Chaos in 2014: The Journey Continues

Will 2014 be remembered as a chaotic year a decade or two in the future?Not necessarily so.Looking back at the post-Cold War years,only two major developments stand out:the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the rise of the emerging countries such as China.They both mark a shift in global power distribution,from major powers to smaller stakeholders,from the Atlantic to the Pacific,and from the developed to the developing worlds.From this perspective,nothing that extraordinary happened in 2014.purchasing power parity(PPP).Trans-Pacific rivalry also escalated in the first half of the year,particularly in the East China Sea and the South     

The End of the War on Terror:Strategic Implications for the U.S.

The decade-long anti-terrorism campaign has begun to wind down after the killing of Osama bin Laden and the start of U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq. The tenth anniversary of 9/11 is an apt point at which to analyze the losses and gains for the U.S. and predict where it can go from here.     

Elections and democratization in Honduras since 1980

Although Central America returned to electoral rule during the 1980s, lack of participation, political violence and militarization meant that democracy remained decidedly limited. This articles outlines the particularities of the transition to constitutional government for the case of Honduras, and examines the role of successive electoral processes on prospects for democratic consolidation, focusing on the relationship between electoral processes and the nature of the party system. It is maintained here that whilst the longevity of the bipartisan system has been an important element of stability, the nature of the two dominant parties (Liberal and National) has hindered the consolidation of a more democratic politics. However, the article also argues that successive elections have been the catalyst for limited modernization of the party system and have increased citizenship confidence in the electoral process, and that this ‐together with a gradual reduction in the influence of the military ‐ has strengthened future prospects for deepening democracy. None the less, the article concludes that unless a new relationship is established between political parties and civil society to ensure a more representative and participatory form of politics, democracy will remain limited in Honduras.     

Squatter settlements in Latin American cities: The response from government

Little attention has been paid by sociologists interested in Latin American urban problems, to the ways in which Governments have responded to the existence of squatter settlements. Government intervention in these areas, which is usually designed to ‘integrate” the squatter population, has taken several forms. Particularly in respect to housing, little has been learned from the experiences of squatters themselves, and little attempt has been made to give squatters a voice in the way their settlements develop. The result is that though the role of Government is widened, the benefits this brings the squatter population are few.     

The relation between rate of growth and level of development

The paper tests the hypothesis that countries pass through three successive phases of development: an initial phase of stationary or slow growth; a phase when the growth rate is increasing (accelerating growth), and finally, a phase of decreasing (decelerating) growth. Since the regressions turn out to be significant at the 0.1 per cent level, it may be taken that the hypothesis is confirmed. An explanation is offered and deviant cases are discussed. One of the consequences of the established regularity is that the gap is widening between the least developed and other countries, but the countries at the intermediate level of development are catching up. Thus the usual twofold classification of countries will have to be replaced by a threefold one: less developed, developing and developed countries.     

Feature reviews

Perspectives on the Philippines

Crisis in the Philippines: The Marcos Era and Beyond. John Bresnan, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 1986. 284pp. n/p

The Philippines Reader: A History of Colonialism, Neocolonialism, Dictatorship and Resistance. Daniel B Schirmer and Stephen Rosskam Shalom, Boston, Massachusetts: South End Press. 1987. 425pp. $11.00hb

The Philippines After Marcos. R J May and Francisco Nemenzo, London: Croom Helm. 1985. 239pp. £19.95hb

Touching Ground, Taking Root: Theological and Political Reflections on the Philippine Struggle. London: Catholic Institute for International Relations. 1986. 214pp. £5.75pb

Winds of change in Moscow

The Sixth Continent: Russia and Mikhail Gorbachev. Mary Frankland, London: Hamish Hamilton. 1987. 292pp. £12.95hb

The Waking Giant. The Soviet Union under Gorbachev. Martin Walker, London: Michael Joseph. 1986. 282pp. £14.95hb

The Soviet Paradox: External Expansion, Internal Decline. Seweryn Bialer, London: I B Tauris. 1986. 391pp. £19.50hb

The Soviet Union under Gorbachev. Edited by Martin McCauley, London: Macmillan. 1987. 247pp. £29.50hb/£9.95pb

The future of China

China—Politics, Economics and Society: Iconoclasm and Innovation in a Revolutionary Socialist Country. Marc Blecher, London: Frances Pinter, Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Riener. 1986. 232pp. £22.50hb/£6.95pb

The China Challenge: Adjustment and Reform. David S G Goodman, Martin Lockett and Gerald Segal, London: Routledge and Kegan Paul (for Royal Institute of International Affairs). 1986. 86pp. £5.95pb

The Political Economy of Reform in Post‐Mao China. Edited by Elizabeth J Perry and Christine Wong, Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 1985. 331pp. £11.95pb

Apartheid observed

Move Your Shadow: South Africa, Black and White. Joseph Lelyveld, London: Sphere Books. 1987. 390pp. £3.95pb

Black and Gold: Tycoons, Revolutionaries and Apartheid. Anthony Sampson, London: Hodder and Stoughton. 1987. 280pp. £12.95hb

The Sanctions Handbook. Joseph Hanlon and Roger Omond, Harmondsworth: Penguin. 1987. 389pp. £4.95pb

South Africa: No Easy Path to Peace. Graham Leach, London: Methuen. 1986. 312pp. £2.95pb

King Solomon's Mines Revisited: Western Interests and the Burdened History of Southern Africa. William Minter, New York: Basic Books. 1986. 401pp. n/p

Environmental warfare

Herbicides in War: The Long‐Term Ecological and Human Consequences. Edited by Arthur H Westing, London: Taylor and Francis. 1984. 210pp. £15.00hb

Environmental Warfare: A Technical, Legal and Policy Appraisal. Edited by Arthur H Westing, London: Taylor and Francis. 1984. 107pp. £12.00hb     

New Great Power Relationship Strengthens China-U.S. Ties

LAST year was notable for leadership changes in many countries around the world,including China and the U.S.The 2012 elections in those two countries are bound to influence the future development of the world’s most important bilateral relationship.A review of the past year shows that China-U.S.relations have had     

Young American China Watchers＇ Views on China

In this paper, the author has made a thorough study over the new generation of American China Watchers. Most of the pages are devoted to a detailed comparison between the old generation and the young generation of American China Watchers regarding to their background, education, and views over China. At the end of the paper, the author also gives some policy suggestions for both the Chinese and U.S. government based on the findings in this study.