Foundations of Comparative Politics : Democracies of the Modern World

This authoritative new introductory text covers the key concepts, theories and issues involved in the study of comparative politics. Focusing on democratic government, it covers all important topics in the field from constitutional design and institutions; through mass and elite politics, groups, parties, the media and governments; to policy making and implementation. The final chapter considers the future of the state and democracy in a globalizing world. The authors draw on experiences and examples from around the world, including extensive support material for students and teachers. Each chapter ends with a section dealing with the major theoretical approaches to the subject.

Ken Newton is Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Southampton. He previously taught at the University of Essex, and was Director of the European Consortium for Political Research. Among his publications is the successful textbook The New British Politics (Longman).

Jan W. van Deth is Professor of Political Science and International Comparative Social Research at the University of Mannheim, Germany. His main research areas are political culture (especially social capital and citizenship), social change, and comparative research methods.