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Faculty Authors
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Published Books
2000 - 2008
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United We Stand?
Divide-and-Conquer Politics and the Logic of International Hostility
Aaron Belkin
SUNY Press, 2005
Conventional wisdom holds that leaders, especially in dictatorships, might create international conflict
as a means of unifying both the populace and the armies behind a common cause. However, in United We Stand,
Aaron Belkin demonstrates that in the area of civil-military relations, conventional wisdom does not necessarily
hold true. Using case studies from post-Soviet Georgia and Syria, he shows that leaders may also use such
conflicts to increase conflicts and rivalries within their armies, and thereby strengthen the leader's position
by reducing the risk of a military coup.
Review
"Belkin addresses an underexplained source of international conflict and does a persuasive job of turning widely
accepted truisms on their heads. His basic argument is important, clearly presented, and well supported."
-- Paul N. Stockton, co-editor of Reconstituting America's Defense
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Information and American Democracy
Technology in the Evolution of Political Power
Bruce Bimber
Cambridge University Press, 2003
This book traces the connection between information and democracy in the United
States through a series of historical "information regimes," leading up to the
current role of the Internet in American politics. Bimber combines case studies
of organizational-level politics with survey data about individual citizens to
evaluate the influence of the Internet on citizen mobilization by various groups.
He focuses on whether or not this new technology increases citizen involvement
in American government and discusses the potential of the Internet to affect
future interactions between political interests and citizen groups.
Winner of the 2004 Don K. Price Award of the American Political Science
Association for best book on science, technology, and politics
Review
"[Bimber's] book provides the hitherto missing comprehensive framework that
explains how information technology and the evolution of American democracy
have always been intertwined. It is an elegantly-argued, refreshingly novel
study that no serious political communication scholar can afford to ignore."
-- Doris Graber, Professor of Political Science,
University of Illinois, Chicago
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Campaigning Online
The Internet in U. S. Elections
Bruce Bimber and Richard Davis
Oxford University Press, 2003
"Many claim the Internet will be the latest medium to revolutionize electoral politics."
Are voters influenced by what they see on the Internet? How do candidates try to reach potential
voters through the Internet? Are their efforts successful? Campaigning Online answers these
and other timely questions in a comprehensive description of the role of the Internet in the 2000 election.
Drawing on data from national and state-wide election surveys, interviews, web site analysis, and experiments,
the authors provide a systematic analysis of the actual and potential influence the Internet can have in
American politics that has not before been available.
Winner of the 2003 McGannon Center Communication Policy Research Award
Review
"Campaigning Online belongs on the bookshelves of election analysts and practitioners
and on the required reading lists of courses on the media and campaigns."
-- Thomas E. Patterson, Bradlee Professor of Government & the Press,
Harvard University
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Urban Protest in Mexico and Brazil
Kathleen Bruhn
Cambridge University Press, 2008
What factors cause social/political organizations and movements to
decide to protest in order to advance their cause? At times, such
protests have been strong even when their party ally is in power. In
this book, Kathleen Bruhn provides a detailed analysis of leftist
social movements in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, Brazil, based on several
years of fieldwork in these countries and a unique, author-generated
database drawn from newspaper archives. Her research evaluates the relative
roles of such things as party resources, internal leadership, culture,
and party alliance in determining a group's propensity to protest, and
when they are most likely to do it during a particular regime.
Review
"Not only does her comparative study of movements in Brazil and Mexico
shed light on the dynamics of contention in an important and understudied
regime context, but in focusing her analysis on the dynamic relationship
between states, parties, and movements, the author offers a model for the
way movements ought to be studied. This book deserves to find a broad
audience in sociology and political science."
-- Doug McAdam, Stanford University
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Mexico: The Struggle for Democratic Development
Daniel C. Levy & Kathleen Bruhn
(with Emilio Zebadua)
Second ed., University of California Press, 2006
"This engaging book provides a broad and accessible analysis of Mexico's contemporary struggle for
democratic development. Now completely revised, it gives an up-to-date account of issues ranging from electoral reform and
corruption to drug trafficking, migration, and NAFTA. It also considers the rapidly changing roles of
Mexico's mass and elite groups and its national institutions, including the media, the military, and the Church."
(Summary courtesy of the publisher)
Review of the first edition
"A wonderful guide to the social, economic, and political changes in contemporary Mexico. It goes a long
way to explaining the rise of narco-traffic, the victory of Fox, and the transformation of the Mexican economy
in the 1990s."
-- Miguel Antonio Centeno, author of Democracy within Reason:
Technocratic Revolution in Mexico
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The Future of Money
Benjamin J. Cohen
Princeton University Press, 2003
In The Geography of Money, Benjamin Cohen introduced the concept of "deterritorialization"
of money--the breakdown of the near historical monopolies that nations have exercised
over their respective currencies. In The Future of Money, Cohen examines the implications of
that breakdown and what the world of money might look like in the future. He argues
that dollarization and new monetary alliances such as the Euro will not necessarily lead to a decline in
the number of national currencies. In addition, the growth of "private monies" and
electronic currencies such as airline mileage accounts may lead to a future that has
more currencies than it does now, with the potential for instability and challenges of governance.
The need for cooperation between national governments and international agencies
will become increasingly important, so that the future of money, "though perilous, need not be chaotic."
Review
"Here is the definitive book on the contemporary and likely future politics of global money. Well researched
and well written, it provides a comprehensive overview of the theory and practice of international monetary relations."
-- Louis W. Pauly, Canada Research Chair and Director,
Centre for International Studies,
University of Toronto
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The Future of the Dollar
Benjamin J. Cohen
ICFAI University Press, 2006
"Today the US Dollar is the only true global currency," but can we expect
that dominance to continue? The Future of the Dollar addresses the
present and future role of the dollar in the international money market. In
a series of six essays, Cohen analyzes three main topics: (1) the emergence of
the Euro as a potential rival for the dollar; (2) dollarization and the currency
union; and (3) the effects of America's deteriorating balance of payments on the
dollar's present dominance in world finance. Cohen's conclusions are generally
optimistic about the continuing pre-eminence of the dollar; however, he argues
that the balance of payment situation, caused by Americas's own policies, has
the greatest potential to be a serious threat to the dollar's stability and authority.
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Global Monetary Governance
Benjamin J. Cohen
Routledge, 2007
Benjamin J. Cohen has been one of the most original and influential writers on
international political economy. This collection brings together thirteen of
his essays on the political economy of international money and finance, grouped
together around the theme of global monetary governance. The book is divided
into three sections: (1) challenges to systemic governance and the changing
nature of international money management, (2) dealing effectively with financial
crisis, and (3) the new geography of money and the implications of the remarkable
growth in cross-border currency competition. The concluding chapters evaluate
the merits and prospects of policy alternatives for governments of countries with
less-competitive currencies.
Review
"This collection of essays provides an indispensable overview of [Cohen’s] work on
the politics of international money and finance, but more than this, it offers a
compelling assessment of the causes and consequences of the rise of global capital
markets. Essential reading for students of global monetary and financial affairs."
-- Dr. Andrew K. Walter, Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy
London School of Economics
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International Political Economy: An Intellectual history
Benjamin J. Cohen
Princeton University Press, 2008
This engaging and informative book is about the construction of International Political
Economy (IPE) as a new field of scholarly endeavor—"a true interdiscipline" between
political science and economics that came into prominence in the 1970s. Benjamin J. Cohen,
himself a key early contributor to the development of this new field, traces in this
intellectual history the often differing approaches that have been essential to its growth. He
places special emphasis on the role played by seven "intellectual entrepreneurs" whose
contributions he deems critical, and how their insights and the historical contexts in
which they worked influenced the past and future directions of the discipline. He also
discusses the differences between the American and British "schools" or approaches to IPE,
and the bridges that need to be built between the various factions to ensure future progress
of the direction of scholarly discourse.
Review
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The writing is superb—witty and
engaging. The substantive discussions clarify and summarize without oversimplifying.
Cohen is an ideal guide for this entertaining journey through the history of the field."
-- Jonathan M. Crystal
Fordham University
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Political Forgiveness
P. E. Digeser
Cornell University Press, 2001
"Despite the ease with which we bestow or withhold forgiveness, we rarely attend to the concept itself."
In Political Forgiveness, Peter Digeser discusses forgiveness both as a concept
and as a political act that can enable a process of reconciliation and restoration in civil life. Digeser
separates political forgiveness from the emotional connotations of personal forgiveness, which requires a
change of heart on the part of both the forgiver and the forgiven. It also differs from justice, which
demands rectification or repayment for past wrongs suffered by groups or individuals. Political forgiveness
acknowledges past wrongs or injustices, but permits both parties to resolve these injustices and move on when
rectification isn't possible. The book thoughtfully examines all aspects of political forgiveness,
including who has the authority to grant or accept forgiveness, the connection between forgiveness and reconciliation, the obligation
to forgive, and the role of pardoning as a form of political forgiveness.
Review
"Political Forgiveness is a rich, careful, and provocative argument that forgiveness has a place in
public life and can sometimes even trump justice . . . Digeser's brave and careful argument for forgiveness . . .
will set the terms of the debate and open up new possibilities for theoretical engagement in this critical
topic."
-- Linda Ross Meyer, Quinnipiac University
Journal of Politics 65, August 2003
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Closing the Shop
Laurie Anne Freeman
Princeton University Press, 2000
In Closing the Shop, Laurie Freeman explores the workings of the Japanese press clubs (kisha)
which exist in most of Japan's major business, government, and political organizations. Access to news sources in
these organizations is limited to press club members, while club membership in turn is tightly
controlled by the Japanese Newspaper Association. This tight management of press club membership facilitates the
efforts of the Japanese government to maintain control over the distribution and content of the news. Freeman's analysis is
that this system functions as an "information cartel," which like an economic cartel provides benefits to the participants
while excluding outsiders, and in this case, limits alternatives to the official point of view for the Japanese public.
Review
"Closing the Shop is a fine contribution to the field of comparative media studies and is an
important addition to the comparative literature on Japanese domestic politics."
-- Patricia L. Maclachlan, University of Texas, Austin
American Political Science Review 95, June 2001.
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The Politics of Asian Americans
Diversity and Community
Pei-te Lien, M. Margaret Conway, and Janelle Wong
Routledge, 2004
"What characterizes and explains the political and social experiences of today's
Asian Americans? How do average Asian Americans think and act politically and why?"
These probing questions are the basis of the research presented in The Politics
of Asian Americans. The results of the United States' first multi-ethnic,
multi-lingual, and multi-regional political survey on Asian Americans are thoroughly
analyzed in this ground-breaking book. By providing a platform for Asian Americans
to voice their opinions on vital questions about their political behavior
and motivations for participation, this survey challenges popular misconceptions about
Asian Americans as a political demographic, and develops a constructive conceptual
framework for examining their political ideas and actions.
Review
"This ground breaking study by Lien, Conway, and Wong presents a comprehensive overview
of contemporary Asian American politics. The book reports on the analysis of survey data
from an imaginative and first-ever national study of Asian American political behavior.
It is destined to become the most widely cited work on the subject, and I recommend it most
highly."
-- Jane Junn, Rutgers University
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Political Psychology in International Relations
Rose McDermott
University of Michigan Press, 2004
In Political Psychology in International Relations, Rose McDermott assesses the roles played by
personality in international relations, and makes a strong case for the importance of understanding the
psychology behind many of the players on the international stage. Her analyses of how the
political environment affects personality and how personality in turn drives politics draws on both
contemporary and historical examples of individuals driven by their personal needs for
recognition in their quests for power. Written in clear and accessible style, the book provides analytical
tools for other researchers to investigate the implications of psychology and personality in today's world
environment.
Review
"This is a real tour de force. McDermott is a master of the diverse approaches to political psychology and international politics.
Newcomers to the subject cannot find a better guide; skeptics, even if not persuaded, will be enlightened;
even experts will see the field in a new way."
-- Robert Jervis, Columbia University
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Presidential Leadership, Illness, and Decision Making
Rose McDermott
Cambridge University Press, 2008
This book examines the effects that medical and psychological illness can have on foreign
policy decision making. McDermott explores the topic of impaired leadership by providing
detailed analysis of four American presidents: Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, John
Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. Drawing extensively on archived information, including previously
unpublished medical material, she demonstrates how their respective illnesses and treatments
may have influenced presidential decision making in crucial foreign policy situations.
The book concludes with an in-depth discussion of the 25th Amendment and how our system of
government needs better procedures in place to deal with both healthy and impaired leaders
In an appendix to the main chapters, McDermott uses the case of the Shah of Iran during
the Carter administration to illustrate both how the health of foreign leaders may affect
foreign policy decision making, and the need for good medical intelligence about those
leaders.
Review
"In this gripping and innovative book, Rose McDermott shows why she is the leading political psychologist
of her generation. The analysis she provides will disturb deeply both students of political leadership
who take human rationality to be axiomatic and a general public deeply influenced by often carefully
manufactured images of vigor, health, and emotional stability in their leaders."
-- Peter J. Katzenstein, Cornell University
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Politics, Persuasion, and Educational Testing
Lorraine M. McDonnell
Harvard University Press, 2004
"Anyone who has followed student testing policy during the past decade would probably agree that
it has become highly politicized."
In Politics, Persuasion, and Educational Testing, McDonnell takes us through the policy perspectives that
underlie student assessment, from the hortatory approach -- one that relies on information or values to motivate
-- to the current "high stakes" approach adopted by many states in which there are tangible consequences to testing
outcomes. She then examines the implementation of new assessment programs in three states in the 1990s: North Carolina,
Kentucky, and California. In each state, political debates over what should be taught and tested ultimately
altered the testing programs. Her analysis of the importance of widespread acceptance of the social
and curricular values underlying student assessment is particularly timely as more school districts move to high-stakes
testing in order to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act.
Review
"Lorraine McDonnell . . . one of the top experts in the country on education policy . . . has written this book truly from
the perspective of political science . . . [P]eople interested in both the politics of education and education reform
should read this book for relevance on what is happening today in 14,000 school districts across the country."
-- John F. Witte, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Perspective on Politics 3, June 2005.
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The Rift Between America and Old Europe
The Distracted Eagle
Peter H. Merkl
Routledge, 2005
Professor Emeritus Peter Merkl's new book delves into the history and causes of the recent
rift between the United States and her long-time allies in Europe, especially France and Germany.
He discusses several explanations for the causes of the rift, including U.S. rejection of post-9/11
offers of European assistance, U.S. refusal to sign the Kyoto Treaty, and what Europe perceives as
America's unilateral response to terrorism by challenging established regimes throughout the Middle
East. Merkl notes that while Europe has apparently embraced a multinational approach to solving
international problems, a policy with roots in Wilsonian democracy, the United States has rejected
that same approach, "undermining the role of America as a democratic model."
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Energy, the Environment, and Public Opinion
Eric R. A. N. Smith
Rowman and Littlefield, 2002
In Energy, the Environment, and Public Opinion, Eric Smith tackles the "vexing realities" of public
opinion concerning energy and energy policy. Drawing on extensive polling data from the state of California,
he addresses such questions as: What role does ideology play? How much does the public understand about energy
issues? Who favors further oil or nuclear power development? How have people's opinions changed and how are
they likely to change in the future? Smith traces the history of energy development, tests alternative explanations
for public attitudes about energy and the environment, and offers projections about the future of energy
policy in light of political pressures and public opinion.
Review
"Smith has produced an important book that is a must reading for both public opinion and environmental
policy scholars. More broadly, this book offers any student of American politics and policy important
insights into issue formation and diminution and opinion change."
-- Paul Brace, Rice University
Perspectives on Politics 1, August 2003.
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