Over the past decade, the third sector has had tremendous growth worldwide in both size and importance. As many countries struggle to address this changing reality, many have adopted policy initiatives aimed at changing the ways the third sector is addressed. It is a complex process, involving different fields of practice, different levels of government, and different types of third sector organizations. The contributions to this timely volume detail the process as carried out in eight diverse countries: US UK, Canada, Hungary, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, all of whom have recently enacted policy initiatives towards the third sector. The studies are comprehensive: from reviewing the current policy, enacting new laws, supervisory mechanisms, and modes of funding. Featuring a postscript from Helmut Anheier (UCLA School of Public Policy, Los Angeles, CA, USA and Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Germany), the thorough analysis in this volume will provide a new understanding of the policy initiatives in the eight countries studied, as well as guiding principles for other countries that may implement such initiatives in the future. The resulting work will give researchers in sociology, social work, third sector research, and international economics a new framework for understanding the Third Sector: its role in society, and its relationships with government, the market, and the citizens of the country.

This volume is an updated survey and assessment of the recent policy initiatives of Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, which have come to be known as the Hu-Wen's New Deal. Individual chapters are written by scholars from different academic disciplines and backgrounds. These scholars hail from Singapore, the United States, Australia, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China.Topics cover the patterns and process of leadership succession, emerging political factions, social unrest, sources of economic growth, income disparities, social security reform, land use policy, banking reform, corporate governance, labor and population policies, rule of law, and changes in the Party and ideology. On the external aspects, discussion includes China's changing relations with the U.S., Japan and ASEAN. In many ways, the Hu-Wen leadership today is still coming to grips with the same issues and problems as discussed in this book.

After more than 30 years of rapid development, China has established herself as an important engine of growth for the world economy. This achievement, however, came with a heavy price, in the form of serious pollution in its developed regions and social problems in areas such as healthcare and housing. This publication studies some of such problems and provides an updated account on a wide range of new social policy initiatives in China.China's New Social Policy distinguishes itself from other literature in this field. It undertakes a general methodology that assesses the social impact brought about by the market-oriented changes in China's social policies, and contests the idea whether market-oriented development can result in a more sustainable society. All chapters in the book are crafted by prominent scholars, which include Professor Zheng Yongnian, Director of the East Asian Institute, and Professor Gu Xin, School of Government, Peking University.

Provides a comprehensive overview of what Asian industrial clusters might teach us. Based on empirical surveys and interviews conducted in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan, this title collects studies that were first debated at an international workshop in Lyon.

Despite potentially tremendous benefits, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) lag in the digital transformation. Emerging technologies, as diverse as they are, offer a range of applications for them to improve performance and overcome the size-related limitations they face in doing business. However, SMEs must be better prepared, and stakes are high. SMEs make the most of the industrial fabric in many countries and regions, they create jobs (most jobs sometimes) and are the cement of inclusive and sustainable societies.

This report analyses the effects of Mexico’s ambitious reforms to agricultural and fisheries policies since 1990 and makes recommendations for further reforms.