical analysis. For this volume, Kaplan has written a long essay on the philosophical foundations of his work, which constitutes one of his most important statements. He develops and explains within a philosophical context his contention that values can be treated in an empirically meaningful fashion. Organized to...

Israeli politics and policymaking reflect themes long imbedded in Jewish culture. The concepts of Chosen People and Promised Land, and their meaning in Christian as well as Jewish religious traditions, assure that Israel is perpetually in the international spotlight. They also impose a sense of distinctiveness on the Israeli population. Some Israelis trumpet their country's accomplishments with unrestrained superlatives. Social critics accuse Israel of having the worst of the world's conditions. In this they reflect another trait that seems to have been inherited from the ancients: the...

Jerusalem is not just another city that illustrates the conflict between interests of professional planners and competing political perspectives. It is the Holy City, with a history of some 3,000 years. Moreover, numerous layers of historical remains have importance for intense and competitive religious and national interests. Israelis claim it as the capital of their country, and Palestinians want it--or part of it--as the capital of their not yet created state.

Jerusalem is also a place where more than 700,000 people live, and the center of a metropolitan area with more than...

Sharkansky asserts that the use of ambiguity and other forms of coping are more suitable than problem solving in dealing with certain kinds of public problems. However, there are costs as well as benefits associated with these less than perfect ways of policy making. Sharkansky's approach conveys both optimism and pessimism. The bright side is that ambiguity works; the dark side is not so much its disadvantages as the realization that many commentators and practitioners of the craft seem unwilling to recognize its advantages and appear unwilling to promote its use for problems where it...

The resurgence of political economy as an important topic reflects the deep interpenetration of politics and economics. There are few economic issues of consequence that are not shaped by government decisions, and there are few governments whose agendas are not dominated by economic issues. No country reflects the interpenetration of politics and economics as much as Israel.

In this analysis, Ira Sharkansky examines the extensive involvement of the Israeli government in the country's economy, reflected in governmental expenditures that exceed the gross national product, intimate...