Publisher's Synopsis
Written by a distinguished group of comparativists, this innovative and accessible introductory text surveys 12 key countries organized by their level of political development: established democracies, transitional democracies, and non-democracies. The country studies illuminate four comparative themes in a global context: 1. The world of statesùthe interaction of states within the international order. 2. Governing the economyùthe role of the state in economic management. 3. The democratic ideaùthe pressure for more democracy and the challenges of democratization. 4. The politics of collective identitiesùthe political impact of diverse attachments and sources of group identity.
