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  European Regions - Perspectives...

  Gabriele Abels, Elisabeth Donat,...

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  At the beginning of the 21st century, the EU is facing deep political, social, and economic changes. The benefit of supranational organization is no longer obvious to European citizens and questions of legitimacy have accompanied the EU's development over the last decades. Regions - albeit often deemed »obsolete« - present themselves as stable and reliable partners in this turbulent environment: in being important objects of identification to their citizens, but also relevant political and legal entities in the EU's multilevel governance system. This edited volume asks about the role of regions and regional identity in a European Union that is perhaps struggling more than ever about its future.

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  Democracy in America

  Alexis de Tocqueville, Harvey C....

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  Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-59) came to America in 1831 to see what a great republic was like. What struck him most was the country’s equality of conditions, its democracy. The book he wrote on his return to France, Democracy in America, is both the best ever written on democracy and the best ever written on America. It remains the most often quoted book about the United States, not only because it has something to interest and please everyone, but also because it has something to teach everyone. 
    
  When it was published in 2000, Harvey Mansfield and Delba Winthrop’s new translation of Democracy in America—only the third since the original two-volume work was published in 1835 and 1840—was lauded in all quarters as the finest and most definitive edition of Tocqueville’s classic thus far. Mansfield and Winthrop have restored the nuances of Tocqueville’s language, with the expressed goal “to convey Tocqueville’s thought as he held it rather than to restate it in comparable terms of today.” The result is a translation with minimal interpretation, but with impeccable annotations of unfamiliar references and a masterful introduction placing the work and its author in the broader contexts of political philosophy and statesmanship.

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  Mercantilism Explained - The...

  Arlo Holders

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  Mercantilism, a dominant economic theory from the 16th to the 18th century, played a pivotal role in shaping the economic and political landscape of early modern Europe. Rooted in the belief that a nation's wealth and power were measured by its stockpile of precious metals, particularly gold and silver, mercantilism emphasized the importance of maintaining a favorable balance of trade. Nations sought to maximize exports while minimizing imports, often employing protectionist policies to achieve this goal. This approach reflected the belief that global wealth was finite, creating fierce competition among nations to secure the largest share of resources and economic advantage. 
  The historical context of mercantilism is deeply intertwined with the Age of Exploration and the rise of powerful nation-states. During this period, European powers such as Spain, Portugal, England, France, and the Netherlands expanded their empires overseas, establishing colonies that served as both sources of raw materials and markets for finished goods. These colonies were central to mercantilist strategies, enabling mother countries to extract wealth and resources while controlling trade to their advantage. This symbiotic relationship between mercantilism and colonial expansion would shape the geopolitical dynamics of the time, fueling rivalries and conflicts between competing empires. 
  Central to mercantilism was the role of government intervention in the economy. Unlike modern free-market principles, mercantilist policies relied heavily on state control to regulate trade and protect domestic industries. Governments imposed tariffs on imported goods, subsidized local production, and established monopolies through chartered companies to ensure economic self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on foreign powers. This top-down approach sought to consolidate economic power within the state, reinforcing the notion that national prosperity and security were interconnected.

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  Economic Structures and Global...

  Arlo Holders

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  This book bundle contains the following 3 titles: 
  - Mercantilism Explained: Mercantilism, a dominant economic theory from the 16th to the 18th century, played a pivotal role in shaping the economic and political landscape of early modern Europe. Rooted in the belief that a nation's wealth and power were measured by its stockpile of precious metals, particularly gold and silver, mercantilism emphasized the importance of maintaining a favorable balance of trade. Nations sought to maximize exports while minimizing imports, often employing protectionist policies to achieve this goal. This approach reflected the belief that global wealth was finite, creating fierce competition among nations to secure the largest share of resources and economic advantage. 
  - Communism vs. Capitalism: An economic system refers to the structure and methods a society uses to produce, distribute, and consume goods and services. It defines how resources are allocated, how wealth is distributed, and how economic decisions are made. Different societies have developed various economic systems over time, influenced by their unique historical, cultural, and political contexts. Among these systems, capitalism and communism are two of the most prominent and contrasting economic ideologies that have shaped the global landscape. 
  - Economic Impacts of Imperialism: Cultural and ideological factors also played a role in shaping imperialism. The belief in the superiority of certain civilizations over others justified the conquest and subjugation of indigenous peoples. Religion was another motivator, with missionary efforts often accompanying territorial expansion. Christianity, in particular, became a tool for legitimizing imperial control, as colonizing powers framed their endeavors as missions to civilize and convert native populations. 

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  The Case for Basic Income -...

  Jamie Swift, Elaine Power

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  Inequality is up. Decent work is down. Free market fundamentalism has been exposed as a tragic failure. In a job market upended by COVID-19—with Canadians caught in the grip of precarious labour, stagnant wages, a climate crisis, and the steady creep of automation—an ever-louder chorus of voices calls for a liveable and obligation-free basic income.
  		 
  Could a basic income guarantee be the way forward to democratize security and intervene where the market economy and social programs fail? Jamie Swift and Elaine Power scrutinize the politics and the potential behind a radical proposal in a post-pandemic world: that wealth should be built by a society, not individuals. And that we all have an unconditional right to a fair share.
  		 
  In these pages, Swift and Power bring to the forefront the deeply personal stories of Canadians who participated in the 2017–2019 Ontario Basic Income Pilot; examine the essential literature and history behind the movement; and answer basic income’s critics from both the right and left.

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  The Grounds of Political Legitimacy

  Fabienne Peter

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  Political decisions have the potential to greatly impact our lives. Think of decisions in relation to abortion or climate change, for example. This makes political legitimacy an important normative concern. But what makes political decisions legitimate? Are they legitimate in virtue of having support from the citizens? Democratic conceptions of political legitimacy answer in the affirmative. Such conceptions rightly highlight that legitimate political decision-making must be sensitive to disagreements among the citizens. 
   
   
   
  Peter argues that the legitimacy of political decisions doesn't just depend on respect for the citizens' will; and defends a novel hybrid conception of political legitimacy, called the Epistemic Accountability conception. According to this conception, political legitimacy also depends on how political decision-making responds to evidence for what there is most reason to do. The Grounds of Political Legitimacy starts with an overview of the main ways in which philosophers have thought about political legitimacy, and identifies the epistemic accountability conception as an overlooked alternative. Considering the norms that should govern political debate, it examines the role of experts in politics, and probes the responsibilities of democratically elected political leaders and as well as of citizens.

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