Comparative Politics : A Theoretical Framework

by Almond, Gabriel A.; Powell, G. Bringham; Strom, Kaare; Dalton, Russell J.

• ISBN13: 9780321084538
• ISBN10: 0321084535
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-11-01
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley

Summary

This brief text presents, in a separate book, the revised and updated theoretical chapters (Parts I and II) from the best-selling Comparative Politics Today, Seventh Edition. In this new edition, the rich theoretical framework pioneered by Gabriel Almond and G. Bingham Powell has been streamlined by new co-editors Kaare Strom and Russell Dalton and features a shift toward exploring the purpose of government. Retained and enriched, the three-part analytic framework examining system, process, and policy offers readers a coherent and accessible means to exploring how different political systems are formed, maintained, and changed.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Part One Introduction
Issues in Comparative Politics	1	(55)
What Is Politics?	1	(2)
Governments and the State of Nature	3	(2)
Why Governments?	5	(4)
When Does Government Become the Problem?	9	(7)
Political Systems	16	(1)
States	17	(4)
Building Community	21	(7)
Fostering Development	28	(6)
Securing Democracy, Human Rights, and Civil Liberties	34	(3)
Key Terms	37	(1)
Suggested Reading	37	(1)
Notes	38	(1)
Comparing Political Systems
Why We Compare	39	(2)
How We Compare	41	(2)
Systems: Structure and Function	43	(3)
Structures and Functions	46	(4)
An Illustrative Comparison: Russia in 1985 and 1998	50	(3)
The Policy Level: Performance, Outcome, and Evaluation	53	(1)
Key Terms	54	(1)
Suggested Reading	55	(1)
Notes	55	(1)
Part Two System, Process, and Policy
Political Culture and Political Socialization	56	(22)
Political Culture	56	(1)
Mapping the Three Levels of Political Culture	57	(8)
Political Socialization	65	(1)
Agents of Political Socialization	66	(6)
Trends in Contemporary Political Cultures	72	(3)
Key Terms	75	(1)
Suggested Reading	75	(1)
Notes	76	(2)
Interest Articulation	78	(25)
Citizen Action	78	(5)
Interest Groups	83	(7)
Access to the Influential	90	(6)
Policy Perspectives on Interest Articulation	96	(1)
Interest Group Development	96	(3)
Key Terms	99	(1)
Suggested Reading	100	(1)
Notes	100	(3)
Interest Aggregation and Political Parties	103	(25)
Personal Interest Aggregation	104	(1)
Institutional Interest Aggregation	104	(2)
Competitive Party Systems and Interest Aggregation	106	(10)
Authoritarian Party Systems	116	(3)
The Military and Interest Aggregation	119	(1)
Trends in Interest Aggregation	120	(2)
Significance of Interest Aggregation	122	(2)
Key Terms	124	(1)
Suggested Reading	124	(1)
Notes	125	(3)
Government and Policymaking	128	(38)
Constitutions and Decision Rules	128	(3)
Democracy and Authoritarianism	131	(1)
Geographic Distribution of Government Power	132	(2)
Separation of Government Powers	134	(4)
Limitations on Government Powers	138	(3)
Assemblies	141	(3)
Political Executives	144	(6)
The Bureaucracy	150	(4)
Elite Recruitment	154	(6)
Control of Elites	160	(3)
Key Terms	163	(1)
Suggested Reading	164	(1)
Notes	164	(2)
Public Policy	166	(37)
Government and What It Does	166	(2)
Extraction	168	(3)
Distribution	171	(4)
Regulation	175	(4)
Community-Building and Symbolic Policies	179	(1)
Outcomes: Domestic Welfare	180	(6)
Domestic Security Outcomes	186	(2)
International Outputs and Outcomes	188	(2)
Political Goods and Values	190	(3)
Strategies for Producing Political Goods	193	(5)
Trade-Offs and Opportunity Costs	198	(1)
Key Terms	199	(1)
Suggested Reading	200	(1)
Notes	200	(3)
Index	203