Understanding Comparative Politics: An Inclusive Approach

A fresh approach to engage students with comparative politics by focusing on components of identity as core elements in any political system.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Getting Started: Inclusivity and Building a Foundation with Concepts and Data Chapter 2: Understanding Democracy: Definition, Institutions, Ideas, and Norms Chapter 3: Taking a Look at Europe Chapter 4: Politics in the U.K.: How Did British Politics Go from Staid to Unstable? Chapter 5: Overview of Communism: Revolution, Political Institutions, Political Economy and Political Culture Chapter 6: Taking a Look: Post-Soviet States Chapter 7: Politics in Russia: Why Is Authoritarianism So Seemingly Stable Despite Earlier Hopes for Democratic Change? Chapter 8: Taking a Look: East, Southeast, and South (ESEA) Asia Chapter 9: Politics in China: How Can Such Economic Success Exist with Political Repression? Chapter 10: Overview of the Global South: Experiences with Globalization Chapter 11: Taking a Look at Latin America Chapter 12: Politics in Mexico: How Can Democratization Proceed with Such Inequality, Corruption, and Violence? Chapter 13: Taking a Look at the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Chapter 14: Politics in Egypt: Why & How the “Arab Spring” Became the Egyptian Winter Chapter 15: Taking a Look at Sub-Saharan Africa Chapter 16: Politics in Nigeria: Why Can’t the Giant of Africa Awake? Chapter 17: Concluding Your Studies: What You’ve Learned from a Data-Intensive, Interactive, Concept-Focused, and Inclusive Approach to Comparative Politics

About the Author :
Lisa A. Baglione is a Professor and the Chair of the Political Science Department at Saint Joseph′s University. Her major fields of study are International Relations and Comparative Politics. Dr. Baglione has published works exploring contemporary Russian foreign policy, post-settlement peacebuilding, the arms control decision-making process in the United States, the Soviet Union, and Russia, and the research-paper writing process, and has co-authored articles on the transformation of the Russian polity and economy in the early post-communist period. Currently, she is researching conflict transformation in the twenty-first century and contemporary Russian center-periphery relations. At Saint Joseph′s, Dr. Baglione teaches courses in which she developed the ideas, advice, and techniques offered in this work.

Review :
What I really like about this new volume is that it explicitly engages DEI issues: the issue of gender, for example, is particularly well-woven throughout all the chapters. Political science classes are highly informed by ongoing national headlines and national political discourses. Given this, DEI discussions have been central. I am glad that this book integrates them directly. The book focuses on regional politics and important introductory concepts are explored within regions and case studies. Up-to-the-minute current events are included, and the treatment of gender and intersectionality is compelling and novel, without sounding high-minded and paternalistic or in any way sacrificing academic rigor. It is written in an easy-to-follow style, the chapters are not too long, and the organization of the book is ideal for how I would like to teach this course: balancing abstract concepts, theories, and themes with specific examples from the real world. The book does a good job of showing how intersectional issues permeate politics, which could be really useful for my students, who don′t typically think of the world in these terms. The historical discussion is clear and engaging, and the examination of different approaches to ethnic conflict is accessible. The use of unique and often marginalized regions and concepts is distinct. It is much less Euro-centric than many other Comparative texts on the market. This book seems to have a rather innovative approach that really helps incorporate a more constructivist perspective by identifying the significance of gender, religion, and other societal attributes. This text is a well-written and well-organized introduction for students of all majors to Comparative Politics. This textbook provides comprehensive coverage of important country case studies but uses a new approach by focusing on intersectionality in terms of gender, race, class, etc.