Introducing Comparative Politics: Concepts and Cases in Context, 2nd Edition

by Carol Ann Drogus; Stephen Orvis

• ISBN13: 9781608716685
• ISBN10: 1608716686
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-07-21
• Publisher: CQ PRESS

Summary

Uncomfortable with a strictly thematic approach, or tired of a purely country-by-country organization for your comparative politics course? Teach the way you want to teach with this innovative hybrid book-fully accessible to students, easy to teach, and satisfying to professors who want to give students a real sense of the questions that drive research in the fi eld. Organized thematically around important concepts in comparative politics-Who rules? What explains political behavior? Where and why?-the book integrates a set of extended case studies in eleven "core" countries. Serving as consistent geographic touchstones, the cases are set in chapters where they make the most sense substantively-not separated from theory or in a separate volume-and vividly illustrate issues in cross-national context. Features include: Core country case studies: Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, India, Iran, Nigeria, Russia, the UK, the U.S., and, new to this edition, Mexico. NEW! Methods in Context boxes that model how comparativists do their research and analysis. In Context fact boxes that put eye-opening data into thematic context. Where and Why? boxes that explore why certain political outcomes occur in some countries but not in others. Country and Concept tables that display key indicators for core countries. Updates and revisions include: recent elections around the world and the eff ects of the global fi nancial crisis and its aftermath, authoritarian versus totalitarian regimes, ethnic violence, racial politics and identity, economic globalization, executive-legislative institutions, and the role of civil society in government.

Table of Contents

a Framework For Understanding Comparative Politics

Introduction

The Big Issues

Comparative Politics: What Is It? Why Study It? How to Study It?

Three Key Questions in Comparative Politics

Plan of the Book

The Modern State

Characteristics of the Modern State

Historical Origins of Modern States

Strong, Weak, and Failed States

Case Studies of State Formation

States and Citizens

Regimes Regimes, Ideologies, and Citizens

States and Identity

The Debate over Identity

Nations and Nationalism

Ethnicity and Religion

Race

States and Markets

The Market, Capitalism, and the State

Key Economic Debates

Globalization: a New World Order or Déjà Vu All Over Again?

States and Markets around the World

Political Systems and How They Work

Governing Institutions in Democracies

Institutions Institutions: Executives and Legislatures

Comparing Executive-Legislative Institutions

Judiciary

Bureaucracy

Federalism

Institutions of Participation and Representation in Democracies

Formal Institutions: The Electoral System

Formal Institutions: Political Parties and Party Systems

Civil Society

Contexts

Authoritarian Institutions

Governing Institutions in Authoritarian Regimes

Elections, Parties, and Civil Society in Authoritarian Regimes

Regime Change

The Military in Politics: Coups dâÇÖEtat

Revolution

Democratization

Issues and Policies

Globalization, Economic Sovereignty, and Development

Wealthy Countries: Globalization and Economic Sovereignty

Development and Globalization

Welfare, Health, and the Environment When Markets Fail

âÇ£WelfareâÇ : Social Policy in Comparative Perspective

Health Care and Health Policy

Environmental Problems and Policy

Policies and Politics of Inclusion and Clashing Values

The Debate over Inclusion and Group Rights

Religion: Recognition, Autonomy, and the Secular State

Gender: The Continuing Struggle for Equal Social Status, Representation, and Participation

Glossary

Index

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