The Politics of the Presidency

by Joseph A. Pika, John Anthony Maltese, Andrew Rudalevige

2019 · CQ Press

The most up-to-date coverage and analysis of the presidency Never losing sight of the foundations of the political office, The Politics of the Presidency maintains a balance between historical context and contemporary scholarship on the executive branch, providing a solid foundation for any presidency course. In the highly anticipated Tenth Edition of this bestseller, Pika, Maltese, and Rudalevige thoroughly analyze the change and continuity in the presidency during President Trump′s first term, his relations with Congress and the judiciary, the outcomes of the 2018 midterm election, and the competitive setting for the 2020 presidential race.

The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012

by Andrew Burbidge, John Woinarski, Peter Harrison

2014 · CSIRO PUBLISHING

The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012 is the first review to assess the conservation status of all Australian mammals. It complements The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2010 (Garnett et al. 2011, CSIRO Publishing), and although the number of Australian mammal taxa is marginally fewer than for birds, the proportion of endemic, extinct and threatened mammal taxa is far greater. These authoritative reviews represent an important foundation for understanding the current status, fate and future of the nature of Australia. This book considers all species and subspecies of Australian mammals, including those of external territories and territorial seas. For all the mammal taxa (about 300 species and subspecies) considered Extinct, Threatened, Near Threatened or Data Deficient, the size and trend of their population is presented along with information on geographic range and trend, and relevant biological and ecological data. The book also presents the current conservation status of each taxon under Australian legislation, what additional information is needed for managers, and the required management actions. Recovery plans, where they exist, are evaluated. The voluntary participation of more than 200 mammal experts has ensured that the conservation status and information are as accurate as possible, and allowed considerable unpublished data to be included. All accounts include maps based on the latest data from Australian state and territory agencies, from published scientific literature and other sources. The Action Plan concludes that 29 Australian mammal species have become extinct and 63 species are threatened and require urgent conservation action. However, it also shows that, where guided by sound knowledge, management capability and resourcing, and longer-term commitment, there have been some notable conservation success stories, and the conservation status of some species has greatly improved over the past few decades. The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012 makes a major contribution to the conservation of a wonderful legacy that is a significant part of Australia’s heritage. For such a legacy to endure, our society must be more aware of and empathetic with our distinctively Australian environment, and particularly its marvellous mammal fauna; relevant information must be readily accessible; environmental policy and law must be based on sound evidence; those with responsibility for environmental management must be aware of what priority actions they should take; the urgency for action (and consequences of inaction) must be clear; and the opportunity for hope and success must be recognised. It is in this spirit that this account is offered.

Psychiatry Observed

by Geoffrey Baruch, Andrew Treacher

2018 · Routledge

Originally published in 1978, with the reform of the 1959 Mental Health Act under consideration, it was time to re-examine the recent policy of desegregating the mentally ill and treating them within general hospital psychiatric units rather than in mental hospitals. This shift in policy reflected a number of significant trends in contemporary British psychiatry. It signified the acceptance of the idea that mental disorder is like a physical illness and should be treated as such, within the same buildings. It had also brought the psychiatric profession closer to the mainstream of medicine and had conferred on it a status similar to that enjoyed by other branches of the medical profession. In this study, however, the authors question much of British psychiatric practice at the time. Part of the book is devoted to explaining how the psychiatric profession had been able to establish a hegemony over the mental health field, and consequently subordinate the other mental health professions to minor roles. The main emphasis of the book is on the controversial policy of desegregation of the mentally ill. The historical development of general psychiatric units is discussed, then a case study documenting the ‘careers’ of three patients who passed through one such unit is presented, providing a fascinating insight into the way in which the unit operated as a diagnostic and therapeutic centre. Finally, an analysis is made of some of the issues raised by the study. In particular, the staff structure of psychiatric centres and the processes of assessment and treatment are considered in detail.