The new edition of this book includes increased international coverage of the field, and a strong focus on emerging trends, as well as providing a comprehensive overview of the foundations and key aspects of the discipline.

Drawing on the expertise of leading figures in the field, this handbook provides an overview of public affairs and government relations for students, CEOs, association executives, politicians, lobbyists and business managers.

Reflecting advances in theory, research, and application in the discipline since the publication of the Handbook of Public Relations in 2001, this new volume is global in scope and unmatched in its coverage of both academic research and professional best practice. It presents major theories in the words of the leading advocates for each theory; positions public relations as a positive force to help make society more fully functional; and challenges academics and practitioners to identify best practices that can inform the work of those in the profession.

This authoritative and comprehensive survey of political communication draws together a team of the world′s leading scholars to provide a state-of-the-art review that sets the agenda for future study. It is divided into five sections: Part One: explores the macro-level influences on political communication such as the media industry, new media, technology, and political systems Part Two: takes a grassroots perspective of the influences of social networks - real and online - on political communication Part Three: discusses methodological advances in political communication research Part Four: focuses on power and how it is conceptualized in political communication Part Five: provides an international, regional, and comparative understanding of political communication in its various contexts The SAGE Handbook of Political Communication is an essential benchmark publication for advanced students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of politics, media and communication, sociology and research methods.

In this innovative Handbook, Arco Timmermans brings together a diverse range of experts to scrutinise the current field of public affairs, what can be learned from it and its compatibility with democracy and open society. Through this multidisciplinary focus on knowledge and competencies, the Handbook aims to closely connect the spheres of research and practice within public affairs.

Global business tends to be perceived as a number of individual but powerful multinational corporations, capable of controlling markets and influencing political decisions; in fact, global business is highly organized through a plethora of associations that bring together competing companies and conflicting national businesses. Indeed, global business associations have a long history and, with accelerated globalization, further opportunities emerge for unified business action. This book fills a significant gap in the current literature, examining the pivotal role of global business associations and providing a concise and accessible overview of their different functions in a range of institutional contexts. Beginning by clarifying the concept of global business associations, the author puts their role into a historical and contemporary context in which their economic, social and political functions are sketched. Their historical origin is outlined, including the proliferation of global associations in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. He then moves on to explore and analyse the different types of actors, explaining key categories and their place in the organization of global business with chapters on peak associations (e.g. ICC and WEF), industry associations, alliances, as well as clubs and think tanks, and facilitators. Covering the history, current role and future evolution of this dynamic category of associations, this work will be essential reading for students and scholars of international political economy, international relations, international organizations and global governance.

The SAGE Handbook of Diplomacy provides a major thematic overview of Diplomacy and its study that is theoretically and historically informed and in sync with the current and future needs of diplomatic practice . Original contributions from a brilliant team of global experts are organised into four thematic sections: Section One: Diplomatic Concepts & Theories Section Two: Diplomatic Institutions Section Three: Diplomatic Relations Section Four: Types of Diplomatic Engagement