Inequality and Governance in an Uncertain World: Perspectives on Democratic and Autocratic Governments

In Inequality and Governance in an Uncertain World: Perspectives on Democratic & Autocratic Governments, the authors address structural and systemic inequalities in democratic and autocratic governments from a multidimensional perspective in nine world regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Eurasia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, North America, and Latin America). Their focus is on issues of race, caste, class, gender, religion, culture, and ethnicity which has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fragility of democracies is only enhanced by the sobering reality of the climate crisis and the deleterious nature of disinformation through social media. However, just as the world has been witnessing a shift toward autocracy, a commitment to democracy can be also possible through a renewal of the social contract, calling for more equitable social, economic, and health policies, obliterating the intersections of inequality, and trudging toward a more sustainable future for all. Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Introduction‌‌‌‌ 1. Culture, Governance, and the Politics of Inequality in Africa: A Focus on Nigeria • Julius O. Adekunle 2. The Middle East and North Africa: A Region of Inequalities • Saliba Sarsar 3. Persistent Gender-Based Social and Economic Inequalities in India • Abha S. Sood 4. Growing Inequality and Problems of Governance: Threats to Democracy and Human Security in Bangladesh • Golam M. Mathbor 5. The Expansion of Governmental Control in China due to the COVID-19‌‌‌ Pandemic • Peter W. Liu 6. Strongman on a Tightrope: Achievements and Failures of Putin’s Autocracy in Russia • Thomas S. Pearson 7. The COVID-19 Pandemic and Policy Choices in Eastern Europe • Kevin L. Dooley 8. The Pandemic, Politics, and Populism in Three Western European Democracies: A Comparative Analysis of Britain, France, and Italy • Kenneth L. Campbell 9. “Speech Now,” but Not with a Bullhorn: Political Misinformation in the Age of Super PACs in the United States • Joseph N. Patten 10. Guided by the Light of Freedom: Black Women’s 100-Year Struggle for the Ballot in the United States, 1865–1965 • Hettie V. Williams and Denis Long 11. Coloniality and COVID-19 in Mexico • Manuel Chávez 12. Inequality and Governance across World Regions: A Concluding Perspective • Stephen J. Chapman Suggested Bibliography Index About the Editors and Contributors In Inequality and Governance in an Uncertain World: Perspectives on Democratic & Autocratic Governments, the authors address structural and systemic inequalities in democratic and autocratic governments from a multidimensional perspective in nine world regions (Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Eurasia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, North America, and Latin America). Their focus is on issues of race, caste, class, gender, religion, culture, and ethnicity which has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fragility of democracies is only enhanced by the sobering reality of the climate crisis and the horrible nature of disinformation through social media. However, just as the world has been witnessing a shift toward autocracy, a commitment to democracy can be also possible through a renewal of the social contract, calling for more equitable social, economic, and health policies, obliterating the intersections of inequality, and trudging toward a more sustainable future for all.