Arguing Comparative Politics

Alfred Stepan

ISBN 10: 0199242704 / ISBN 13: 9780199242702

Published by Oxford University Press, GB, 2001

About this Item

This volume brings together articles by the one of the leading scholars in comparative politics written over the last thirty years in the field of comparative politics and in particular, the topic of the nature of contemporary democracy and its prospects. The volume begins with a personal analysis of the intellectual, and often political, reasons as to why and how Stepan chose to engage in certain critical arguments over the last thirty years. The volume is then divided into three sections each with a distinctive theme: state and society; constructing polities; and varieties of democracies.The introduction and articles ask whether, both for intellectual and political reasons, there are strong grounds for questioning both Rawls and Huntington on religion and democracy, Riker on federalism, and Gellner on multi nationalism. The volume contains articles on civil society, political society, economic society, and a usable state. The possibility of multiple and complementary political identities is argued for. The incentive systems and political practices of the three macro constitutional frameworks for democratic government - parliamentarianism, presidentialism, and semi-presidentialism - are compared and contrasted.

Seller Inventory # LU-9780199242702

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Arguing Comparative Politics
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, GB
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0199242704
• ISBN 13: 9780199242702
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Dimensions: 15.24W x 3.05H x 22.86D centimeters 15.24 centimeters width by 3.05 centimeters height by 22.86 centimeters depth
• Weight: 681 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Assembling articles by one of the foremost scholars in comparative politics, this volume covers the important works and ideas in the field from the last thirty years, most notably the nature of contemporary democracy and its prospects. It explores state and society, constructing polities, and varieties of democracies; contains articles on civil society, political society, economic society, and a usable state; and compares and contrasts the incentive systems and political practices of parliamentarianism, presidentialism, and semi-presidentialism.

About the Author

Alfred Stepan is at Columbia University.