Comparative Politics

This is a uniquely comprehensive introduction to the study of politics in a variety of countries. Part I surveys the core topics of comparative politics and equips students with the concepts and analytical methods needed to understand the complexities of todayĹźs political world, explaining in a step-by-step fashion how the basic techniques of the scientific method, such as qualitative hypothesis testing, can be used to understand political realities. Part II provides in-depth studies of a number of major countries, using the concepts and analytical techniques introduced in Part I. By combining rich conceptualization, analytical methods, and extensive coverage of a diversity of countries, this engaging text teaches students how to think for themselves about politics, logically and systematically.The first part of the text presents the basic concepts and theories of comparative politics; the second part shows students how these conceptual tools relate to real-world situations. |Hypothesis exercises drive home the step-by-step nature of using scientific logic to study politics. |Vivid profiles throughout the text single out important world leaders such as Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, "Lula" da Silva, and Nelson Mandela, among others.|Carefully edited, this edition has been streamlined by about 75 pages; the previous edition's two chapters on critical thinking have been combined into one. |Thorough updates focus on the implications of the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the war in Iraq for the study of comparative politics; the new edition features expanded sections on Iraq, Iran, and Islam, and new sections on Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. |New material discusses human rights and women in politics. |Increased coverage addresses the relationship between domestic politics and foreign policy, focusing on anti-terrorism and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. |The chapters in Part II now include material on recent elections in Britain, France, Germany, and elsewhere, along with other major developments since 2000.