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Growing numbers of scholars, practitioners, politicians, and citizens recognize the value of deliberative civic engagement processes that enable citizens and governments to come together in public spaces and engage in constructive dialogue, informed discussion, and decisive deliberation. This book seeks to fill a gap in empirical studies in deliberative democracy by studying the assembly of the Australian Citizens’ Parliament (ACP), which took place in Canberra on February 6–8, 2009. The ACP addressed the question “How can the Australian political system be strengthened to serve us better?” The ACP’s Canberra assembly is the first large-scale, face-to-face deliberative project to be completely audio-recorded and transcribed, enabling an unprecedented level of qualitative and quantitative assessment of participants’ actual spoken discourse. Each chapter reports on different research questions for different purposes to benefit different audiences. Combined, they exhibit how diverse modes of research focused on a single event can enhance both theoretical and practical knowledge about deliberative democracy.

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“One problem with the food system is that price is the bottom line rather than having the bottom line be land stewardship, an appreciation for the environmental and social value of small-scale family farms, or for organically grown produce.” —Interview with farmer in Skagit County, Washington For much of the later twentieth century, food has been abundant and convenient for most residents of advanced industrial societies. The luxury of taking the safety and dependability of food for granted pushed it to the back burner in the consciousness of many. Increasingly, however, this once taken-for-granted food system is coming under question on issues such as the humane treatment of animals, genetically engineered foods, and social and environmental justice. Many consumers are no longer content with buying into the mainstream, commodity-driven food market on which they once depended. Resistance has emerged in diverse forms, from protests at the opening of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide to ever-greater interest in alternatives, such as CSAs (community-supported agriculture), fair trade, and organic foods. The food system is increasingly becoming an arena of struggle that reflects larger changes in societal values and norms, as expectations are moving beyond the desire for affordable, convenient foods to a need for healthy and environmentally sound alternatives. In this book, leading scholars and scholar-activists provide case studies that illuminate the complexities and contradictions that surround the emergence of a “new day” in agriculture.
The essays found in The Fight Over Food analyze and evaluate both the theoretical and historical contexts of the agrifood system and the ways in which trends of individual action and collective activity have led to an “accumulation of resistance” that greatly affects the mainstream market of food production. The overarching theme that integrates the case studies is the idea of human agency and the ways in which people purposefully and creatively generate new forms of action or resistance to facilitate social changes within the structure of predominant cultural norms. Together these studies examine whether these combined efforts will have the strength to create significant and enduring transformations in the food system.

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At the beginning of the twentieth century, Venezuela had one of the poorest economies in Latin America, but by 1970 it had become the richest country in the region and one of the twenty richest countries in the world, ahead of countries such as Greece, Israel, and Spain. Between 1978 and 2001, however, Venezuela’s economy went sharply in reverse, with non-oil GDP declining by almost 19 percent and oil GDP by an astonishing 65 percent. What accounts for this drastic turnabout? The editors of Venezuela Before Chávez , who each played a policymaking role in the country’s economy during the past two decades, have brought together a group of economists and political scientists to examine systematically the impact of a wide range of factors affecting the economy’s collapse, from the cost of labor regulation and the development of financial markets to the weakening of democratic governance and the politics of decisions about industrial policy. Aside from the editors, the contributors are Omar Bello, Adriana Bermúdez, Matías Braun, Javier Corrales, Jonathan Di John, Rafael Di Tella, Javier Donna, Samuel Freije, Dan Levy, Robert MacCulloch, Osmel Manzano, Francisco Monaldi, María Antonia Moreno, Daniel Ortega, Michael Penfold, José Pineda, Lant Pritchett, Cameron A. Shelton, and Dean Yang.

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Michael Oakeshott has long been recognized as one of the most important political philosophers of the twentieth century, but until now no single volume has been able to examine all the facets of his wide-ranging philosophy with sufficient depth, expertise, and authority. The essays collected here cover all aspects of Oakeshott’s thought, from his theory of knowledge and philosophies of history, religion, art, and education to his reflections on morality, politics, and law. Aside from the editors, the contributors are Corey Abel, David Boucher, Elizabeth Corey, Robert Devigne, Timothy Fuller, Steven Gerencser, Robert Grant, Noel Malcolm, Kenneth McIntyre, Kenneth Minogue, Noël O’Sullivan, Geoffrey Thomas, and Martyn Thompson.

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Carolingian historical texts have long stood at the base of our modern knowledge about the eighth and ninth centuries. The ninth century gave birth to a new revival of secular biography, which has come to be recognized as one of the brightest bands in the spectrum of Carolingian historical writing. This collection brings together, for the first time in one volume, the five royal/imperial biographies written during the Carolingian period. Thomas F. X. Noble’s new English translations of these five important texts—Einhard’s Life of Emperor Charles , Notker’s Deeds of Charles the Great , Ermoldus Nigellus’s Poem in Honor of Louis , Thegan’s Deeds of Emperor Louis , and the Life of Louis by “the Astronomer”—are each accompanied by a short introduction and a note on “Essential Reading.” Offering details on matters of style, sources used by the author, and the influence, if any, exerted by the text, Noble provides a context for each translation without compromising the author’s intended voice. By “reuniting” these five essential medieval texts in an English translation, this volume makes these voices accessible to scholars and non-experts alike throughout the Anglophone world.

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The twentieth century was one of profound transformation in rural America. Demographic shifts and economic restructuring have conspired to alter dramatically the lives of rural people and their communities. Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-First Century defines these changes and interprets their implications for the future of rural America. The volume follows in the tradition of "decennial volumes" co-edited by presidents of the Rural Sociological Society and published in the Society's Rural Studies Series. Essays have been specially commissioned to examine key aspects of public policy relevant to rural America in the new century. Contributors include:Lionel Beaulieu, Alessandro Bonnano, David Brown, Ralph Brown, Frederick Buttel, Ted Bradshaw, Douglas Constance, Steve Daniels, Lynn England, William Falk, Cornelia Flora, Jan Flora, Glenn Fuguitt, Nina Glasgow, Leland Glenna, Angela Gonzales, Gary Green, Rosalind Harris, Tom Hirschl, Douglas Jackson-Smith, Leif Jensen, Ken Johnson, Richard Krannich, Daniel Lichter, Linda Lobao, Al Luloff, Tom Lyson, Kate MacTavish, David McGranahan, Diane McLaughlin, Philip McMichael, Lois Wright Morton, Domenico Parisi, Peggy Petrzelka, Kenneth Pigg, Rogelio Saenz, Sonya Salamon, Jeff Sharp, Curtis Stofferahn, Louis Swanson, Ann Tickameyer, Leanne Tigges, Cruz Torres, Mildred Warner, Ronald Wimberley, Dreamal Worthen, and Julie Zimmerman.

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Past interpreters of Kant’s thought seldom viewed his writings on politics as having much importance, especially in comparison with his writings on ethics, which (along with his major works, such as the Critique of Pure Reason ) received the lion’s share of attention. But in recent years a new generation of scholars has revived interest in what Kant had to say about politics. From a position of engagement with today’s most pressing questions, this volume of essays offers a comprehensive introduction to Kant’s often misunderstood political thought. Covering the full range of sources of Kant’s political theory—including not only the Doctrine of Right, the Critiques, and the political essays but also Kant’s lectures and minor writings—the volume’s distinguished contributors demonstrate that Kant’s philosophy offers compelling positions that continue to inspire the best thinking on politics today. Aside from the editor, the contributors are Michaele Ferguson, Louis-Philippe Hodgson, Ian Hunter, John Christian Laursen, Mika LaVaque-Manty, Onora O’Neill, Thomas W. Pogge, Arthur Ripstein, and Robert S. Taylor.

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Condorcet (1743–1794) was the last of the great eighteenth-century French philosophes and one of the most fervent américanistes of his time. A friend of Franklin, Jefferson, and Paine and a member of the American Philosophical Society, he was well informed and enthusiastic about the American Revolution. Condorcet’s writings on the American Revolution, the Federal Constitution, and the new political culture emerging in the United States constitute milestones in the history of French political thought and of French attitudes toward the United States. These remarkable texts, however, have not been available in modern editions or translations. This book presents first or new translations of all of Condorcet’s major writings on the United States, including an essay on the impact of the American Revolution on Europe; a commentary on the Federal Constitution, the first such commentary to be published in the Old World; and his Eulogy of Franklin , in which Condorcet paints a vivid picture of his recently deceased friend as the archetype of the new American man: self-made, practical, talented but modest, tolerant and free of prejudice—the embodiment of reason, common sense, and the liberal values of the Enlightenment.

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Guru’s Heart Practice contains the essential texts for the Guru practices of Padmasambhava, according to the Dispeller of Obtacles’ cycle These unique hidden treasures are a revelation with a rich history. This extensive cycle contains teachings and practices for the preliminaries up to and including Dzogchen. Linking to a fresh treasure has the power to imbue us with hot and juicy blessings that invigorate our being and generate profound devotion and joy. Just as we prefer to have fresh food, the treasure teachings revealed with the ‘short lineage’ are endowed with a very special quality that has not been interpolated by anyone else, but has come directly from Padmasambhava by means of one of his disciples appearing as a present-day incarnation. The teaching is then spread to people for their immediate practice.

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Crowdfunding is already transforming the way many entrepreneurs and enterprises around the globe think about community engagement and fundraising for various causes. This book puts forth the belief that policymakers, public servants and various governments, municipalities and regions can significantly benefit from crowdfunding through employing crowd-related mechanisms within their frameworks and using their crowd as an asset &#x2014; a crowdasset. Using real-world examples, this book explores the opportunities presented by crowdfunding and crowdfunded innovation, and how major policymakers are already using crowdfunding and crowd mechanisms to accelerate innovation, engagement and community transformation. A guide for those involved in crowdfunding, CrowdAsset brings readers through the journey of maximising crowd impact.<b>Contents:</b> <ul><li><b><i>The Crowdfunding Opportunity:</i></b><ul><li>Introduction to Crowdfunding <i>(Tim Wright, Dan Marom and Oliver Gajda)</i></li></ul></li><li><b><i>Our Framework:</i></b><ul><li>The Framework <i>(Tim Wright, Dan Marom and Oliver Gajda)</i></li></ul></li><li><b><i>Crowdfunding in Action:</i></b><ul><li><b>Societal Impact:</b><ul><li>Civic Crowdfunding, Equity, and the Role of Government <i>(David J Weinberger)</i></li><li>The Design of Paying Publics <i>(Ann Light and Jo Briggs)</i></li><li>The Patronicity Crowdgranting Model <i>(Ebrahim Varachia)</i></li><li>Match-Funding Calls for Open Crowdfunding: The Experience from Goteo.Org in New Policies for Crowdvocacy <i>(Enric Senabre Hidalgo, Mayo Fuster Morell, Cristina Moreno de Albor&#x00E1;n and Olivier Schulbaum)</i></li></ul></li><li><b>Civic and City Level:</b><ul><li>Co-Creating Cities &#x2014; Practical Experiences from Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding Urban Areas in Turin, Brussels, and London <i>(Conny Weber and Reinhard Willfort)</i></li><li>Crowdfunding Social or Community-Focused Projects <i>(Jonathan Bone)</i></li><li>Crowdfund London: Civic Crowdfunding as a Tool for Collaborative Urban Regeneration in London <i>(James Parkinson)</i></li><li>Lessons Learned from Civic Crowdfunding and Match-Funding Schemes in Europe <i>(Francesca Passeri)</i></li><li>Civic Crowdfunding in Milan: Between Grass-Roots Actors and Policy Opportunities <i>(Carolina Pacchi and Ivana Pais)</i></li></ul></li><li><b>State and Government Level:</b><ul><li>Crowdfund Angus: The Impact of Public-Level Crowdfunding <i>(Shelley Hague)</i></li><li>Initiative Comes at a Cost: Russian Experience of Crowdfunding for Policymakers <i>(Evgeny P Torkanovskiy)</i></li><li>From Crowdfunding Initiative to Fintech Hub: Lithuanian Case <i>(Arvydas Pa&#x0161;kevi&#x010D;ius, Leva Astrauskait&#x0117; and Sigitas Mitkus)</i></li><li>Civic Crowdfunding in Germany &#x2014; An Overview of the Developing Landscape in Germany <i>(Karsten Wenzlaff)</i></li><li>Crowdfunding Act: Accelerating the Growth of Crowdfunding Market in Finland <i>(Ilkka Harju and Aki Kallio)</i></li><li>Crowdsourcing Ideas for Public Investment: The Experience of Youth Participatory Budgeting in Portugal <i>(Susana Jacinta Queir&#x00F3;s Bernardino and Jos&#x00E9; de Freitas Santos)</i></li><li>Crowdfunding &#x2014; The Indonesian Experience <i>(Anton Root)</i></li><li>Intrastate Crowdfunding: Achieving Its Full Potential as an Economic Development Tool <i>(Amy Cortese)</i></li></ul></li><li><b>Pan National:</b><ul><li>Will the Proposed European Crowdfunding Regulation Lead to a 'True' European Market for Crowdfunding? <i>(Sebastiaan Niels Hooghiemstra)</i></li><li>Crowdfunding for Civic and Development Projects <i>(Robert Pasicko and Marina Petrovic)</i></li></ul></li><li><b>Blockchain and Cryptocurrency:</b><ul><li>Relationships among Crowdassets, Crowdfunding, and ICOs for Civic Engagement <i>(Angelo Miglietta and Emanuele Mario Parisi)</i></li><li>The Berkeley Blockchain Initiative &#x2014; Crypto Municipal Bonds: Addressing the Challenge of Homelessness and a Whole Lot More <i>(Tim Wright)</i></li></ul></li></ul></li><li><b><i>Conclusion:</i></b><ul><li>Making It Happen <i>(Tim Wright, Oliver Gajda and Dan Marom)</i></li></ul></li></ul><br><b>Readership:</b> Policymakers and those involved in crowdfunding activities.Crowdfunding;Crowdsourcing;Crowd;Public;Policymakers;Government;State;Municipalities;Civic Crowdfunding;Civic Society;Citizen Engagement0<b>Key Features:</b><ul><li>Authors and contributors are well-known experts from around the world providing various synergetic viewpoints</li><li>Hands-on guide with best practices, insights, tools and frameworks</li><li>Timely in addressing budgetary challenges faced by organisations</li></ul>

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