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Comparative Politics
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Comparative Politics
Mapping Institutions, Power, and Legitimacy



January 2025 | CQ Press
"This book takes a new and interesting approach to introduce students to the foundations of comparative politics."
--Marni Berg, Colorado State University


Comparative Politics: Mapping 
Institutions, Power, and Legitimacy
 introduces students to the foundations of comparative politics while using mapping and data analysis to encourage them to think critically about ever-changing global relationships. Author Eric Langenbacher examines the key concepts of power and legitimacy through a variety of viewpoints, emphasizing the choices institutions make and why they make them. As students explore themes through world geography and data-based cases, they learn to reevaluate traditional ideas about national and other political borders and better assess the performance of political institutions.

 
Introduction: Maps, Power, and Legitimacy
 
The State and Its Functions
 
Modern Political Development
 
The Nation and Ideologies
 
Regime Types
 
Democracy and Civil Society
 
Cleavages and Political Parties
 
Structuring Institutions I: Federal and Unitary States, Governing Functions, and Executive Choice
 
Structuring Institutions II: Legal Systems, Legislatures, and Electoral Systems
 
Consequences of Institutional Choices: Party Systems and Types of Governments
 
The Challenge and Promise of Political Development Today
 
Appendices: Comparative Analysis Through Case Studies and Data
 
Appendix A: Seat Allocation, Measures of Proportionality, and the Cases of Spain, Poland, and Turkey
 
Appendix B: The Effective Number of Parties and the Cases of the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand
 
Appendix C: The Power Index and the Cases of Sweden and Mexico
 
Appendix D Volatility and the Case of Canada
 
Appendix E: Comparative Institutional Performance

Supplements

Instructor Site

Instructor Resource Site 
Online resources included with this text 
 
The online resources for your text are available via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site, which offers access to all text-specific resources, including a test bank and editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides. 
 
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This concise, well-written textbook covers a broad range of comparative politics concepts in an accessible manner. The author's use of maps helps students visualize how theoretical concepts play out in a real-world context.

Louise K. Davidson-Schmich
University of Miami
Review

This book takes a new and interesting approach to introduce students to the foundations of comparative politics.

Marni Berg
Colorado State University
Review
Key features

KEY FEATURES:

  • Thematic, historical approach uses the master narrative of political development to explore at how the concepts of power and legitimacy play out among world countries and institutions.
  • Focus on mapping helps students understand both geography and the geopolitical issues surrounding borders and other political delineations.
  • "A Closer Look" boxes dive deeper into issues and examples in the main text.
  • Appendices with data-focused cases help instructors guide students to a deeper understanding of the quantitative side of comparative politics.
  • Learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter tied to chapter sections offer clear goals and structure for both students and instructors.

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