Political Change and Underdevelopment: Critical Introduction to Third World Politics

'The book provides a lucid and critical overview of the development of theories of development, from the crudely teleological modernisation theories of the 1950s, to more recent post-colonial, democratisation and globalisation approaches, many of which problematise the very noting of a third world.' - Susan Carruthers, Times Higher Education Supplement This clearly-written and comprehensive introductory text provides a critical review of the principal theoretical approaches to the study of Third World politics in the second half of the twentieth century. Arguments are illustrated by examples drawn from a wide and diverse range of regions and countries. All chapters have been extensively amended and updated for this substantially revised edition to include such developments as the debt crisis and democratisation, and a new chapter has been added on the impact of globalisation on the postcolonial world.

"From reviews of the first edition":
"Randall and Theobald have written an excellent book. . . . While reviewing and synthesizing complex concepts, theories, and scholarly terminology, [they] manage to remain straightforward and understandable."--P. Vannicelli, "Choice

""Eclectic and well-balanced, [with an] integrative spirit that takes account of, but is not bound by, various theoretical approaches. . . . Randall and Theobald do an admirable job of presenting and assessing the evolution of thinking about politics in the Third World."--Joan M. Nelson"American Political Science Review"