Grappling With Democracy: Deliberations on Post-Communist Societies (1990-1995), edited by Elzbieta Matynia. SLON Publishing, Prague. March, 1996.

This collection of essays is the offspring of an intellectual project, at once modest and ambitious, which was initiated almost ten years ago in New York, Warsaw, and Budapest to provide the opportunity for a sustained and uninhibited discussion of democratic theory and the prospects for democratization. After 1990 this loosely structured endeavor came to be generally known as the Democracy Seminars, with more or less formalized chapters in 14 countries of that vast neighborhood we refer to so imprecisely, but with a bow to Solomon, as Central and Eastern Europe.

The earnest dialogue taking place in the late 80s in private apartments in Warsaw and Budapest and in the Wolff Conference Room at the Graduate Faculty - despite the exchange of discussion summaries - had a fleeting quality. So no one ever thought of preserving a complete record of these early seminars. But some remaining bits of correspondence, as well as some reports from the early discussions are included as a Prologue to the book.

The collection introduces the reader to the debate that surrounds the unprecedented systemic changes taking place in the post-Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, especially in their political, social, and cultural realms. The book is organized into four major parts, which follow the Introduction ("The Democracy Seminars and Beyond") and the Prologue. These are: "Continuity and Change", "Constituting Democracy", "Political Parties and Party Systems", and "Nationality and Diversity: Challenges to Liberal Democracy". The debate is represented here by contributions from scholars, writers, and journalists from 16 countries who also belong to the larger international community of the New School's Graduate Faculty, many of whom are public figures beyond their own countries. They include Adam Michnik, Marcin Krol, Janos Kis, Miklos Haraszti, Jan Urban, Pavel Campeanu, Martin Butora, Ira Katznelson, Ann Snitow, Claus Offe, Ulrich Preuss, Shlomo Avineri, Andrew Arato, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Jose Casanova, and many others.

For the most part, this main body of the book grew out of the second, post-1989 stage of the Democracy Seminars. The majority of the texts were presented and discussed at regular meetings of the local chapters or at the annual international meetings. But the collection as a whole also reflects the broader spectrum of activities of the East and Central Europe Program, including the International Working Groups and the ECEP Lecture Series.

Policy As Democracy: Public Policy Workbook, edited by Elaine Zimmerman, ECEP, November 1995.

In a sense, the process of public policy is like a good oral story. It passes from community to community. Pieces are added on. Other pieces are dropped. It takes on new and old meanings as it travels, based on the needs and values of the community. The difference between a story and policy is that a story can always be changed. Public policy becomes, at some point, the law passed or the budget utilized. It can also be altered, but changing an agreed upon policy is not easy. This is also because the dynamic process of public policy design, with public input and debate is taken very seriously. And what takes a long time to define, test, debate and implement, should not be easily undone.

Public policy can provide and enhance opportunity and access for people. It can be a major vehicle of democratic change for a nation. However, people must understand how to think about policy - how to design it and ensure its implementation. Like anything of power, if it is not done well, it can become the opposite of what was intended.

This public policy book seeks to provide an introduction to policy for new analysts in this area. It offers an overview and then explores different kinds of policies. Topics range from health to environment to children's policy. There are discrete sets of skills necessary in policy work: (i) assessing need and crafting policy; (ii) implementing and overseeing policy within government and the communities affected.

This book provides the material in both areas. It examines policy design and analysis as well as the steps necessary for policy to be enacted. National and state experts have been invited to address specific policy areas. The majority have written introductions to their topic, several relevant articles, and chosen sample pieces of legislation that illustrate general policy directions or illuminate important issues about implementation and oversight.

The editor, Elaine Zimmerman, has been a leader in public policy for twenty years. She has crafted national and state policy initiatives in child and family policy, poverty, anti-violence and economic development. She has also served as national spokesperson, employing organizing and public education skills in her policy work. Ms. Zimmerman has taught high school, junior college and university students. She has also taught parents organizing skills to effect productive change for their neighborhoods and families. Presently, Ms. Zimmerman is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Children for the State Legislature.