Comparative Politics: Approaches and IssuesBeginning with an introduction to the field of comparative politics, this clear and complete text moves on to explore new, innovative directions in the field. Leading scholar Howard J. Wiarda explores its main approaches, including political development, political culture, dependency theory, corporatism, indigenous theories of change, state-society relations, rational choice, and the new institutionalism. Wiarda addresses many hot issues in the field: Can democracy and human rights be transplanted from one culture to another? Is civil society exportable? What works in the effort to develop the poorer nations and what doesn't? Where are we headed with such frontier research issues as comparative environmental policy, women's rights, and gay rights? The book concludes with a stimulating discussion of whether the great systems debates of the past (socialism vs. capitalism, democracy vs. authoritarianism) are now over and points to some of the next important study and research frontiers. Students, professors, and general readers will all find Comparative Politics current, provocative, and well written--a truly balanced overview. |
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Comparative Politics: Approaches and Issues Howard J. Wiarda,Esther M. Skelley No preview available - 2007 |
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Africa Almond analysis areas Asian authoritarianism China civil society Cold War communist comparative politics Confucian corpo corporatism corporatist coun criticisms democ democratic dependency theory devel developing countries developing nations developmentalism developmentalist approach earlier East Asia Eastern Europe economic development economic growth elites emerging ethnic European factors field focus foreign policy global important India indigenous theories institutionalism institutions interest groups involved Islamic issues Japan Latin America liberal liberal-pluralism literature litical markets Marxism Marxism-Leninism Marxist-Leninist ment Middle East mocracy model of development modern neoliberal non-Western organized pluralism political culture political development political parties political science political systems Princeton proaches programs public policy racy rational choice rational choice theory ratism regimes regions Russia scholars socioeconomic South Korea Soviet Union state-society relations systems debate theory of development Third World tions traditional transitions to democracy United University Press velopment West Western Wiarda York