La democracia no debe ser la imposición de las mayorías ni de sus representantes, sino el gobierno de todos, entre todos y para todos. Al buscar una democracia de calidad se reconoce que la gestión pública aislada de la participación ciudadana es insuficiente y las actividades de la ciudadanía sin la estructuración de la gobernanza resultarían caóticas. De ahí que la gobernanza sea crucial para elevar la calidad de la democracia, incrementar la participación y que la respuesta gubernamental (responsiveness) ante los deseos ciudadanos sea satisfactoria. La gobernanza radica en la vinculación entre ciudadanos y gobierno a través de iniciativas, cooperación, reciprocidad, transparencia y rendición de cuentas. Para mejorar la gobernanza, y con ella la respuesta gubernamental, son de gran utilidad los indicadores. Los indicadores permiten elaborar índices y establecer evaluaciones a través de graduaciones (rankings). La presente obra explica la reciprocidad entre la calidad de la democracia y de la ciudadanía; las distinciones entre la gobernabilidad, el gobierno abierto y la gobernanza; caracteriza a la gobernanza metropolitana y la respuesta estatal; estipula la naturaleza y componentes de sus indicadores; los aplica a las iniciativas ciudadanas de cultura, iniciativas de ley y a la gobernanza metropolitana con distinción de género. Más allá de los casos analizados, su mayor aporte son las fórmulas modelo para evaluar otros aspectos de la gobernanza y elevar la calidad de la democracia.

This publication assesses progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on education and its ten targets, as well as other related education targets in the SDG agenda. It addresses inclusion in education, drawing attention to all those excluded from education, because of background or ability. The report is motivated by the explicit reference to inclusion in the 2015 Incheon Declaration, and the call to ensure an inclusive and equitable quality education in the formulation of SDG 4, the global goal for education. It reminds us that, no matter what argument may be built to the contrary, we have a moral imperative to ensure every child has a right to an appropriate education of high quality.

Direct democracy involves citizens in discussion and decisions about what the government is to do, rather than leaving this to officials or parliaments. It thus challenges the restrictions placed by representative democracies such as Britain and the United States on political consultation and popular participation. Why should responsible adults not take public decisions as well as making their own individual choices? One affects them just as much as the other. Can ordinary citizens make good public policy though? Many lack education and expertise and may not even be interested in politics. Even without these individual defects, mass debate may by its very nature lead to arbitrary or downright bad decisions. This book confronts these arguments in light of new communication developments which for the first time make direct democracy technically feasible in a mass society. The result is a highly original and innovative account of the possibility of the direct involvement of citizens in the governance of their own affairs.

This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.

Faguet identifies the factors that determine the outcomes of national decentralization on the local level