Failed State
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Fixing Failed States
Author: Ashraf Ghani
language: en
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Release Date: 2009
Social science.
Failed State
Shines a light on the dark corners of New Yorks legislature and points the way to much-needed reform. Failed State is both an original account of a state legislature in urgent need of reform and a call to action for those who would fix it. Drawing on his experiences both in and out of state government, former New York State senator Seymour P. Lachman reveals and explores Albanys hush-hush, top-down processes, illuminating the hidden, secretive corners where the state assembly and state senate conduct the peoples business and spend public money. Part memoir and part exposé, Failed State is a revision of and follow-up to Three Men in a Room, published in 2006. The focus of the original book was the injury to democratic governance that arises when three individualsgovernor, senate majority leader, and assembly speakertightly control one of the countrys largest and most powerful state governments. Expanding on events that have occurred in the decade since the original books publication, Failed State shows how this scenario has given way to widespread corruption, among them the convictions of two men in the roomthe senate and assembly leadersas well as a number of other state lawmakers. All chapters have been revised and expanded, new chapters have been added, and the final chapter charts a path to durable reform that would change New Yorks state government from its present-day status as a national disgrace to a model of transparent, more effective state politics and governance. Three Men in a Room was an important book when it came out over a decade ago, and sadly little has changed since then. In the context of high-level corruption convictions and the ongoing investigations by the US attorneys office, Failed State reminds us just how much needs to be done, and offers constructive recommendations about the kind of reform we so desperately need in Albany. Senator Liz Krueger, 28th New York State Senate District Weve all heard that Albanys a mess, that theres too much bad politics and sometimes corruption in the legislature. Its all true. How can that be? Are there any voices crying out to do it right? Seymour Lachmans Failed State takes you on a personal journey that explains how and why it can be that bad, as he discovers exactly what a lonely voice trying to do it right can doand what it cant. This is a read it and weep book by a principled man who was a legislator for close to a decade. But better than weeping, read itand do something. Peter C. Goldmark Jr., former New York State Budget Director and President of the Rockefeller Foundation In Failed State Seymour Lachman provides a birds-eye view into how New Yorks state legislature worksand doesnt work. Coupled with his extensive historical review, as a former legislator Lachman offers deep insights into whats wrong with Albany and helps make the case for fundamental changes. His sweeping analysis lays a foundation to make New York government more responsive to the public it purports to serve. For all New Yorkers looking to better understand their state government, Failed State is a must read. Blair Horner, Executive Director, New York Public Interest Research Group Seymour Lachman writes about Albany dysfunction as only an insider can. He knows firsthand what it is to be bullied and extorted by political bosses, to have to cast votes on massive, secretly negotiated budget deals on a few hours notice, to be the target of nakedly partisan gerrymandering, and to watch a parade of his colleagues go to prison for corruption. Failed State vividly documents a sordid era of New York history and provides a practical guide to real reform. Bill Hammond, The Empire Center The unifying theme here is that New York State government is broken and is not likely to mend itself. Lachman proposes a number of reforms that he believes will restore democracyamong them, the holding of a constitutional convention, which New Yorkers will vote on in November 2017. Timely and valuable, Failed State will help voters understand what the stakes are when making that decision. Peter J. Galie, coeditor of New Yorks Broken Constitution: The Governance Crisis and the Path to Renewed Greatness Praise for Three Men in a Room Startling: a political book that actually informs the public. Jimmy Breslin Three Men in a Room is a perceptive account of a state legislature in urgent need of reform, and of how to accomplish it. Senator Lachman had a front-row seat in Albany, as I once did. He also brings years of academic experience to this compelling and important book. Read it and take it seriouslyfor democracys sake. Hugh L. Carey, New York State Governor (19751983) Required reading for any New Yorker who wants to understand whats gone wrong in Albanyand why. This book provides an invaluable dissection of Albanys dysfunction from the perspective of an idealistic insider who emerged from the experience with his principles and credibility intact. Edmund J. McMahon Jr., Director, Empire Center for New York State Policy Both edifying and horrifying: Lachmans privileged perspective on New Yorks legislative practices is essential reading for would-be reformers. Artvoice
Failed States
The world's foremost critic of U.S. foreign policy exposes the hollow promises of democracy in American actions abroad—and at home The United States has repeatedly asserted its right to intervene against "failed states" around the globe. In this much anticipated sequel to his international bestseller Hegemony or Survival, Noam Chomsky turns the tables, charging the United States with being a "failed state," and thus a danger to its own people and the world. "Failed states" Chomsky writes, are those "that do not protect their citizens from violence and perhaps even destruction, that regard themselves as beyond the reach of domestic or international law, and that suffer from a ‘democratic deficit,' having democratic forms but with limited substance." Exploring recent U.S. foreign and domestic policies, Chomsky assesses Washington's escalation of the nuclear risk; the dangerous consequences of the occupation of Iraq; and America's self-exemption from international law. He also examines an American electoral system that frustrates genuine political alternatives, thus impeding any meaningful democracy. Forceful, lucid, and meticulously documented, Failed States offers a comprehensive analysis of a global superpower that has long claimed the right to reshape other nations while its own democratic institutions are in severe crisis, and its policies and practices have recklessly placed the world on the brink of disaster. Systematically dismantling America's claim to being the world's arbiter of democracy, Failed States is Chomsky's most focused—and urgent—critique to date.