Introducing Comparative Politics
Concepts and Cases in Context
1st Edition
Published on 6. October 2008
Book
Paperback/Softback
531 pages
978-0-87289-343-6 (ISBN)
Description
Have you been tempted to teach your intro course thematically, but are afraid that your students will be unable to see how concepts relate to actual countries? Yet sticking with a country by-country approach means never being able to fully address the questions that really engage comparativists. But that has its drawbacks as well. Is there an ideal middle ground between the current text approaches to the field?
Carol Ann Drogus and Stephen Orvis, a Latin Americanist and an Africanist by training, offer an innovative hybrid approach to the field. The book is organized thematically around important concepts in comparative politics; in turn, each chapter is framed by the questions of who rules?, what motivates political behavior?, and where and why? Then, within each chapter, the authors have integrated a set of extended case studies based on a selection of ten "core" countries. Serving as consistent geographic touchstones, students get to know these countries as they accumulate conceptual knowledge. The cases are placed in chapters where they make the most sense substantively-not separated from theory or in a separate volume-and vividly illustrate issues in cross-national context.
An array of thematic features extends the book's analysis and effectively integrates case material:
-Case Studies Forming the backbone of country coverage, these "baseline" cases are substantial enough for students to build foundational knowledge about the ten core countries of Brazil, China, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Nigeria, Russia, the UK, and the U.S. Because each case is tied to an analytic question or idea, students aren't lost in a sea of detail, but rather see country coverage in real thematic context.
-Mini-cases Because no group of core countries can illustrate the full scope of issues in comparative politics, the authors include "mini-cases" throughout the book. These briefer cases focus on topics such as state failure, ethnic violence, and economic differences and feature countries about which most other texts say very little: Afghanistan, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Kenya, the Philippines, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and others.
-In Context These short fact lists-like those students might find in an opinion-leader periodical such as Harper's-take simple data and put them into interesting, often provocative context. The number of military coups in Africa versus Latin America or the change over time in the number of one-party states might surprise students and offer enlightening perspective for thinking through an issue.
-Where and Why? In these boxes, students explore why certain events and developments happen in some countries and not in others. Why have some countries been able to develop enduring democratic governments, while others remain or become authoritarian? Or, why do some states have women in powerful political positions while others do not?
-Country and Concept The majority of chapters include a table that shows key indicators for the core countries. For instance, in the chapter on the modern state, the authors include such data as each state's year of establishment, its failed state ranking, its government revenue as percentage of GDP, and its rating on the corruption perception index-all important measures of each state's size and nature.
Helping students critically read as well as review and study:
* Chapter-opener questions
* Bolded key terms and glossary
* Data-rich tables and figures
* Substantive maps
* Compelling and instructive photos
* End-of-chapter lists that include key concepts, work cited, seminal books and articles, and important online databases
Carol Ann Drogus and Stephen Orvis, a Latin Americanist and an Africanist by training, offer an innovative hybrid approach to the field. The book is organized thematically around important concepts in comparative politics; in turn, each chapter is framed by the questions of who rules?, what motivates political behavior?, and where and why? Then, within each chapter, the authors have integrated a set of extended case studies based on a selection of ten "core" countries. Serving as consistent geographic touchstones, students get to know these countries as they accumulate conceptual knowledge. The cases are placed in chapters where they make the most sense substantively-not separated from theory or in a separate volume-and vividly illustrate issues in cross-national context.
An array of thematic features extends the book's analysis and effectively integrates case material:
-Case Studies Forming the backbone of country coverage, these "baseline" cases are substantial enough for students to build foundational knowledge about the ten core countries of Brazil, China, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Nigeria, Russia, the UK, and the U.S. Because each case is tied to an analytic question or idea, students aren't lost in a sea of detail, but rather see country coverage in real thematic context.
-Mini-cases Because no group of core countries can illustrate the full scope of issues in comparative politics, the authors include "mini-cases" throughout the book. These briefer cases focus on topics such as state failure, ethnic violence, and economic differences and feature countries about which most other texts say very little: Afghanistan, Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Kenya, the Philippines, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and others.
-In Context These short fact lists-like those students might find in an opinion-leader periodical such as Harper's-take simple data and put them into interesting, often provocative context. The number of military coups in Africa versus Latin America or the change over time in the number of one-party states might surprise students and offer enlightening perspective for thinking through an issue.
-Where and Why? In these boxes, students explore why certain events and developments happen in some countries and not in others. Why have some countries been able to develop enduring democratic governments, while others remain or become authoritarian? Or, why do some states have women in powerful political positions while others do not?
-Country and Concept The majority of chapters include a table that shows key indicators for the core countries. For instance, in the chapter on the modern state, the authors include such data as each state's year of establishment, its failed state ranking, its government revenue as percentage of GDP, and its rating on the corruption perception index-all important measures of each state's size and nature.
Helping students critically read as well as review and study:
* Chapter-opener questions
* Bolded key terms and glossary
* Data-rich tables and figures
* Substantive maps
* Compelling and instructive photos
* End-of-chapter lists that include key concepts, work cited, seminal books and articles, and important online databases
Reviews / Votes
Introducing Comparative Politics is a very user friendlyand comprehensive text with an innovative design. It combines a very
useful degree of theory and defining concepts with interesting case
studies. Its special strength is to interweave the case studies within
each chapter, such that the issues are highlighted instead of just the
political history. This should allow the student (and professor) to
focus on the comparative aspects of the cases, which is the goal of a
political science course on comparative politics -- Scott Morgenstern I thoroughly enjoyed Introducing Comparative Politics. The book's organizing framework is quite clear and well done, and the mini-cases throughout the text are well-selected -- Clement M. Henry I am very impressed with Introducing Comparative Politics: Concepts and Cases in Context.
The book is exceptionally well done, and the treatment of the cases
throughout the chapters is excellent and makes the book extremely
user-friendly. The authors are very clear, accurate, and write in an
accessible style -- Ricardo Rene Laremont
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Washington
United States
Publishing group
SAGE Publications Inc
Target group
College/higher education
Weight
1098 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-87289-343-6 (9780872893436)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Carol Ann Drogus | Stephen Walter Orvis
Introducing Comparative Politics
Concepts and Cases in Context
Book
08/2011
2nd Edition
CQ Press
€106.66
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Persons
Carol Ann Drogus is a retired Professor of Government at Hamilton College. She is a specialist on Brazil, religion, and women's political participation. She taught introduction to comparative politics for more than twenty years, as well as courses on Latin American politics, gender and politics, and women in Latin America. She has written two books and numerous articles on the political participation of women in religious movements in Brazil.
Stephen Orvis is Professor of Government at Hamilton College. He is a specialist on sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya in particular), identity politics, democratic transitions, and the political economy of development. He has been teaching introduction to comparative politics for more than twenty-five years, as well as courses on African politics, nationalism and the politics of identity, political economy of development, and weak states. He has written a book and articles on agricultural development in Kenya, as well as several articles on civil society in Africa and Kenya, and is currently doing research on political institutions in Africa.
Stephen Orvis is Professor of Government at Hamilton College. He is a specialist on sub-Saharan Africa (Kenya in particular), identity politics, democratic transitions, and the political economy of development. He has been teaching introduction to comparative politics for more than twenty-five years, as well as courses on African politics, nationalism and the politics of identity, political economy of development, and weak states. He has written a book and articles on agricultural development in Kenya, as well as several articles on civil society in Africa and Kenya, and is currently doing research on political institutions in Africa.
Content
Part I. A Framework for Understanding Comparative Politics
Introduction
The Big Issues
Comparative Politics: What Is It? Why Study It? How to Study It?
Three Key Questions in Comparative Politics
Plan of the Book
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
The Modern State
Characteristics of the Modern State
Mini-Case: Somaliland
Historical Origins of Modern States
Weak and Failed States
Mini-Case: Afghanistan
Mini-Case: Sierra Leone and Liberia: Collapsed States
Case Studies in State Formation
Case Study: United Kingdom
Case Study: The United States
Case Study: Japan
Case Study: Germany
Case Study: Brazil
Case Study: Russia
Case Study: Iran
Case Study: India
Case Study: China
Case Study: Nigeria
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Conclusion
States and Citizens
Regimes, Ideologies, and Citizens
Case Study: United Kingdom: "Cradle of Democracy"
Case Study: Russia
Case Study: Nazi Germany
Mini-Case: Tanzania's One-Party Regime
Case Study: Brazil: The Bureaucratic Authoritarian State, 1964-1985
Case Study: Nigeria: Neopatrimonial Military Rule, 1966-1979 and 1983-1999
Case Study: The Islamic Republic of Iran, 1979-
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
State and Identity
The Debate over Identity
Nations and Nationalism
Mini-Case: Civic Nationalism in France
Case Study: Nationalism in Germany
Ethnicity and Religion
Case Study: The Strange History of Ethnicity and Religion in Nigeria
Mini-Case: Rwanda: Genocide and Ethnic Violence
Race Mini-Case: Bolivia: Regional Conflict
Case Study: Racial Politics in the United States
Case Study: Race in Brazil
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cites
Resources for Further Study
The State and the Market
The Market, Capitalism, and the State
Key Economic Debates
Globalization: A New World Order or Deja Vu All Over Again?
States and Markets around the World
Case Study: The United States: The Free Market Model
Case Study: Germany: The Social Market Economy
Mini-Case: The European Union, Economic Sovereignty, and Globalization
Case Study: Japan: The Developmental State and Its Crisis
Case Study: Brazil: Modernizing Authoritarianism, ISI, and Debt Crisis
Mini-Case: Chile: Early Neoliberal Reformer
Case Study: Nigeria: Oil, Corruption, and Dependence
Case Study: The Judiciary" Germany and Brazil
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Part II. Political Systems and How They Work
Political Institutions: Governing
Institutions: Executives and Legislatures
Case Study: Parliamentary Rule: Britain and India
Case Study: Presidentialism: The United States and Brazil
Mini-Case: France's Semipresidentialism
Case Study: Russia: Semipresidentialism in a New Democracy with Weak Functions
Judiciary
Case Study: The Judiciary: Germany and Brazil
Bureaucracy
Case Study: Bureaucratic Control and Corruption: Japan and India
Federalism
Case Study: Federalism: Brazil, India, Russia
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Political Institutions: Participation and Representation
Formal Institutions: The Electoral System
Formal Institutions: Political Parties and Party Systems
Mini-Case: Mexico
Mini-Case: France and the Shift toward a Two-Party System
Civil Society
Case Study: United States: Evolution of a Two-Party, Pluralist System
Case Study: Germany: Neocorporatism under Threat
Case Study: Japan: A Dominant-Party System, Weak Civil Society, and Electoral Reform
Case Study: India: From Dominant Party to Multiparty Democracy
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Authoritarian Institutions
Governing Institutions in Authoritarian Regimes
Mini-Case: The "Politics of Survival" in Mobutu's Zaire
Mini-Case: Succession in Egypt and Zimbabwe
Elections, Parties, and Civil Society in Authoritarian Regimes
Case Study: China: From Communist to Modernizing Authoritarian Rule
Case Study: Iran: Theocracy with Limited Participation
Case Study: Nigeria: Weakening Institutions under Military Rule
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Regime Change: Coups, Revolutions, and Democratization
The Military in Politics: Coups d'Etat
Case Study: Comparing Coups: Brazil and Nigeria
Revolution
Case Study: Revolution: China and Iran
Democratization
Mini-Case: Philippines
Case Study: Brazil: Model Transition and the Question of Democratic Deepening
Case Study: Russia: Transition to Semi-Authoritarian Rule
Case Study: Nigeria: Neopatrimonial Transition
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Part III. Issues and Policies
Globalization , Deindustrialization, and Development
Wealthy Countries: Deindustrialization and the Welfare State
Case Study: United Kingdom: Radical Reform in a Liberal Market Economy
Case Study: Germany: Struggling to Reform the Social Market Economy
Development and Globalization
Mini-Case: South Korea's Economic Miracle
Mini-Case: Where Are the Middle Eastern "Tigers"?
Case Study: China: An Emerging Powerhouse
Case Study: India: Development and Democracy
Case Study: Brazil: Does Globalization Allow a Different Path?
Case Study: Iran and Nigeria: Struggling with the Blessings of Oil
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Public Policy When Markets Fail: Welfare, Health, and the Environment
"Welfare": Social Policy in Comparative Perspective
Mini-Case: Sweden's Welfare State
Case Study: Germany: Reforming the Christian Democratic Welfare State
Case Study: The United States: Reforming the Liberal Welfare State
Case Study: Brazil: Starting a Welfare State in a Developing Economy
Health Care and Health Policy
Case Study: Germany: Pioneer of Modern Health Policy
Case Study: United Kingdom: Reforming the NHS
Case Study: U.S. Health Policy: Trials and Tribulations of the Market Model
Environmental Problems and Policy
Case Study: The United States: Pioneer that Lost Its Way?
Case Study: China: Searching for Sustainable Development
Case Study: Nigeria and Oil: A Question of Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Policies and Politics of Inclusion and Clashing Values
Religion: Recognition, Autonomy, and the Secular State
Mini-Case: Islamic Headscarves in France and Turkey
Case Study: United Kingdom: Religious Challenge to Multiculturalism
Case Study: India: Secularism in a Religious and Religiously Plural Society
Gender: The Continuing Struggle for Equal Social Status, Representation, and Participation
Mini-Case: Women in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
Case Study: Russia: Women through Social and Political Transformation
Case Study: Iran: Social Gains, Political and Cultural Restrictions, and Islamic Feminism
Sexual Orientation: Assimilation or Liberation?
Case Study: The United States: Birthplace of a Movement but Limited Policy Change
Case Study: Brazil: LGBT Rights in a New Democracy
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
For Further Study
Introduction
The Big Issues
Comparative Politics: What Is It? Why Study It? How to Study It?
Three Key Questions in Comparative Politics
Plan of the Book
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
The Modern State
Characteristics of the Modern State
Mini-Case: Somaliland
Historical Origins of Modern States
Weak and Failed States
Mini-Case: Afghanistan
Mini-Case: Sierra Leone and Liberia: Collapsed States
Case Studies in State Formation
Case Study: United Kingdom
Case Study: The United States
Case Study: Japan
Case Study: Germany
Case Study: Brazil
Case Study: Russia
Case Study: Iran
Case Study: India
Case Study: China
Case Study: Nigeria
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Conclusion
States and Citizens
Regimes, Ideologies, and Citizens
Case Study: United Kingdom: "Cradle of Democracy"
Case Study: Russia
Case Study: Nazi Germany
Mini-Case: Tanzania's One-Party Regime
Case Study: Brazil: The Bureaucratic Authoritarian State, 1964-1985
Case Study: Nigeria: Neopatrimonial Military Rule, 1966-1979 and 1983-1999
Case Study: The Islamic Republic of Iran, 1979-
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
State and Identity
The Debate over Identity
Nations and Nationalism
Mini-Case: Civic Nationalism in France
Case Study: Nationalism in Germany
Ethnicity and Religion
Case Study: The Strange History of Ethnicity and Religion in Nigeria
Mini-Case: Rwanda: Genocide and Ethnic Violence
Race Mini-Case: Bolivia: Regional Conflict
Case Study: Racial Politics in the United States
Case Study: Race in Brazil
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cites
Resources for Further Study
The State and the Market
The Market, Capitalism, and the State
Key Economic Debates
Globalization: A New World Order or Deja Vu All Over Again?
States and Markets around the World
Case Study: The United States: The Free Market Model
Case Study: Germany: The Social Market Economy
Mini-Case: The European Union, Economic Sovereignty, and Globalization
Case Study: Japan: The Developmental State and Its Crisis
Case Study: Brazil: Modernizing Authoritarianism, ISI, and Debt Crisis
Mini-Case: Chile: Early Neoliberal Reformer
Case Study: Nigeria: Oil, Corruption, and Dependence
Case Study: The Judiciary" Germany and Brazil
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Part II. Political Systems and How They Work
Political Institutions: Governing
Institutions: Executives and Legislatures
Case Study: Parliamentary Rule: Britain and India
Case Study: Presidentialism: The United States and Brazil
Mini-Case: France's Semipresidentialism
Case Study: Russia: Semipresidentialism in a New Democracy with Weak Functions
Judiciary
Case Study: The Judiciary: Germany and Brazil
Bureaucracy
Case Study: Bureaucratic Control and Corruption: Japan and India
Federalism
Case Study: Federalism: Brazil, India, Russia
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Political Institutions: Participation and Representation
Formal Institutions: The Electoral System
Formal Institutions: Political Parties and Party Systems
Mini-Case: Mexico
Mini-Case: France and the Shift toward a Two-Party System
Civil Society
Case Study: United States: Evolution of a Two-Party, Pluralist System
Case Study: Germany: Neocorporatism under Threat
Case Study: Japan: A Dominant-Party System, Weak Civil Society, and Electoral Reform
Case Study: India: From Dominant Party to Multiparty Democracy
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Authoritarian Institutions
Governing Institutions in Authoritarian Regimes
Mini-Case: The "Politics of Survival" in Mobutu's Zaire
Mini-Case: Succession in Egypt and Zimbabwe
Elections, Parties, and Civil Society in Authoritarian Regimes
Case Study: China: From Communist to Modernizing Authoritarian Rule
Case Study: Iran: Theocracy with Limited Participation
Case Study: Nigeria: Weakening Institutions under Military Rule
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Regime Change: Coups, Revolutions, and Democratization
The Military in Politics: Coups d'Etat
Case Study: Comparing Coups: Brazil and Nigeria
Revolution
Case Study: Revolution: China and Iran
Democratization
Mini-Case: Philippines
Case Study: Brazil: Model Transition and the Question of Democratic Deepening
Case Study: Russia: Transition to Semi-Authoritarian Rule
Case Study: Nigeria: Neopatrimonial Transition
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Part III. Issues and Policies
Globalization , Deindustrialization, and Development
Wealthy Countries: Deindustrialization and the Welfare State
Case Study: United Kingdom: Radical Reform in a Liberal Market Economy
Case Study: Germany: Struggling to Reform the Social Market Economy
Development and Globalization
Mini-Case: South Korea's Economic Miracle
Mini-Case: Where Are the Middle Eastern "Tigers"?
Case Study: China: An Emerging Powerhouse
Case Study: India: Development and Democracy
Case Study: Brazil: Does Globalization Allow a Different Path?
Case Study: Iran and Nigeria: Struggling with the Blessings of Oil
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Public Policy When Markets Fail: Welfare, Health, and the Environment
"Welfare": Social Policy in Comparative Perspective
Mini-Case: Sweden's Welfare State
Case Study: Germany: Reforming the Christian Democratic Welfare State
Case Study: The United States: Reforming the Liberal Welfare State
Case Study: Brazil: Starting a Welfare State in a Developing Economy
Health Care and Health Policy
Case Study: Germany: Pioneer of Modern Health Policy
Case Study: United Kingdom: Reforming the NHS
Case Study: U.S. Health Policy: Trials and Tribulations of the Market Model
Environmental Problems and Policy
Case Study: The United States: Pioneer that Lost Its Way?
Case Study: China: Searching for Sustainable Development
Case Study: Nigeria and Oil: A Question of Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
Resources for Further Study
Policies and Politics of Inclusion and Clashing Values
Religion: Recognition, Autonomy, and the Secular State
Mini-Case: Islamic Headscarves in France and Turkey
Case Study: United Kingdom: Religious Challenge to Multiculturalism
Case Study: India: Secularism in a Religious and Religiously Plural Society
Gender: The Continuing Struggle for Equal Social Status, Representation, and Participation
Mini-Case: Women in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
Case Study: Russia: Women through Social and Political Transformation
Case Study: Iran: Social Gains, Political and Cultural Restrictions, and Islamic Feminism
Sexual Orientation: Assimilation or Liberation?
Case Study: The United States: Birthplace of a Movement but Limited Policy Change
Case Study: Brazil: LGBT Rights in a New Democracy
Conclusion
Key Concepts
Works Cited
For Further Study