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Sovereignty is among the most important phenomena for making sense of political life. But there are many mistaken assumptions associated with the concept. This book provides a new and somewhat unorthodox interpretation of it from the standpoint of a theory of practice.The Sovereign responds to pressing political issues of our time, like immigration and refugees, transnationalism and populism, the prospects for democracy, and the relationship between civil society and the state. The chapters trace the concept of sovereignty from its origins in political theory, providing perspective and insights that leave the reader with a phenomenological sketch of the sovereign. Bronner transforms our ideas about political power, what it is, how it has been used, and how it can be used. His new theory of sovereignty concludes with twenty-five provocative theses on the sovereign's role in modern capitalist society. The Sovereign is a novel and unparalleled overview of a crucial concept by an influential thinker. It is especially and particularly recommended to scholars and student of comparative politics, international relations, contemporary political theory, and the wider general public.

Nel corso della storia repubblicana si può osservare come la richiesta di'decisioni'presidenziali sia andata progressivamente crescendo, trovando spesso ascolto attento e disponibile in chi è stato chiamato, di volta in volta, a ricoprire l'ufficio di capo dello Stato. Lo spazio politico del presidente si è perciò espanso progressivamente, anche se non in maniera lineare e irreversibile, rispetto alle origini, quando qualsiasi sua iniziativa richiedeva l'assenso esplicito e preliminare del governo. Se, in un primo momento, si poteva perciò affermare, semplicemente, che il potere presidenziale effettivo fosse di natura eminentemente simbolica, connesso all'idea che il presidente della repubblica dovesse dare corpo e voce all'unitarietà dello Stato e della sua volontà, a lungo andare sembra che le cose siano divenute un po'diverse, più complesse, sfuggenti.'L'enigma presidenziale', intende ricostruire, attraverso il tormentato susseguirsi degli eventi istituzionalmente rilevanti, ciò che ha concretamente rilievo dal punto di vista costituzionale.

T. R. Fehrenbach Award, 1997 As he worked to build his Great Society, Lyndon Johnson often harkened back to his teaching days in the segregated'Mexican'school at Cotulla, Texas. Recalling the poverty and prejudice that blighted his students'lives, Johnson declared,'It never occurred to me in my fondest dreams that I might have the chance to help the sons and daughters of those students and to help people like them all over this country. But now I do have that chance—and I'll let you in on a secret—I mean to use it.'This book explores the complex and sometimes contradictory relations between LBJ and Mexican Americans. Julie Pycior shows that Johnson's genuine desire to help Mexican Americans—and reap the political dividends—did not prevent him from allying himself with individuals and groups intent on thwarting Mexican Americans'organizing efforts. Not surprisingly, these actions elicited a wide range of response, from grateful loyalty to, in some cases, outright opposition. Mexican Americans'complicated relationship with LBJ influenced both their political development and his career with consequences that reverberated in society at large.