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A comprehensive history of German society in this period, providing a broad survey of its development. The volume is thematically organized and designed to give easy access to the major topics and issues of the Bismarkian and Wilhelmine eras. The statistical appendix contains a wide range of social, economic and political data. Written with the English-speaking student in mind, this book is likely to become a widely used text for this period, incorporating as it does twenty years of further research on the German Empire since the appearance of Hans-Ulrich Wehler's classic work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Thorough reading on a very interesting subject
Berghahn's books offers a different way of looking at the German Empire; he offers clear and thorough topical readings on German economy, society and culture and closes his book with a description of how politics worked (or didn't) in Imperial Germany. Other historians tend to write chronologically, but Berghahn chooses differently and, in my humble opinion, this was a good decision, given the breadth of the material offered. Whereas Wolfgang Mommsen puts more stress on the role of the radicalizing middle class in the escalation of German foreign policy with a devastating war as a result, Berghahn paints a more general picture of a German government not being able to contain a pending conflict, while at the same time the interal situation is polarizing.
The many statitics in the book were insightful and I am going to enjoy this book in the future as an important reference book.

Superb Overview
Its great to see this valuable book back in print.This is a concise, combined historical overview and structural analysis of the Wilhelmine state.This book is structured in an unusual way.While it provides the basic narrative history, most of it is devoted to describing the basic features of Imperial Germany and how it changed over the period from its foundation to demise at the end of WWI.Berghahn covers basic demography, economic history, and the structures of politics.Unusually for a historian, Berghahn presents a great deal of the information in tabular form.This allows a more concise presentation.Berghahn is superb on the internal strains of the Wilhelmine state, an odd hybrid of traditional authoritarianism with some democratic elements.How these internal strains contributed to the often reckless foreign policies of Imperial Germany is discussed particularly well.The book concludes with the best concise description and analysis of the outbreak of WWI I've read.Recommended strongly for those interested in modern European history.

Statistical Germany
This book gives the reader a look at the statistical aspect of germany before the "Great War."It shows the reader why Germany thought it could win the war and also why it fought so well in the war.The bookis a little hard to read because it throws quite a few numbers at you, butis still a bit interesting, espescially in the second half. ... Read more

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The first volume in a series of comparative studies within the ESRC's Whitehall Programme focuses on core executives in five parliamentary democracies comparing the Westminster model as in Australia, Canada and Britain with the continental democracies of Germany and the Netherlands showing how political leadership is shackled by a vast array of constraints, from globalisation to internal fragmentation and rationalisation, making a heroic model of decisive political leadership hard to sustain. ... Read more

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While welfare has been subject to pronounced criticism throughout the twentieth century, social insurance has consistently enjoyed the overwhelming support of European policy makers and citizens. This volume argues that the emergence of social insurance represents a paradigmatic shift in modern understandings of health, work, political participation, and government. By institutionalizing compensation, social insurance transformed it into a right that the employed population quickly came to assume.
Theoretically informed and based on intensive archival research on disability insurance records, most of which have never been used by historians, the book considers how social science and political philosophy combined to give shape to the idea of a "social" insurance in the nineteenth century; the process by which social insurance gave birth to modern notions of "disability" and "rehabilitation"; and the early-twentieth-century development of political action groups for the disabled.
Most earlier histories of German social insurance have been legislative histories that stressed the system's coercive features and functions. Making Security Social, by contrast, emphasizes the administrative practices of everyday life, the experience of consumers, and the ability of workers not only to resist, but to transform, social insurance bureaucracy and political debate. It thus demonstrates that social insurance was pivotal in establishing a general attitude of demand, claim, and entitlement as the primary link between the modern state and those it governed.
In addition to historians of Germany, Making Security Social will attract researchers across disciplines who are concerned with public policy, disability studies, and public health.
Greg Eghigian is Associate Professor of History, Penn State University.
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Insightful look at the implementation of social insurance
Much discussion about the birth of social insurance in Germany deals with the politics of it.This book discusses the actual implementation.The original Bismarkian social insurance system, while it clearly laid the groundwork for modern social insurance, differs greatly from contemporary programs, with their emphasis on age qualification.There was less focus on age per se and more on inability to work (although it seems the elderly were generally able to qualify for by meeting the definition of invalidity).One must also marvel at the elaborate screening bureacracy that was created to certify a potential beneficiary's worthiness.For anyone interested in the nuts and bolts and pratical history of early social insurance programs, this is a great book. ... Read more

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This handbook provides an invaluable overview of the content of public policy across the full range of policy areas in Britain, France and Germany. It is designed to be used by students, experts and practitioners both to help compare public policy across different policy areas and countries and as a source of information on individual policy areas. Each chapter describes the nature of public policy in a particular area, makes detailed comparisons of selected aspects and outlines recent developments. Detailed Internet references are also provided.
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German migration policy now stands at a major crossroad, caught between a fifty-year history of missed opportunities and serious new challenges. Focusing on these new challenges that German policy makers face, the authors, both internationally recognized in this field, use historical argument, theoretical analysis, and empirical evaluation to advance a more nuanced understanding of recent initiatives and the implications of these initiatives. Their approach combines both synthesis and original research in a presentation that is not only accessible to the general educated reader but also addresses the concerns of academic scholars and policy analysts. This important volume offers a comprehensive and critical examination of the history of German migration law and policy from the Federal Republic's inception in 1949 to the present. ... Read more

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Global, national and subnational changes (political, economic, social and demographic) force local governments to search, reactively or proactively, for alternative organizational patterns and management styles. This work explores different approaches toward local government reorientation in selected Western countries, as well as the "reinvention" of local government in Eastern Europe. Eight national case-studies (US, Canada, UK, Germany, Norway, Israel, the Czech Republic and Russia) provide the empirical basis. From a theoretical point of view, the book exposes three main critical factors: the range of policy options facing local governments (strategic choice), their organizational capabilities to cope with major environmental shifts (strategic capabilities), and their capacity for organizational learning (including programmed experimentation, innovation and creativity). ... Read more

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Germany's constitution not only enables the nation state to transfer sovereignty to supranational institutions, it directs the state to incorporate international law into domestic law and to pursue a course of European integration. This comparatively unique feature of Germany's Basic Law results from the country's experience with National Socialism, which led to a fundamental reappraisal of a deeply-rooted faith in the state as the ultimate vehicle for human political, economic and social organization. The language used to create and express a new perception of historical and contemporary context played a crucial role in shaping a new political culture in Germany. Members of native resistance movements and of exile communities questioned the state's motivation and legitimacy, reinterpreted European history and devised a preferred trajectory for the future of Germany and Europe. These ideas were subsequently adopted and developed by those Germans responsible for rebuilding their country during occupation, eventually finding expression in the postwar constitution. While governments have since come and gone, the remarkable consensus on this particular policy path has remained strong.With this consensus a cornerstone of German political culture, Germany is likely to remain a reliable partner in supranational integration and a strong advocate of the rule of international law. ... Read more

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Focusing on German efforts to unite the country and the international reactions to reunification, this text also discusses: the connection between the East German mood and Bonn's policies; Kohl's role; and economic problems. It analyzes the causes, dynamics and meaning of reunification. ... Read more

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This text examines recent developments in Bavaria, including the death of the politician Franz Josef Strauss in 1988, and the changes since German unity in 1990. The 1994 European, Bavarian and German federal elections are included in the discussion. It concludes that Bavaria, having suffered a double blow in 1988 and 1990, is beginning to recover its former position in the German federal system, whereby the CSU (Christian Social Union) adopts a dominant dual policial role, both in Bonn and Munich. ... Read more

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Public Deficits are one of the most pressing problems in all advanced industrialised countries. Public indebtedness has reached proportions which threaten selected government policies and even challenge the governability of democracies. This important new book focuses on four G-7 countries: Britain, Canada, Germany and the United States. These countries have different economic traditions, institutions and budgetary procedures and have developed different approaches to the problem of public deficits. Through a unique comparative approach the authors reach the core of the deficit problem and what it means for governments in democratic societies. Before providing a specific analysis they ask:* What is public debt, and what is the theoretical background for the analysis of the deficit problem? * What are the political and social consequences of budgetary deficits, and are there any restrictions for the management of budgets in this era of economic globalisation and regionalisation?A detailed study follows, of the experience of Britain, Canada, Germany and the United States.Consideration of the same issues in each help the comparison: the history of the deficit problem; the institutional framework for decisions on the deficit; the importance of the debt problem in the national political and economic discourse; and the effects of deficit control policies. The concluding chapter is an in-depth comparison of the four countries and puts the problem of public deficits into a political science perspective. ... Read more

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Pay attention, if you want to read
If you want to know the basic history of public deficits in these countries, I recommend this book. This book is a good introduction to a comparative study of political trial to lessen public deficits. But inspite of its subtitle, you can't get information of ' Economic andPolitical Consequences' of public deficits from this book. This bookconsists of 6 chapters. Each chapter (except 1st chapter and last chapter)deals a country survey. Each chapter consists of 5 sections ('The historyof the deficit problem', 'The institutional framework for decisions on thedeficit', 'The debt crisis in perspective', 'Deficit control policies' and'Deficits the (country's name) experience'). ... Read more

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This detailed and up-to-date account of the organization and use of evaluation in eight Western, democratic countries-Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Holland, Norway, and Switzerland-shows how evaluation functions at different levels of development. Focusing on the national or federal level of government, it presents a systematic and comparative view of eight nations at different stages of the development, institutionalization, and utilization of evaluations. Contributors are academics and government officials, all of whom are involved in the production and use of evaluation findings. ... Read more

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Berlin 2000: The Center of Europe offers provocative insight into post-Cold War Germany and Germany's role in the European Union. The author provides an insider's perspective into Germany, using his experience participating in the political decision making process as the only American to work in the Berlin government from 1991 to 1993. This book furnishes a look at the challenges faced by East Germans adapting to a democratic, capitalist economy and the negative impact of Western prejudices, the legacy of the East German communist regime, anti-foreigner violence, the asylum law crisis and foreign integration policy. With this background, the author focuses on Berlin in the year 2000 and Germany's European future, exploring influential history such as the rebuilding of Berlin and Chancellor Kohl's commanding leadership in Germany and Europe. This book provides an enhanced understanding of contemporary Germany and an appreciation of the degree of change underway in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. ... Read more

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great easy reader
very exciting book lots of flovor about the best book i have read in a long time very work reading ... Read more

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Comparative examination of governmental systems
Examines both Parliamentary and Presidential Democratic Systems, EuropeanCommunist traditions and transitions, as well as Third World politicalchallenges. This thorough text requires some historical backgroundknowledge to be completely understood and a willingness to slug throughsome tedious sections. Nonetheless it provides the student with a structureto analyze the differing systems and their underlying principles. Otherthan Japan, no mention is made of Asian Political Systems. India, China,Tawain would all be excellent areas to include but are lacking. It isdifficult reading for lower than an A.P. level high school student andseems more appropriate for the the undergraduate poly-sci. student. ... Read more

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Local governments today are under extreme pressure to undertake boundary reform. The global trend toward urbanization has brought with it economic, environmental, social, and regional demands that have severe implications for local governments and their territories. As a result, changing the areal jurisdiction of this most basic level of government has become a persistent and pressing challenge around the globe.

This collection examines the legal and regulatory procedures involved in such municipal restructuring. Case studies from eight nations -- the United States, Canada, Spain, Germany, Israel, Korea, China, and South Africa -- investigate how and why local governments have been enlarged in scope and reduced in number within each country. Four key aspects are examined: the geography of the local government boundary problem, the procedures associated with boundary reform, the roles of institutions and actors in boundary reform, and the implications for urban and regional governance.

Redrawing Local Government Boundaries offers a broad theoretical understanding of local government boundary reform and informs the wider scholarly discussion about institutional change, state structures, and the areal jurisdiction of local governments. The first international comparative study of local boundary reform, it will be a valuable reference for scholars and students of political science, public administration, geography, urban studies, and urban planning. ... Read more

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Germany's unification initially raised fears about an all-powerful and undemocratic Germany at the heart of Europe. Based on hundreds of in-depth interviews, this book examines the democratic views of parliamentarians in Germany and compares them to the views of ordinary citizens. The book argues that although the majority of Germans support democratic values, especially in western Germany, there is significant evidence for lingering authoritarianism in the East.More than just an analysis of German political culture, the book offers compelling conclusions about the future of democracy in all post-socialist states. ... Read more

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Circumstances have set up a kind of "competition" between the various political systems of the world. In all countries, the difficulties are enormous, and in fact, similar. The links and connections between countries in the modern world are such that this could not be otherwise. Every nation tries to solve its problems, some by political innovation, others by trying to preserve their institutions. But nations watch each other, they draw conclusions, they compare systems, and the fruits of these systems. This book seeks to offer new perspectives and insights on contemporary Europe and Germany. ... Read more

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A post-Baudrillardian insight into Teutonic proclivities
This work is set to become the preeminent perspective on contemporary German roles in Europe - its insecure dominance, its cultural schizophrenia and the confidence of its bankers. ... Read more

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This collection of essays presents the most recent work on Germany's stormy and problematic encounter with mass politics from the time of Bismarck to the Nazi era. The authors--sixteen scholars from the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Germany--consider this problem from novel and sometimes surprising viewpoints. The history of elections, narrowly conceived, is abandoned in favor of a broader inquiry into roots of German political loyalties and their relationship to the historic cleavages of class, gender, language, religion, generation and locality. The essays not only present archival findings, but they also pursue more theoretical or conjectural paradigms, and raise new questions. Collectively, the authors explore the twin problems of electoral politics and social dislocation with language that is intentionally familiar, inventive, and allusive all at once--in a sense reflecting the Germans' own unfinished search for political consensus and social stability. ... Read more