Introducing Comparative Politics: Concepts and Cases in Context

Organized thematically around important questions in comparative politics, Introducing Comparative Politics, Fourth Edition integrates a set of extended case studies of 11 core countries into the narrative. Serving as touchstones, the cases are set in chapters where they make the most sense topically―not separated from theory or in a separate volume―and vividly illustrate issues in cross-national context. The book’s organization allows instructors flexibility and gives students a more accurate sense of comparative study.

In this edition, a new chapter on Contentious Politics ties together content on ethnic fragmentation, social movements, civil war, and revolutions, and adds significant new material from the growing literature on political violence. New case studies on this topic include the Occupy and Tea Party movements in the US; the Zapatista rebellion in Mexico; Boko Haram in Nigeria; and revolutions in China and Iran. Chapter 4 on States and Identity has been substantially revised to better introduce students to the concept of identity and how countries handle identity-based demands. Case studies include nationalism in Germany; ethnicity in Nigeria; religion in India; race in the US; gender in Iran; and sexual orientation in Brazil. Content on states and markets, political economy, globalization, and development has all been consolidated into a revamped Part III of the book, which focuses in a sustained way on economic issues. Chapters cover the Political Economy of Wealth, Political Economy of Development, and Public Policies When Markets Fail.