"In these pages you will get a glimpse of the Pete Cenarrusa who was a steady, consistent presence in the lives of several generations of Idahoans. You will get some perspective on the teacher, coach, legislator, house speaker, secretary of state, confidante of governors (and critic of some), touchstone for the powerful, friend of the powerless, advocate for farmers, ranchers and sheepherders, and—always—champion of the Basques. What's more, you will get a sense of the times in which Pete has lived, and the people, places, and causes that helped make him a patriot and statesman in two lands, half a world apart. There is no one I know in public life who is more respected, more admired and more beloved than Pete Cenarrusa. After reading this book, I think you'll see why."

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Basque Political Systems Edited by Pedro Ibarra Guell and Xabier Irujo Ametzaga

Does the Basque Country have a seperate "political system"? This book seeks to answer this complicated question. The Basque Country forms a differentiated cultural community that shares customs, folklore, a way of life, a language-Basque-that is among the oldest in Europe, and yet is divided between two international frontiers-France and Spain- and has major internal subdivisions, most notably between the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (the provinces of Araba, Bizkaia, and Gipuzkoa) and the Foral Community of Navarre. In France, the Basque provinces of Lapurdi, Lower Navarre, Zuberoa (Iparralde) have little or no administrative separation from the centralist regime, while Hegoalde-the Basque provinces on the southern side of the international frontier-has varying degrees of autonomous powers within the fitfully decentralizing Spanish state, but is split into two distinct subdivisions with different powers, relations to the central state, and historical development. An added layer of complexity is added by the supranational powers of the European Union and the Basque Country's place in it, as well as the historically important realtions of the Basque Country to the members of its worldwide diaspora. And, finally, even within the various subdivisions there are important differences of opinion regarding fundamental questions such as the desire for independence or autonomy, the political violence that has marred the region, relations to national or central states, and a variety of other issues. Any attempt to impose order on this chaos is difficult, but the author's in this book try to respond to this question with a wealth of historical and political detail and insight.

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