Principles of Comparative Politics

Fourth Edition

William Roberts Clark - Texas A&M University, USA
Matt Golder - Pennsylvania State University, USA
Sona Nadenichek Golder - Pennsylvania State University, USA

Available with:

Courses:
Introduction to Comparative Politics | Introduction to Comparative Politics

September 2024 | 768 pages | CQ Press

Principles of Comparative Politics offers a view into the rich world of comparative inquiry, research, and scholarship. This groundbreaking text gives students meaningful insight into how cross-national comparison is actually conducted and why it matters. William R. Clark, Matt Golder, and Sona N. Golder walk us through the enduring questions that scholars grapple with, the issues about which consensus has started to emerge, and the tools comparativists use to analyze the complex and interesting problems at the heart of the field.

The thoroughly revised Fourth Edition includes streamlined discussion and analysis of key topics and theories in the field.

This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.

Instructors, see how Vantage works!
Take a brief self-guided tour with our interactive demo

Available Formats

ISBN: 9781544369563 Paperback Suggested Retail Price: $183.00 Bookstore Price: $146.40

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email sageheoa@sagepub.com. Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html.

For assistance with your order: Please email us at textsales@sagepub.com or find your Sage repfind your Sage rep.

Sage
2455 Teller Road
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.sagepub.com

Preface

About the Authors

1. Introduction

2. What Is Science?

3. What Is Politics?

4. The Origins of the Modern State

5. Democracy and Dictatorship: Conceptualization and Measurement

6. The Economic Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship

7. The Cultural Determinants of Democracy and Dictatorship

8. Democratic Transitions

9. Varieties of Dictatorship

10. Problems with Group Decision Making

11. Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Democracies

12. Elections and Electoral Systems

13. Parties, Party Systems, and Party Competition

14. Institutional Veto Players

15. Consequences of Democratic Institutions

References

Index

This book provides an excellent introduction to the science of comparative politics. The authors have expertly crafted a thematic arrangement of topics that provides students with a cutting-edge introduction to the state of our discipline. The book really has few peers in this regard.

Christopher Hale

University of Alabama

The best textbook in comparative politics.

Thiago Silva

Texas A&M University

A scientific approach to the study of comparative politics. It is a book on comparative political *science* rather than a book that simply describes politics in other countries.

Robin E. Best

Binghamton University (SUNY)

Key features

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

The new edition is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
- Flashcards and note-taking tools help students better prepare for class.
- NEW! Audiobook Player allows students to listen to text content, boosting comprehension and retention. It offers flexible, on-the-go access, engaging both reluctant readers and auditory learners, improving the overall reading experience.
- The Offline Reading option in the Student Dashboard offers greater accessibility to Vantage’s reading content, regardless of where students are or how strong their internet connection may be.
Significant updates to most chapters covering key advances in comparative politics research.
Updated text boxes featuring new examples throughout the book on topics such as diversity and science, labor scarcity, populism, why people vote, gender quotas in dictatorship, and African military coups.
New or revised discussions of a number of key theories and significant topics including democratic backsliding and the early origins of democracy.
Streamlined to 15 chapters, removing chapter 9 from the 3rd edition.
Thoroughly updated data and citations throughout the book, reflecting current research and statistics.
New learning objectives that frame the chapter goals at the beginning of each chapter.
Revised and expanded end of chapter problems addressing new topics.

KEY FEATURES:

The book is organized around the Big Questions that motivate the field:
- Why do some countries have democratic regimes and other have dictatorships?
- Does the type of a country’s regime affect the well-being of its citizens?
- How do governments form and what determines the type of governments that take office?
The text is first-in-its-class when it comes to amplifying contemporary research and the methods scholars use to form their ideas. It begins with a straightforward discussion of the comparative and scientific methods and then outlines recent debates about the political phenomena. Topics including state failure, economic and cultural determinants of democracy, the effects of regime type, and the electoral system.
Cases and examples are drawn from a variety of countries–not just “the usual suspects”–and are incorporated into the chapters.
Clear and abundant explanations of the scientific method and game theory with built-in exercises show students how, not just what, and helps bolster the books’ focus on explanation and analysis, not just description.
A set of maps allow students to visualize the geographic distribution of various key institutions around the world.
The book's pedagogy includes chapter opener overviews, bolded key terms and a marginal glossary, more than 250 tables and figures, numerous photos and maps, end of chapter questions and problem sets, and a broad set of works cited.