Modern Government and Political Systems (5 Volumes)

The dictates of history and the unpredictable actions of the leaders of nations at several points of time in history continue to throw long shadows as the world today struggles to cope with the problems of sensible development. The new world order after the break up of the erstwhile Soviet Union demands the creation of new international economic order and the global market-place functioning on the basis of a free market economy has put together strange bed-fellows in the nuptial chambers of commerce and politics. The crucial question arises: Has there been, or is there presently taking place, a decidedly revolutionary break from the past? What are the changes taking place in the relations between political entities, commercial entities and rich-poor societies? Has there been any irreversible change in the political and social structures of communities the world over? The flux of history is dependent on the actions of leaders, who in turn seek to optimise the status of the nations they are entrusted to safekeeping. The shadow of the Third Reich seems to be present in modern unified Germany as neo-Nazi groups rules of political and social conduct. Japan’s commercial juggernaut steamrolls across the western nations and generates a wave of reaction among the right-wing and also unenlightened sections. The Commonwealth of Independent States strives for a place of honour and profit in the comity of nations while Marx, Engels, Lenin and Gorbachev are being consigned to an ideological limbo. The present set of compilations in five volumes have the above backdrop in the effort to bring together important material on the subject of modern governments and political systems. The historical basis noticeable in the collections would seem to be justified in view of the empirical analysis mentioned above. It is hoped that the valuable materials available in these Volumes in the shape of articles, papers, discussion notes, reviews, abstracts and excerpts will be of use to the scholars as well as students of politics and political science in identifying areas which require more focussed attention. These volumes embodying such painstaking research on the subject should be the asset of all libraries public or private.

Dr. S.L. Kaushik (b. 1946) did his Masters in Public Administration and Political Science from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Punjabi University, Patiala. Formerly a Reader in the Department of Public Administration, Punjab University, Chandigarh, Dr. Kaushik has been Professor and Head, Faculty of Public Administration, Haryana Institute of Public Administration, Gurgaon for about two years.he has to his credit more than 24 years of teaching and research experience. He is life member of several academic associations and is listed in Reference Asia. He has organised a number of seminars and refresher courses and has participated in over 40 national level conferences and seminars. He is on the guest faculty of Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi and Himachal Institute of Public Administration, Shimla. A prolific writer, he has authored a number of scholarly books besides over two dozen research papers, published in reputed journals, newspapers etc. Dr. Rama Patnayak obtained her M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degree from the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. A seasoned teacher having over two decades professional standing, she is a Reader in Political Science at Indraprastha College for Women (University of Delhi). She has to her credit a number of research papers published in reputed scholarly journals. She has participated in several regional and national seminars/workshops and conferences on Development and Planning. Dr. Patnayak is currently engaged in a research project on Population Studies in collaboration with National Commission for Women, Govt. of India. She is also a consultant to UNICEF in a project to study and evaluate the community participatory processes in Urban Development.