Introduction to Comparative Politics: The State and its Challenges

Description

This stimulating and accessible introduction to comparative politics offers a fresh perspective on the fundamentals of political science. Its central theme is the enduring political significance of the modern state despite severe challenges to its sovereignty. There are three main sections to the book. The first traces the origins and meaning of the state and proceeds to explore its relationship to the practice of politics. The second examines how states are governed and compares patterns of governance found in the two major regime types in the world today, democracy and authoritarianism. The last section discusses several contemporary challenges - globalization, ethnic nationalism, terrorism and organized crime - to state sovereignty. Designed to appeal to students and professors alike, this lively text engages readers as it traces states' struggles against the mutually reinforcing pressures of global economic and political interdependence, fragmented identities and secessionism, transnational criminal networks, and terrorism.

Robert Hislope is Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Union College, New York. Anthony Mughan is Professor of Political Science and Director of International Studies at the Ohio State University.

'... efficiently covers a large amount of material while keeping readers engaged with tight prose and vivid examples.' Jason Brownlee, University of Texas, Austin 'Hislope and Mughan have written a superb book - full of fresh insights, lively writing, and good sense. They introduce traditional theories and concepts in comparative politics with skill and economy, but also highlight contemporary issues of great interest to today's students such as globalization, terrorism, and organized crime.' Timothy Frye, Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy and Director, Harriman Institute, Columbia University 'The political scientists Hislope and Mughan have written a timely and impressive introduction to the study of comparative politics ... The result is an outstanding book now available for students and scholars of comparative politics that I recommend highly.' Desmond King, University of Oxford 'In this stimulating, accessible, and thoughtful book, Hislope and Mughan provide an essential overview ... giving readers a well-organized and comprehensive introduction to comparative politics.' Pippa Norris, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University