Comparative Politics - Softcover

J. Tyler Dickovick

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0190271019 ISBN 13: 9780190271015

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA, 2015

Why do countries have different institutions and forms of government? Why do some social revolutions succeed and endure while others fail? Why are some societies subjected to terrorism and not others? An engaging and accessible introduction to the subject, Comparative Politics: Integrating Theories, Methods, and Cases, Second Edition, gives students the methodological tools they need to answer the "big questions" in the field. The authors introduce methods early in the text and integrate them throughout in order to help students develop a systematic way of thinking about comparative politics. FEATURES * A unique structure offers the best of thematic and country-by-country approaches. Sixteen succinct thematic chapters-organized around the "big questions" in the field-are followed by a separate section at the end of the book offering full-length profiles and case studies for twelve countries Each chapter integrates several standalone country case studies in "Case in Context" boxes; these features tie into the narrative, pose questions, and point students to the full case discussions in the country profiles "Thinking Comparatively" sections at the end of each chapter introduce new methodological tools and help students apply the theories and concepts covered in that chapter "Thinking It Through" questions help students test their ability to apply comparative politics theories to cases "Research Prompts" in every case-study section help students develop comparative projects and papers

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About the Author:

J. Tyler Dickovick is the Grigsby Term Associate Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University. He is the author of Decentralization and Recentralization in the Developing World: Comparative Studies from Africa and Latin America (2011) and coeditor of Decentralization in Africa: The Paradox of State Strength (2014). His current research focuses on the comparative causes and consequences of decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa. Jonathan Eastwood is Associate Professor of Sociology at Washington and Lee University. He is the coeditor of The Revolution in Venezuela: Social and Political Change under Chavez (2011) and the author or coauthor of several articles. Dr. Eastwood works on a variety of topics in sociological theory and comparative social science, and is especially interested in relationships between collective identities, collective action, and conflict.

Review:

Comparative Politics, Second Edition, is the closest thing I've seen to a 'best of all worlds' mix of comparative themes and up-to-date empirical data on individual countries. These factors are not easy to find an ideal balance for, but the authors have done it successfully, and this edition is a further refinement. Jeffrey Lewis, Cleveland State University This book has excellent breadth and generality, covers the key issues any introductory text should cover, and neatly integrates country studies into a thematically organized text, something no other competing text manages to achieve. Ian Down, University of Tennessee, Knoxville I am impressed by the way that this text integrates the discussion of methodology throughout every chapter. It has a great approach to presenting the major theories of the field and complements these with outstanding case studies and instructional sections on how to conduct comparative politics. Anna Brigevich, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill More so than any other textbook on the market, Comparative Politics, Second Edition, provides an excellent combination of theoretical and conceptual materials with in-depth case studies that will empower students to think critically and engage in materials well beyond the surface. Joseph Foy, University of Wisconsin-Parkside

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