The Penguin Dictionary of Politics

Book excerpt: Containing over 500 definitions of political theories, dogmas and phraseologies, this dictionary includes updated entries on the European Community and federalism alongside new definitions of the European Court of Justice and Central Banks, among others. Frequently-used terms in Middle-Eastern politics are explained, from Ayatollah and the Arab-Israeli wars, to fundamentalism and the Gulf War. It also includes sections on ideas that have become familiar terms over recent years, such as perestroika, glasnost, being politically correct, and Thatcherism, as well as issues that have taken on greater political significance - for example, abortion and environmentalism.