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Addressing issues at the cutting edge of comparative politics and public policy, this book is based on extensive research and interviews with local decision makers in two pairs of cities in England and France. The book provides a rigorous checklist of institutional and policy reforms in the two countries since the early 1980s. ... Read more

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About 337,000 people of French Antillean Origin live in metropolitan France today. Unlike immigrants from North Africa, Turkey or sub-Saharan Africa, Antilleans are French citizens with deep roots in French history. Indeed, the Caribbean Islands they come from have been a part of France for over three centuries. Antilleans were for many years an invisible population, dispersed throughout the Paris region, with few community organizations and little political activism. Beginning in the early 1980s, however, activists in the Antillean community began to recognize that their status as citizens would not protect them from the growth of racism in France. From neighborhood groups interested in promoting traditional Martinican and Guadeloupan dance and music to politically charged associations, these new cultural militants denounced French colonialism, challenged racism, and demanded political representation. Black Skins, French Voices is situated at the intersection of changing French ideas and policies regarding ethnic diversity and Antillean demands for recognition. It shows the creative and exciting struggles of Antilleans to remake French culture on their own terms. ... Read more

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This book reexamines the place of Algeria in this history and to consider the manner in which the colonial past has seeped more generally from the conscious European memory. At the same time, contemporary race and politics in Europe can only be fully understood in conjunction with knowlege of these backgrounds and it requires that a different view of the way in which the imperialist experience has been an instrumental influence on perceptions taken. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1920.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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An excellent portrait of a fascinating and enigmatic figure in French history. ILLUS. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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As a leading European nation with a particular state tradition and historical legacy, France has long fascinated foreign observers. In recent decades, the 'orthodox model' of French politics and policy-making has been challenged by powerful forces of globalization, Europeanisation, decentralization, administrative reform and changing patterns of state-society relations. In this compelling examination of French politics since the 1970s, Alistair Cole discusses these key challenges and identifies the key drivers of change. He argues that French-style governance is an untidy affair, rather than a neatly ordered and organized hierarchy, and that, though changes in France are comparable to those in other European Union countries, its governance is mediated by domestic institutions, interests and ideas. The pressures facing France are viewed through nationally specific lenses and mediated in ways that ensure that the French polity retains distinctive characteristics. ... Read more

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Illuminating the contemporary issues of the day through a wealth of primary sources including government documents, personal letters, and contemporary newspapers, The Third Republic in France provides an engrossing first-hand account of life in this defining period of French history. This book provides original sources, detailed commentary, and helpful chronologies and bibliographies on the emergence of the regime and the Paris Commune of 1871; Franco-German relations; the character of the Third Republic and the nature of French Republicanism and Socialism; church-state relations; anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus Affair; the role of women and the importance of the national birth-rate; and the character of the French Right and of French fascism. ... Read more

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"[Reid] develops an approach to globalization and health that goes beyond simplistic dichotomies -- such as the puritanism of the United States in contrast with the more libertine cultures of other countries -- and he also eschews the equally simplistic view that the world is becoming homogenized." -- David J. Hess, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

A tangible aspect of living, working, and traveling in the 21st century is the experience of moving between smoke-filled and smoke-free environments. In Globalizing Tobacco Control, Roddey Reid examines what lies behind this experience: the revolution in public attitudes and health codes that regulate daily routines and the life of the body. While the gradual replacement of smoking with non-smoking as the social norm is a global phenomenon, it has not followed the same trajectory everywhere. Reid compares anti-smoking campaigns in the United States, France, and Japan for what they reveal about the nature of globalization and liberal arts of government. He explores distinctive national histories of tobacco; evolving global marketing strategies of transnational tobacco corporations; "social marketing" techniques used to tailor public health messages to particular ethnic communities; and the programs of international public health organizations.

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Two leading authors challenge the assumption that France has a wellcoordinated government. The constitutional, political,and policy frameworks of coordination are critically assessed in relation to thecentral actors and spending ministries, as well as the formal andinformal mechanisms of coordination. Four case studies are examined;the European Union, budget, privatization and immigration policyprocesses. The book concludes with forthright findings on a fragment executive struggling to steer a disparate and partially paralyzedinstitutional structure. ... Read more

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Regulating Reproduction examines the genesis of reproductive rights in Britain and France over the course of the 20th Century. Melanie Latham concentrates on the role played by the various interest groups involved in the area of reproduction, namely medical professionals, religious groups, and feminists using the Policy Network Theory on interest group behavior. Latham combines legal analysis with political analysis and offers a cross-cultural perspective.
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The book is an analysis of the cultural and social functions of law, legalprocesses and legal rituals in late medieval Northern France.It is centered around a time and a place in which European law underwent somemajor transformations, from a plethora of local oral customs to a fairlycoherent system of national, written customary law. In this process, law andlegal procedures came to reflect a great variety of cultural traditions,ranging from popular perceptions of animals and the human body to learnedideas of Roman jurisprudence.Drawing upon wide-ranging sources: judicial, legal, literary and historical,Cohen analyzes the various influences upon the shaping of law as a culturalmanifestation and its application as an actual system of justice. ... Read more

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crossroads of justice
Esther Cohen's book, The Crossroads of Justice, is intriguing.Her analysis of law and justice gives a fascinating look at the dynamics of community life as well as the relationship of the state to crime andcriminal prosecution. ... Read more

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“This book presents my analysis of the difficulties France faces. It outlines my proposals for putting France back on the path toward economic growth, social justice, and modernity. And it addresses many of the common domestic, international, economic, and social challenges that advanced democracies like France and the United States must confront.” So writes Nicolas Sarkozy–France’s outspoken and controversial minister of the interior and a leading presidential candidate–in the new preface to the American edition of his best-selling memoir.
He analyzes the difficulties facing France–social tensions, inadequate education, high unemployment. But far from drawing fatalistic conclusions, he demonstrates that France does not suffer from an identity crisis but from a crisis of political debate. He accuses French political figures, sometimes harshly, of having deprived the public of their own say in government, leading to pervasive suspicion of elites, the state, and proper governance. This book is a testimony to how Nicolas Sarkozy has evolved over the past twenty years as the only French political figure across the entire spectrum to broaden public debate, to confront idées reçues,to seek a new direction for France–in short to re-empower the French in their own political deliberations. In Testimony, for which he has drawn fire, Sarkozy issues a wake-up call to his people and the world, setting forth his iconoclastic views on such hot-button issues as international relations vis-à-vis the United States, the Arab world, and Africa; globalization; cultural chauvinism; immigration; the welfare state; education; and law and order.
Extraordinary for its candor regarding Sarkozy’s political as well as personal life, Testimony gives us an unsparing critique of contemporary French society and its leaders even as it champions a sharp break with the past. Sarkozy’s is a brave, new vision for France as it engages the world of the twenty-first century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Somehow I liked America more after reading this. . .
Irony.

I initially read this to get an understanding of the many seemingly anti-Muslim-racist comments that have been quoted by the press and attributed to Sarkozy.I certainly did get a better and more favorable perspective on Sarkozy.

As a child of immigrant he has a perspective of immigrants becoming assimilated into French culture, much as many immigrants do within the confines of America, but many Muslims defy this stereotype. So Sarkozy has said statements which paint him as this one dimensional racist, yet in actuality he is just a person that lacks understanding.

I also learned more about the many benefits that Sarkozy has done for the immigrant population within Europe and France.I also learned more about the differences between European politics and American politics.

It's been a good and interesting read.

Nicolas Sarkozy - French Maverick
Determined to bring major changes to French politics and society, President Nicolas Sarkozy does not seem to be at all concerned with maintaining a politically correct image for himself in the process. In fact, a big part of the man's image and charm centers around his willingness to rock the boat any time that helps him achieve his goals. And, much to the dismay of his countrymen, one of the least politically correct things that Sarkozy has done since taking office is to express his admiration for America and many of the things for which this country stands. That alone makes him more of a "maverick" in France than John McCain could ever hope to be in this country.

Testimony is both a detailed explanation of the goals Sarkozy hopes to achieve during his presidency and a description of the societal and political problems that he recognized on his first day in office. Many of Sarkozy's observations about what has caused the French economy and lifestyle to fall behind those of so many other European countries will be of particular interest to American readers who worry about the direction in which this country appears to be heading.

Sarkozy is particularly concerned with the jealous criticism directed at so many of France's most successful citizens and the prevalent desire to "level things out" in a manner that would allow everyone to share the country's wealth. As he puts it, "Instead of mobilizing society through those who have succeeded the most, the French prefer to stoke up resentment of those who have more than others, on the assumption that they must have stolen what they have from others!" Any society has a big problem when its biggest "achievers" are seen as targets to be destroyed by those who underachieve in their own lives, an attitude that Sarkozy recognizes in France and one which seems to be more common in America now than ever before.

Regarding his country's tendency to overtax its richest citizens, Sarkozy makes the observation that other countries benefit greatly from the policy because so many of France's best minds and most ambitious people choose to relocate to countries with more reasonable tax laws. "Equality should mean not that we all become poor, but rather that we can all hope to become rich or at least ensure social advancement for our families" is a Sarkozy point that seems to be as misunderstood today in America as it is in France. As Sarkozy goes on to say, "...the main consequence of preventing the most dynamic members of society from getting rich is to make everyone else poor. By trying to ensure equality for everyone you end up penalizing everyone."

President Sarkozy is not afraid to point out the French superiority complex, something that is apparently obvious to everyone other than the French themselves, and how counterproductive that attitude is when dealing with citizens of other countries, including those of Europe. As he correctly says, "By living off our past, by believing that we can get away with anything because we're France, by thinking that we don't have to try as hard as the others do, we are losing influence," something else, I would suggest, for American readers to keep in mind about our own attitudes.

France, as does most of the rest of Europe, has a social welfare system of significantly greater scope than the United States but Sarkozy believes that the system has become more a detriment to, than an advantage for, his country. He makes the common sense observation that, "The French are not afraid of work. But the deliberate inversion of values between work and welfare has caused people to lose their bearings. When someone who works doesn't live any better than someone who doesn't work, why should the one working get up early in the morning?" We are fast approaching the same point in America, I believe, and should learn from the experience of countries like France that got there before us.

With the emergence of Nicolas Sarkozy, America seems to have more in common with the leadership of France now than it has since the end of World War II. Even Sarkozy himself seems to feel that way when he says, "I would like to put special emphasis on our relations with the United States. Our situation is unique. The United States is a country that some of France's elites claim to detest, or at least criticize regularly and in a stereotypical way. This is rather strange for a number of reasons. The United States is a country that France has never been to war against, and there aren't so many of those...and I have no intention of apologizing for feeling an affinity with the greatest democracy in the world."

And, finally, near the end of Testimony, Sarkozy almost seems to be speaking directly to his American readers when he observes, "Democracy dies away when there is no longer any difference between the majority and the opposition, when the left and the right are no longer faithful to their values, and when no one is willing to stand and fight for the policies for which he or she was elected. This is no doubt one of the main causes of the current crisis of politics." And it explains so much of what has happened to the United States in the last two decades, a period during which the merger of our own two main political parties has moved ever nearer.

Testimony is one of the best political memoirs that I have read in the last several years. It explains much about France and one man's hopes for reviving his country, but just as importantly, the book serves as a warning to the citizens of this country that they do not want to continue to the drift toward a lifestyle and political outlook that is eerily becoming more European every day.

No more "freedom" fries after this one....
A great and easy read.For those Americans who have felt estranged from the French, this book by Nicolas Sarkozy will make you want to eat "French" fries and head to Paris again!Well written with very good ideas -- U.S. leaders could learn something from Sarkozy's approach!

Sarkozy is the Leader that France Needed
Nicolas Sarkozy's "Testimony" offers a great deal of insight into the man who, after years of being tested in France's bureaucracy, emerges eminently prepared to lead the French to parity with other European economic powers, such as Germany.It is further refreshing to learn about the man who is intent on returning the Franco-American relationship to one of partnership rather than adversarial.Well worth the read if there is any interest in learning about the changes we can expect in France, politically, culturally, and economically.

Sarkozy's outspoken Testimony.
"This book presents my analysis of the difficulties France faces," Nicolas Sarkozy says in Testimony. "It outlines my proposals for putting France back on the path toward economic growth, social justice, and modernity. And it addresses many of the common domestic, international, economic, and social challenges that advanced democracies like France and the United States must confront."

Sarkozy (1955) is the current President of France, elected in May, 2007 after defeating Socialist Party rival Ségolène Royal. He has had a long political career, which began at the age of 22. Before his presidency, Sarkozy was the leader of the Union for a Popular Movement right-wing party. He served as the Minister of the Interior under Jacques Chirac's presidency, and was appointed Minister of Finances in Jean-Pierre Raffarin's last government (March 2004-May 2005), and again Minister of the Interior in Dominique de Villepin's government (2005-2007). Sarkozy is known for his tough-on-crime, law and order stance, and for his desire to revitalize the French economy. In foreign affairs, he lacks an Anti-American attitude and has promised to work with the United States.

Sarkozy is known to control his public image. (He was named the 68th best dressed person by Vanity Fair; he allegedly forced the director of Paris Match to resign following an article on his wife's affair; and he reportedly asked Paris Match to retouch a photo by erasing a love handle.) His attempt to control his image is also readily apparent in Testimony.Although his book has been criticized for its "American-style" political spin, it nevertheless offers frank insights into Sarkozy as a unique French politician, while providing readers with his outspoken critique of contemporary French society and politics. Sarkozy is as much an anomolaly as a visionary.Did the French really elect this man?He is a proponent of radical changes in France's economic and social policies.He admires the U.S. hard-work economic model in comparison to France's 35-hour work week, high minimum wage, unfair tax system, its "social safety net" of entitlements, and its high unemployment rate.He disapproves of the US invasion of Iraq, but is equally critical of the way Jacques Chirac and his foreign minister Dominique de Villepin expressed France's opposition to the war.While Sarkozy is a member of the French political right, he would be considered left of center by American political standards. He opposes the death penalty and promotes affirmative action for French minorities.

Accused by his political opponents as being a "candidate for brutality," Sarkozy is no stranger to controversy in favoring immigration reform, affirmative action, working overtime, and for opposing same-sex marriage. He has been accused of a willingness to sacrifice civil liberties for political gain, and not only does he lack an anti-American attitude, he actually enjoys vacationing in New Hampshire.

Testimony is an engaging read for anyone interested in French politics and social issues, and should be considered required reading for every candidate running for presidential office.Sarkozy demontrates more faith in American society than most Americans do these days. "America's strength," he observes, "is that it was able . . . to identify its own weaknesses, and decide together as a society to remedy them, and then to take action without useless nostalgia about the past."

G. Merritt ... Read more

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This book offers a new interpretation of the transformation of French economic policymaking and state-society relations over the past twenty-five years.In so doing, it challenges widely-held views about the preconditions for state leadership and for a vibrant civil society.France has long been characterized as a statist or dirigiste political economy, with state "strength" predicated on autonomy from a weak and divided civil society.Jonah Levy shows that this disdain for societal and local institutions has come back to haunt French officials-what he terms "Tocqueville's Revenge".The absence of societal partners undermined the operation of dirigiste policymaking in the 1970s and early 1980s and has made it difficult to forge alternative forms of economic coordination in the post-dirigiste period.Levy argues that just as the French state has been weakened by an absence of societal and local partners, French civil society has been weakened by the absence of a supportive state.In the 1980s, French authorities invited societal and local institutions to relay state intervention, but did little to cultivate their economic capacities.Taking the dirigiste state out of the French economy did not suffice to bring civil society back in, however.The broader lesson is that revitalizing civil society requires an active, empowering state, as opposed to an absent or indifferent state. ... Read more