Property-Owning Democracy. Rawls and Beyond

A new emphasis on diversity and difference is displacing older myths of nation or community. A new attention to gender, race, language or religion is disrupting earlier preoccupations with class. But the welcome extended to heterogeneity can bring with it a disturbing fragmentation and closure. Can we develop a vision of democracy through difference: a politics that neither denies group identities nor capitulates to them? In this volume, Anne Phillips develops the feminist challenge to exclusionary versions of democracy, citizenship and equality. Relating this to the crisis in socialist theory, the growing unease with the pretensions of Enlightenment rationality, and the recent recuperation of liberal democracy as the only viable politics, she builds on debates within feminism to address general questions of difference. When democracies try to wish away group difference and inequality, they fail to meet their egalitarian promise. When yearnings towards an undifferentiated unity become the basis for radical politics and change, too many groups drop out of the picture. Through her critical discussions of recent feminist and socialist theory Anne Phillips rejects this democracy of denial. She also warns, however, of the dangers on the other side. The simpler celebrations of diversity risk freezing group differences as they are, encouraging a patchwork of local identities from which people can speak only to themselves. Her arguments then combine in a powerful restatement of the case for a more active and participatory democracy. It is only through enhanced communication and discussion that people can respect and learn from their differences.

This book is a highly original and provocative contribution to democratic theory. Zolo argues that the increasing complexity of modern societies represents a fundamental challenge to the basic assumptions of the Western democratic tradition and calls for a reformulation of some of the key questions of political theory. Zolo maintains that, as modern societies become more complex and more involved in the `information revolution', they are subjected to new and unprecedented forms of evolutionary stress – as manifested, for instance, in the growing autonomy and power of political parties, and in new kinds of political communication which create and sustain the fiction of consensus. These forms of stress have become so serious that they threaten to undermine some of the values traditionally associated with democracy, such as the rationality and autonomy of the individual, and the visibility and accountability of power.

Psychologists, political scientists, and experts in election law present a multidisciplinary perspective on voting. Personality characteristics such as motivation, values, and efficacy are considered, as are demographic variables such as education, age, and social class Examines the reciprocal relationship that exists in the functions of voting for individual and society: the interplay between persons and institutions gives rise to the perception that a government is or is not legitimate, and to the sense that an individual does, or does not, belong

This book provides a highly original account of the changing meaning of democracy in the contemporary world, offering both an historical and philosophical analysis of the nature and prospects of democracy today.

A fascinating analysis of the critical role commercial property investment played in the economic boom and bust during the global financial crisis The unprecedented financial boom stretching from the mid-1990s through 2008 ultimately led to the deepest recession in modern times and one of the slowest economic recoveries in history. It also resulted in the emergence of the draconian austerity policies that have swept across Europe in recent years. Property Boom and Banking Bust offers an expert insight into the complex property market dynamics that contributed to the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 and its devastating economic consequences. It is the first book to focus on a woefully underreported dimension of the crisis, namely, the significant role that lending on commercial property development played in the crisis. Among other key topics, the authors explore the philosophical and behavioral factors that propelled irresponsible bank lending and the property boom; how it led to the downfall of the banks; the impact of the credit crunch on the real estate industry generally in the wake of the financial crisis; the catastrophic effects the property bust had on property investors, both large and small; and how the financial institutions have sought to recover in the wake of the financial crisis. Provides valuable insights into what happened in previous booms and busts, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, and how they compare with the most recent one Offers an expert assessment of the consequences of the global financial crisis for the banking system and the commercial property industry Examines strategies banks have used to recover their positions and manage the overhang of indebtedness and bad property assets Addresses strategies the real estate industry have used to recover from the collapse in property values Written in an accessible style, and featuring numerous insider case accounts from property bankers, Property Boom and Banking Bust disentangles the complex, tightly-woven factors that led to the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, while offering powerful lessons for property industry professionals on how to avoid having history repeat itself.

A convenient and up-to-date reference tool for today's financial and nonfinancial managers in public practice and private industry If the very thought of budgets pushes your sanity over the limit, then this practical, easy-to-use guide is just what you need. Budgeting Basics and Beyond, Fourth Edition equips you with an all-in-one resource guaranteed to make the budgeting process easier, less stressful, and more effective. The new edition covers rolling budgets (forecasts), activity-based budgeting, life-cycle budgeting. Cloud computing, Balanced Scorecard, budgeting for nonprofit organizations, business simulations for executive and management training, and much more! Includes several new software packages, computer-based models and spreadsheet applications, including Value Chain Management software, Financial Planning and Performance software, Web 2.0, Cloud computing, and capital budgeting software Features case studies, illustrations, exhibits, forms, checklists, graphs, samples, and worked-out solutions to a wide variety of budgeting, planning, and control problems Offers financial planning and new types of financial modeling, variance analysis, Web-based budgeting, active budgeting illuminating «what-if» analyses throughout, spreadsheet applications, break-even analysis, project analysis, and capital budgeting Budgeting Basics and Beyond, Fourth Edition is a practical, easy-to-use problem-solver and up-to-date reference tool for today's financial and nonfinancial managers in public practice and private industry.

How should one understand the nature and possibilities of political radicalism today? The political radical is normally thought of as someone who stands on the left, opposing backward-looking conservatism. In the present day, however, the left has turned defensive, while the right has become radical, advocating the free play of market forces no matter what obstacles of tradition or custom stand in their way. What explains such a curious twist of perspective? In answering this question Giddens develops a new framework for radical politics, drawing freely on what he calls «philosophic conservatism», but applying this outlook in the service of values normally associated with the Left. The ecological crisis is at the core of this analysis, but is understood by Giddens in an unconventional way – as a response to a world in which modernity has run up against its limits as a social and moral order. The end of nature, as an entity existing independently of human intervention, and the end of tradition, combined with the impact of globalization, are the forces which now have to be confronted, made use of and coped with. This book provides a powerful interpretation of the rise of fundamentalism, of democracy, the persistence of gender divisions and the question of a normative political theory of violence. It will be essential reading for anyone seeking a novel approach to the political challenges which we face at the turn of the twenty-first century.

An all-encompassing coverage on UMTS Networks including an in-depth discussion of current work on UMTS evolution and 4G . UMTS Networks and Beyond offers a comprehensive introduction to the networking aspects of UMTS and the networks coming after UMTS. The book is unique in that it systematically compares how a particular problem, e.g. obtaining connectivity, is solved in UMTS and how the same problem is solved in a Computer Network such as the Internet. It also highlights why the respective solutions are so different. The first part of the book provides a detailed technical discussion of UMTS, including original vision, architecture, protocol stacks and overall functionality. It places UMTS in the context of its evolution of from GSM and its convergence with Computer Networks. The second part of the book discusses today’s vision of 4G, and introduces upcoming networking technologies. Emphasis is on LTE / SAE as successor of UMTS; UMB, WiMAX and NGN are also discussed. The book gives an overview of what these technologies are likely to offer, of their architectures, protocols and functionality. It also discusses their differences and similarities, and whether they will qualify as 4G. Key Features: Provides readers, particularly those with a background in IP-based networks, with a technical understanding of what UMTS does, how it works and how it is likely to evolve Explains the differences in design between UMTS Networks and Computer Networks and discusses how these design divergences can be reconciled in the future Shows how economic considerations shape the design of UMTS Motivates why particular design choices are made in UMTS Gives an in-depth introduction to LTE / SAE Provides a detailed picture of the state of the art in 4G Illustrates the theory with numerous tables and figures This comprehensive textbook is essential reading for advanced students and lecturers in communications systems and networking. It is also of interest to engineers and researchers in the field of UMTS and communications systems.

Extensively updated evaluation of current and future network technologies, applications and devices This book follows on from its successful predecessor with an introduction to next generation network technologies, mobile devices, voice and multimedia services and the mobile web 2.0. Giving a sound technical introduction to 3GPP wireless systems, this book explains the decisions taken during standardization of the most popular wireless network standards today, LTE, LTE-Advanced and HSPA+. It discusses how these elements strongly influence each other and how network capabilities, available bandwidth, mobile device capabilities and new application concepts will shape the way we communicate in the future. This Second Edition presents a comprehensive and broad-reaching examination of a fast-moving technology which will be a welcome update for researchers and professionals alike. Key features: Fully updated and expanded to include new sections including VoLTE, the evolution to 4G, mobile Internet access, LTE-Advanced, Wi-Fi security and backhaul for wireless networks Describes the successful commercialization of Web 2.0 services such as Facebook, and the emergence of app stores, tablets and smartphones Examines the evolution of mobile devices and operating systems, including ARM and x86 architecture and their application to voice-optimized and multimedia devices

An up-to-date and in-depth examination of intellectual property issues in mergers and acquisitions In mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property assets can be especially difficult to accurately value, most notably in rapidly evolving high-tech industries. Understanding the factors that create value in intellectual property assets, and the part such assets play in both domestic and international mergers, is vitally important to anyone involved in the merger and acquisition process. This book provides an overview of the intellectual property landscape in mergers and acquisitions and thoroughly covers important topics from financial and accounting concerns to due diligence and transfer issues. Bringing together some of the leading economists, valuation experts, lawyers, and accountants in the area of intellectual property, this helpful guide acts as an advisor to business professionals and their counsel who need answers for intellectual property questions. The valuation methods presented here are simple and don't require a background in finance. Whether you're a manager or executive, an accountant or an appraiser, Intellectual Property Assets in Mergers and Acquisitions offers all the expert help you need to better understand the issues and the risks in intellectual property assets in mergers and acquisitions.