Product Description
Thirty-five years after the first new Pacific states gained their independence, traditional leaders remain important political actors throughout the region. The political environs of the South Pacific, freshly populated with presidents, prime ministers, members of parliament, and local judiciary officers, are also increasingly crowded with newly visible chiefs. Far from being premodern relics, the chiefs who operate within modern Pacific states today figure significantly in attempts to fashion national identities and manage the direction of political and economic development. This volume presents detailed analyses of the accommodations between chiefs and states in thirteen Pacific societies. In some states, traditional perquisites and political authority have overlapped so that the state is a contemporary form of chiefdom. Elsewhere, chiefs operate as a mechanism of local accommodation to centralized state authority, facilitating state operations in the local community. In still other states, local chiefs have risen up against central authority, leading their communities in opposition to the state and its deprecations.In each case, the chief is a focus for cultural struggle in the border zones of local, national, and transnational politics. ... Read more

Product Description
Joseph Ejercito Estrada was a controversial figure long before he went into Philippine politics. He was not only famous for his many mistresses and children born out of wedlock, but also because of his drinking and gambling. That you can become the 13th President of the world's 13th largest country, measured in population size, with such a personal record is a miracle in itself. As president he stumbled from problem to problem and finally found himself facing impeachment charges filed by the Philippine House of Representatives. During the trial evidence piled up especially regarding the activities of his Chinese-Filipino gambling friends. Were they trying to turn the Philippines in a new Asian Las Vegas to replace Macau in due time? In an apparent attempt to defuse the critical situation for the president eleven out of twenty-one senators decided to put a stop to more revealing evidence. They misjudged the situation and the Philippine people went again to the streets of Manila and demanded the ousting of their president. After only three days of protesting they succeeded and Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn in as new president. Can the fragile Philippine economy survive such sudden and drastic changes? What about the country's weak political institutions?It seems that only a drastic or draconian turn-around can change the fate of Asia's only Christian nation from further sliding down the ladder into economic oblivion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

helpful details on the Estrada debacle
This book was helpful as a review of the details of the sleaze of the Estrada administration.Therefore, the book served my purpose and I am satisfied.I only wish that the European author did not include the final opinion section where he attributes the election of this huge crook to the Philippines following the American political tradition rather than the European.I cannot recall American voters ever electing anyone like Estrada although embezzlement crooks do win European elections sometimes... ... Read more

Product Description
In his most challenging work to date, journalist andauthor Tom Coffman offers readers a new and much-needed politicalnarrative of twentieth-century Hawai'i. The Island Edge ofAmerica reinterprets the major events leading up to and followingstatehood in 1959: U.S. annexation of the Hawaiian kingdom, thewartime crisis of the Japanese-American community, post-war labororganization, the Cold War, the development of Hawai'i's legendaryDemocratic Party, the rise of native Hawaiian nationalism. His accountweaves together the threads of multicultural and transnational forcesthat have shaped the Islands for more than a century, looking beyondthe Hawai'i carefully packaged for the tourist to the Hawai'i ofcomplex and conflicting identities--independent kingdom, overseascolony, U.S. state, indigenous nation--a wonderfully rich, diverse,and at times troubled place.

With a sure grasp of political history and culture based on decades offirsthand archival research, Tom Coffman takes Hawai'i's story intothe twentieth century and in the process sheds new light on America'sisland edge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best Political History of Hawaii
As a "kamaaina"(person born and raised in Hawaii), I have read most of the literature about the State. Author Tom Coffman, has written several books about Hawaii, including his first, "Catch A Wave", which was about the 1970 gubernatorial campaign. He has written what I believe, is the best political history of the State in this current book.The previous "best" was one written in the late 1950's, entitled "Hawaii Pono" by Lawrence Fuchs.Coffman's book, in a highly readable and well-researched, up-dates that history and adds other facts.Coffman seems to have researched oral history accounts and other sources and adds much to knowledge about a state that is like no other...at the island edge of America. ... Read more

Product Description
D&B Export Guide

D&B Export Guides are your guide to global market and export information on more than 185 countries. For many years these guides have been the ticket to successful foreign trade. Armed with this information, you can enter global markets and minimize payment delays by understanding country requirements in advance. With D&B Export Guides you get the details you need to work successfully in each market:

Topics covered include:

Product Description
Tracks the latest Fiji coup from Chaudhry's election through to the eventual conviction and death sentence passed on George Speight. On 19 May 2000 Speight led 7 armed men into the Fiji Parliament and kidnapped Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and his government. The hostages were held for 56 days, during which the Fiji Military declared martial law and took over Fiji. Speight said he was acting for indigenous Fijians against Indian domination. This is an intimate account by three authors closely involved in the coup. Includes publication of letters between hostages and their families, and extracts from Tupeni Baba's secret diary giving graphic descriptions of what happened inside Parliament. The book also looks at earlier Rabuka coups and examines the way "coup culture" is now a part of the political scene in Fiji. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

About This Book...
Hardcover from Yale University Press; 374 pp; index; 3 appendices.

Bibliographic and narrative footnotes and a summary entitled Sources.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Early American Interest
- Cultural Frontier
- The Role of Americans
- Diminishing Influence
- Constitutional Change

American Concern, 1864-1882
- The Succession and Annexation
- Reciprocity Consummated
- Decadence
- Cabinets and the Legislature
- "Wild" Proposals
- Disaffection of the Propertied Class

The Bloodless Revolution of 1887
- Reaction in Washington
- Primacy in Polynesia
- The Hawaiian League
- The Bloodless Revolution
- The Constitution of 1887
- Status of American Residents
- The Insurrection of 1889
- Fall of the Reform Ministry
- Proposals for a New Constitution
- Growing British Influence
- Kalakaua's Last Visit

Liliuokalani's Reign
- The Annexation Club
- Thurston's Mission
- New Prospects of Annexation
- The Queen Regains Control
- Preparing for Annexation
- An Overture From Washington
- Stevens Presses Hard

The Revolution of 1893: Four Days

American Reaction
- Official Reaction
- The Treaty
- Early Reaction
- A Protectorate
- Ratification Delayed
- Individual Influence
- The Strategist's Point of View

Cleveland's Policy
- The Initial Approach
- The Blount Investigation
- Gresham's Position
- Willis' Mission
- Cleveland's Message to Congress
- Congressional Action
- Uncertainty

Success of the Annexationists
- A Second Treaty
- Americanists and Strategists
- To and From Annexation
- Reaction of American Labor
- Opposition of the Sugar Interests
- Abandonment of the Treaty
- Annexation Through the Joint Resolution
- Formal Transfer of Sovereignty

Summary and Conclusion

... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subtitle: Giving Some Information Concerning the Government, Legislation, History, Geography, Land Titles, Religion, Population, Education, Institutions, Trade, Agriculture, and Climate, of the Colony. With a Few Notes Setting Forth the Special Advantages Which the Colony Presents to Intending Settlers. 1892; Original Published by: Printed at the Government Printing Office in 1892 in 90 pages; Subjects: Fiji; Fiji Islands; Business & Economics / Industries / Agribusiness; History / Oceania; Technology & Engineering / Agriculture / General; Travel / Australia & Oceania; ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1820Original Publisher: John MurrayNotes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free.Excerpt: No. II.Government House, Sydney, June 10, 1815. Mr. Cox having reported the road as completed on the 21st of January, the governor, accompanied by Mr. Macquarie, and that gentleman, commenced his tour on the 25th of April last, over the Blue Mountains, and was joined by Sir John Jamison, at the Nepean, who accompanied him during the entire tour. The following gentlemen composed the governor's suite : Mr. Campbell, secretary; Captain Antill, major of brigade; Lieutenant Watts, aid-de-camp; Mr. Redfern, assistant surgeon; Mr. Oxley, surveyor general; Mr. Meehan, deputy surveyor general; Mr. Lewin, painter, and naturalist; and Mr. G. W. Evans, deputy surveyor of lands, who had been sent forward for the purpose of making farther discoveries, and rejoined the party on the day of arrival at Bathurst Plains.The commencement of the ascent from Emu Plains, to the first depot, and then to a resting-place, now called Spring Wood, distant twelve miles from Emu Ford, was through a very handsome forest of lofty trees, and much more practicable and easy than was expected. The facility of the ascent for this distance excited surprise, and is certainly not well calculated to give the traveller a just idea of the difficulties he has afterwards to encounter.At a farther distance of four miles, a sudden change is perceived in the appearance of the timber, and the quality of the soil; the former becoming stunted, and the latter barren and rocky. At this place the fatigues of the journey may be said to commence; here the country became altogether mountainous, and extremely rugged. N... ... Read more

Product Description
This unprecedented survey and analysis of government is the late S. E. Finer's tour de force - demonstrating the breadth of imagination and magisterial scholarship that characterized the work of one of the twentieth century's leading political scientists. A unique study of government throught time and throughout the world, it ranges over 5,000 years, from the Sumerian city state to the modern European nation state. Five themes emerge: state-building, military formats, belief systems, social stratification, and timespan. The three volumes examine both representative and exceptional polities, and focus on political elites of different types. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Classic in the Field of Comparative Government
A word of warning: Samuel Finer died before he could finish this work. Hishistory stops at the time of the Industrial Revolution, and he did not editthe final piece: there are typos galore in the books. In spite of it all,this is one of the finest works written about government since theFederalist Papers, and it is every bit its equal.

Finer starts withthe earliest records of the Sumerian city-states and ends with the FrenchRevolution to look for "inventions" -- something new that aparticular government creates and it becomes used ever after. For instance,the Jewish kingdoms of the Old Testament invented the idea of limitedgovernment: these theocracies had to follow the rules of the Torah and eventhe king was subject to God's law. The Roman Republic invented checks andbalances as a way of preventing accumulation of all political power intothe hands of one man.

The American Revolution created no less thansix inventions that have spread around the world:

1) the ConstitutionalConvention -- a body, outside of government, of citizens, who represent thepeople, formulate a constitution for them, hand their work to be ratifiedby the people, and dissolve the Convention once their work had beendone;

2) the Written Constitution --a standard by which citizens canjudge their government and also the fundamental law which governs merestatutory laws;

3) the Bill of Rights -- a way of protecting theindividual by denying government by power to interfere with certainactivities like speech and religion;

4) Judicial Review -- a way ofenforcing the Bill of Rights, it also serves to signal the community whengovernment is about to intrude into the forbidden zone;

5) Separation ofPowers -- while Britain's government has separate branches for thedifferent sociological groups (e.g. aristocrats in the House of Lords,middle classes in the House of Commons, etc.), America's government was thefirst to separate the branches according to strict function (e.g. thelegislature makes laws, the executive enforces laws, and the judiciaryinterprets laws) so that no one branch can swallow another and obviate thechecks and balances;

6) Federalism -- the idea that different tiers ofgovernment have different spheres of activities and that one tier shouldnot invade the other's turf (e.g. states can't sign treaties, and the fedscan't issue parking tickets).

Finer also covers the governments of theGreek republics, the Italian republics, the various Chinese dynasties, therepresentative assemblies of Europe, the Egyptian pharaohs, the Spanishcolonies, the shogunate of Japan, the absolutism of France, the despotismof Russia -- in short, just about everything under the sun. It is truly aremarkable work that is well worth its expense. I can recommend no otherbook more highly than this one.

A masterpiece - worth all 17,500 cents
Finer answers the question: compare and contrast all important, documented human governments.It is both well written and aproprately complex.A type of history written all too infrequently in any age. ... Read more

Product Description
Wide ranging and cross-disciplinary in its approach, Foreign Flowers focuses on the process of policy transfer in the Pacific and the use of power to achieve it. Many governing institutions in the region have been borrowed, transplanted, or imposed by colonial rule or military intervention from outside. The book attempts to answer several key questions: Where do the governing institutions originate and why are so many of them based on Western models? Why have some transfers succeeded while others have not? What are the effects of transfers? What has been the fate of a particular institution, "the state?" How does "culture" affect the transfer of (and resistance to) institutions?

Early chapters identify institutional transfer as a persistent theme in the study of the Pacific, reflected in ideas like cargo cults, homegrown constitutions, invented traditions, and weak states. The author analyzes about forty cases of institutional transfer, beginning with Tonga’s borrowing of foreign institutions in the nineteenth century and ending with current attempts to induce island states to regulate their offshore financial centers. He goes on to distinguish factors that determine whether transfer took place, including timing, social conditions, and sympathy with local values. He looks at the kinds of power and coercion being deployed in transfer and at how transfers have been evaluated by their sponsors: domestic reformers, aid donors, international financial institutions, and their consultants and academic advisers.

Foreign Flowers provides students and scholars with a new way of looking at some long-standing issues in Pacific studies. Clearly written and organized, it will also prove useful to reformers promoting "good governance" in other countries—not only in the Pacific—and to those trying to resist its imposition. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook examines changes to Australian foreign policy since 9/11and the rise of global Islamic terrorism. It covers each of the main areas of Australian foreign policy - security, trade, development assistance, multilateral institutions, and bilateral relations. The first section deals with the strategic dimensions of foreign policy, the second with global dimensions, and the final section deals with regional or geographic dimensions. It is a critical examination of the transnational forces that are influencing the future conduct of Australian policy. ... Read more

Product Description
New Caledonia Industrial And Business Directory (World Business, Investment and Government Library) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good reading
This book is greatly recommended for anyone who has some any remote interest in the personage of Queen Salote or who has any spark of interest in the region that she ruled.
The author, Elizabeth Wood- Ellem, takes an intricate look into the life of one of the world's last remaining monarchies. She further sheds more light on the decision making process that occurred during the late Queen's reign.
While the book is a comfortable read, it also gives the reader a glimpse into Tongan culture and the traditions that were so embellished by the Queen.

One of the great female leaders of the 20th Century
Tonga is a unique place in being the only Polynesian kingdom to maintain its culture and government through the colonial period that brought down similar cultures in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific. Queen Salote adds tothis uniqueness by being the ruling queen of Tonga in the first half of theTwentieth Century, an era dominated by male chauvenism. This story of herlife and reign provides a wonderful view into the culture and history ofthis island kingdom. For papalangi (the Tongan word for people of Westernsociety) this is not an easy book because there is a lot of Tongan names,geneology, and customs necessarily involved in the biography of theirqueen. Yet the very things that make it difficult also make it a rewardingbook to read. What makes the book most enjoyable is the portrayal of thismarvelous woman who ruled Tonga for almost 50 years. She ruled without useof force during a time of dissent from rival nobles and emerged one of themost revered leaders in Tongan history. She convinced her British advisorsof her ability to rule and her island adversaries that their independencedepended on her rule. I can recommend this book without reservation toanyone interested in women's studies, international biography, Polynesianhistory, or British colonial history.

Ko e 'Otua Mo Tonga Ko Hoku Tofi'a
I sincerely recommend this book for all Tongans out there as well as those who are interested in discovering one of the most beloved Monarchs of our time.Queen Salote was not only a charismatic leader but also aprogressive woman who brought Tonga to the forefront of the modern era byre-establishing its past. She restored the cultural pride of her people ata time when native cultures were suffering the ill-effects ofWesternization.

This book will be a sweet recollection for those who werefortunate to witness her reign, and it will be a source of inspiration foryounger generations who are seeking to learn about theirthemselves.

Truly, a remarkable book for a most remarkable person! ... Read more