Even as human rights provide the most widely shared moral language of our time, they also spark highly contested debates among scholars and policymakers. When should states protect human rights? Does the global war on terror necessitate the violation of some rights? Are food, housing, and health care valid human rights? Debating Human Rights introduces the theory and practice of international    More >

In recent decades, laws passed by African governments to transfer power and resources to local and other subnational governments (SNGs) have been greeted by many in the policy community with enthusiasm. But how far has decentralization really gone in Africa? How well does it work? And what have been its consequences? The authors of Decentralization in Africa work within a common conceptual    More >

Why do some African local governments perform well, while others fail to deliver even the most basic services to their constituents? Gina Lambright finds answers to this question in her investigation of the factors that contribute to good—and those that result in ineffective—institutional performance at the district level in Uganda. Examining the conditions under which local    More >

Reviewing, comparing, and contrasting major models of foreign policy decisionmaking, contributors to this volume make a substantial contribution to the debate between cognitive and rational theories of decisionmaking. The authors describe the leading cognitive and rational models and introduce alternative models of foreign policy choice (prospect theory, poliheuristic theory, theory of moves, and    More >

The authors of this thought-provoking book explore the ways in which decolonization protects the democratic ideal of academic freedom—and at the same time caution against using that freedom to protect interests seeking to undermine the transformation of higher education. Basing their discussion on the South African experience, the authors emphasize the responsibility of scholars to ensure    More >

In this era of economic globalization, the debt owed by the poorest countries allows the richest to have enormous influence over most Southern economies. George Ann Potter brings together a wide range of arguments and views to examine the effects of economic globalization on the lives of the poor majority in debtor countries, showing how the issue of debt can illuminate the process of the    More >

The Middle East and North Africa comprise by all measures one of the least democratic regions in the world. At the same time, decades of research show robust support for democracy among MENA residents. A paradox ... or is it? Hannah Ridge explores the "democracy paradox" by parsing the meanings that citizens assign to the Arab word dimuqratiyya. Drawing on Arab Barometer data from    More >

This outstanding study focuses on the growth of  microfinance in the context of social and economic change—and upheavals—in developing countries. Rather than relying on one-dimensional technical analyses, Eugene Versluysen presents the experiences and achievements of microfinance institutions and their clients in the form of country-based case studies. He emphasizes how important    More >

Guyana-born poet-novelist Dathorne’s powerful work, set against the background of a revolution, both political and spiritual, is a compelling account of the search for ancestry and legacy. The reader learns about the past, present, and future of the chief protagonists—Dele, the saintly whore; Pietro, the impotent medical practitioner; Ianty, the corrupt politician; and Stephan, who    More >

Why has youth crime been rising in the developing countries, and how well have their juvenile justice systems responded to this trend? This anthology profiles delinquency rates and juvenile justice systems in chapters on China, India, Japan, Macao, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey. Each nation's distinctive response to youth crime is described    More >