This is the third edition of an established textbook on Britain's role in the European Community. Britain joined the EC in 1973, over twenty years after the first of the European Communities was formed. Within a year, she had established a reputation for being at odds with major Community initiatives and for taking an independent point of view.This reputation was consolidated over the next twenty-four years. In An Awkward Partner Stephen George surveys the policies that earned Britain this reputation, recording the role successive British governments have played in the European Community. He stresses the influence both of external circumstances and domestic political considerations in shaping these policies and analyses some of the underlying political reasons for Britain's perceived awkwardness. The first edition was the first book-length survey to appear in English of British policy toward the European Community, and rapidly became established as the leading book in the field for students. In this third edition, Stephen George brings his analysis up to date, taking the story of the Major Government through to its end in the 1997 general election. This new edition will continue to be invaluable to students taking courses on the European Community, comparative European politics, and public policy.

This book sets out to discuss what kind of ‘middle power’ Australia is, and whether its identity as a middle power negatively influences its relationship with Asia. It looks at the history of the middle power concept, develops three concepts of middle power status and examines Australia’s relationships with China, Japan and Indonesia as a focus. It argues that Australia is an ‘awkward partner’ in its relations with Asia due to both its historical colonial and discriminatory past, as well its current dependence upon the United States for a security alliance. It argues this should be changed by adopting a new middle power concept in Australian foreign policy.

Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: The Awkward Partner (AP) Thesis is a widespread theoretical framework which explains why Britain has been called a semi-detached member of the European Union. This paper aims to take on the AP thesis by calling into question its basic tenets. To do this, the thesis claims and initially detectable flaws have to be set out explicitly. But the main challenge shall be launched by examining the Single European Act (SEA) in detail. Resulting contradictions and the implications of the findings require further answers: Should the AP thesis be abandoned? If not, how can it be revised? The argument advanced here is that the AP thesis presupposes a negative behaviour by UK governments vis-à-vis their European counterparts. This is explained by endogenous constraints that are imposed upon the core executive. These constraints are mainly caused by the divergence of domestic political forces. Slow and different rates of adaptation to the EU decision-making level are to be emphasised. While central government has already adjusted to the EU level, it attempts to retain its gatekeeper role between domestic and European political spheres. In contrast to the AP thesis, this paper shall show that in the run-up to the SEA Britain was not more negative than other member states. The UK representatives made proposals and concessions, as did everyone else. Despite the contradiction between theory and empirical study, it shall here not be concluded to abolish the AP thesis, but to amend it instead. First, the role of central government should be looked at in greater detail. Secondly, a link to Liberal Intergovernmentalism is proposed as a way forward. Some inconsistencies of the current framework could thereby be resolved. However, this would also mean to drop all negative connotations, if not the name, of the thesis. Zusammenfassung: Die These vom Unangenehmen Partner ist ein weit verbreitetes theoretisches Modell, das erklärt, warum Großbritannien oft als halbherziges Mitglied der Europäischen Union (EU) bezeichnet wird. Die folgende Studie will diese These dadurch angreifen, indem ihre grundlegenden Annahmen in Zweifel gezogen werden. Dazu müssen zuerst einmal die Kernaussagen sowie einige Unstimmigkeiten der These klar benannt werden. Die größte Herausforderung besteht allerdings darin, die Einheitliche Europäische Akte (EEA) genau zu untersuchen. Die gefundenen Widersprüche sowie deren Auswirkungen erfordern weitere Antworten: Sollte [...]

"Featuring . . . personal anecdotes and filled with accessible resources, a celebrity doctor and his daughter present this . . . comprehensive guide to sex, relationships and consent in today's #Metoo era"--Provided by publisher.

A series of whimsical essays by the New York Times "Social Q's" columnist provides modern advice on navigating today's murky moral waters, sharing recommendations for such everyday situations as texting on the bus to splitting a dinner check.

Discover how the same traits that make us feel uneasy in social situations also provide the seeds for extraordinary success. As humans, we all need to belong. While modern social life can make even the most charismatic of us feel gawky, for roughly one in five of us, navigating its challenges is overwhelming. Psychologist and interpersonal relationship expert Ty Tashiro knows what it’s like to be awkward. Growing up, he could do complex arithmetic in his head and memorize the earned run averages of every National League starting pitcher. But he struggled to add up social cues during interactions with other kids and was prone to forget routine social expectations. In Awkard, Ty unpacks decades of research in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and sociology to help us better understand this widely share trait and its origins. He considers how awkward people view our complex world and explains how we can more comfortably engage with it, delivering a welcome, counterintuitive message: the same characteristics that make people socially clumsy can be harnessed to produce remarkable achievements. Interweaving the latest research with personal tales and real-world examples, Awkward provides valuable insights into how we can embrace our personal quirks and unique talents to realize our awesome potential.

Ryan and Selena Frederick were newlyweds when they landed in Switzerland to pursue Selena's dream of training horses. Neither of them knew at the time that Ryan was living out a death sentence brought on by a worsening genetic heart defect. Soon it became clear he needed major surgery that could either save his life--or result in his death on the operating table. The young couple prepared for the worst. When Ryan survived, they both realized that they still had a future together. But the near loss changed the way they saw all that would lie ahead. They would live and love fiercely, fighting for each other and for a Christ-centered marriage, every step of the way. Fierce Marriage is their story, but more than that, it is a call for married couples to put God first in their relationship, to measure everything they do and say to each other against what Christ did for them, and to see marriage not just as a relationship they should try to keep healthy but also as one worth fighting for in every situation. With the gospel as their foundation, Ryan and Selena offer hope and practical help for common struggles in marriage, including communication problems, sexual frustration, financial stress, family tension, screen-time disconnection, and unrealistic expectations.