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Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction
This revised and updated edition of a core textbook – one of the most well-established texts in the field of comparative politics – offers a comprehensive introduction to the comparison of governments and political systems, helping students to understand not just the institutions and political cultures of their own countries but also those of a wide range of democracies and authoritarian regimes from around the world.
The book opens with an overview of key theories and methods for studying comparative politics and moves on to a study of major institutions and themes, such as the state, constitutions and courts, elections, voters, interest groups and political economy. In addition, two common threads run throughout the chapters in this edition – the reversal of democracy and declining trust in government – ensuring that the book fully accounts for the rapid developments in politics that have taken place across the world in recent times.
Written by a team of experienced textbook authors and featuring a range of engaging learning features, this book is an essential text for undergraduate and postgraduate courses on comparative politics, comparative government, introduction to politics and introduction to political science.
New to this
- New and extended coverage of important topics such as authoritarian states, identities, ethnicity and political violence
- A brand new chapter on political economy
- An engaging new page design, in full colour for the first time
- An enhanced companion website, now providing an extensive testbank of questions for lecturers
- Publishing alongside John McCormick's new book on Cases in Comparative Government and Politics (October 2019), which offers more detailed coverage of the cases covered in this text.
The book opens with an overview of key theories and methods for studying comparative politics and moves on to a study of major institutions and themes, such as the state, constitutions and courts, elections, voters, interest groups and political economy. In addition, two common threads run throughout the chapters in this edition – the reversal of democracy and declining trust in government – ensuring that the book fully accounts for the rapid developments in politics that have taken place across the world in recent times.
Written by a team of experienced textbook authors and featuring a range of engaging learning features, this book is an essential text for undergraduate and postgraduate courses on comparative politics, comparative government, introduction to politics and introduction to political science.
New to this
- New and extended coverage of important topics such as authoritarian states, identities, ethnicity and political violence
- A brand new chapter on political economy
- An engaging new page design, in full colour for the first time
- An enhanced companion website, now providing an extensive testbank of questions for lecturers
- Publishing alongside John McCormick's new book on Cases in Comparative Government and Politics (October 2019), which offers more detailed coverage of the cases covered in this text.
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2019
18 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 27, 2025
Gevalletje ik moet het hele boek lezen voor de uni, dus dan gaat die op Goodreads. Voor een uni boek heel fijn en laagdrempelig om te lezen. Begrippen en concepten goed uitgelegd met voorbeelden en schrijfstijl is heel fijn :) Voor een boek van de uni zeker niet erg!
November 21, 2025
This is the type of book that poli-science students read as part of their major. I read it because ChatGPT recommended it to me when I asked what books I should read to learn about Governance. It was a mistake.
The main idea of the book (and I guess the comparative method as a whole) is to draw an argumented conclusions from comparing the institutions and the material/political realities of different countries. I take major issues with this method:
* For one, it's very difficult to compare different countries in any capacity. Countries differ from one another in their history, culture, religion, geography, demographics and a myriad of other factors. So it's really difficult to say conclusively that a different material or political result between 2 countries was caused by their divergent institutions and not because of any of the other thousand differences between the countries.
* Secondly, the sample size for countries is just very small. There are only about 200 countries in the world and the researchers will probably be comparing a much smaller subsection of them. This again makes it difficult to draw hard conclusions.
Perhaps I'm being too harsh on this method (I can't really come up with a better one for evaluating institutions either), perhaps if it is used to compare the institutions of countries with similar history, geography, demographics useful conclusions can be drawn. Especially if the researchers zoom in on just one institution and painstakingly compare it across as many applicable countries as possible.
But this is not what the book does. Instead, it compares every major institution, across every country, dedicating just a chapter to each. Because it compares institutions across so many countries, it is also unable to give any hard definitions for any institution (because the institutions differ from country to country of course). As a result, the book is very unfocused and despite it's massive word count manages to say very little of importance.
It caused me physical pain to read it and I gave up after a few hundred pages.
The main idea of the book (and I guess the comparative method as a whole) is to draw an argumented conclusions from comparing the institutions and the material/political realities of different countries. I take major issues with this method:
* For one, it's very difficult to compare different countries in any capacity. Countries differ from one another in their history, culture, religion, geography, demographics and a myriad of other factors. So it's really difficult to say conclusively that a different material or political result between 2 countries was caused by their divergent institutions and not because of any of the other thousand differences between the countries.
* Secondly, the sample size for countries is just very small. There are only about 200 countries in the world and the researchers will probably be comparing a much smaller subsection of them. This again makes it difficult to draw hard conclusions.
Perhaps I'm being too harsh on this method (I can't really come up with a better one for evaluating institutions either), perhaps if it is used to compare the institutions of countries with similar history, geography, demographics useful conclusions can be drawn. Especially if the researchers zoom in on just one institution and painstakingly compare it across as many applicable countries as possible.
But this is not what the book does. Instead, it compares every major institution, across every country, dedicating just a chapter to each. Because it compares institutions across so many countries, it is also unable to give any hard definitions for any institution (because the institutions differ from country to country of course). As a result, the book is very unfocused and despite it's massive word count manages to say very little of importance.
It caused me physical pain to read it and I gave up after a few hundred pages.
February 14, 2025
My comment:
Relatively short and informative on the subject.
But Copilot's is far better:
Title: A Comprehensive and Insightful Guide to Comparative Politics
Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction is an exceptional resource for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of political systems around the world. The authors have done a commendable job of presenting a balanced, thorough, and engaging overview of comparative politics. The book is well-structured, making it accessible for both students new to the subject and those looking to deepen their knowledge.
The use of real-world examples and case studies provides a practical perspective that enhances the theoretical concepts discussed. The book's comparative approach allows readers to appreciate the diversity of political systems and the various factors that influence their development and functioning.
One of the standout features of this book is its clarity. The authors have a talent for explaining intricate political theories and concepts in a way that is easy to understand without oversimplifying the content. Each chapter is thoughtfully organized, with summaries and key terms that reinforce the main points, making it an invaluable study tool.
Furthermore, the inclusion of contemporary issues and debates in comparative politics ensures that readers are not only learning about historical developments but also understanding how these concepts apply to current global events. This relevancy makes the book a must-read for anyone interested in the evolving nature of political systems and governance.
Overall, Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction is a well-crafted, insightful, and informative guide that I highly recommend to students, educators, and anyone with a keen interest in comparative politics.
Relatively short and informative on the subject.
But Copilot's is far better:
Title: A Comprehensive and Insightful Guide to Comparative Politics
Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction is an exceptional resource for anyone seeking to understand the complexities of political systems around the world. The authors have done a commendable job of presenting a balanced, thorough, and engaging overview of comparative politics. The book is well-structured, making it accessible for both students new to the subject and those looking to deepen their knowledge.
The use of real-world examples and case studies provides a practical perspective that enhances the theoretical concepts discussed. The book's comparative approach allows readers to appreciate the diversity of political systems and the various factors that influence their development and functioning.
One of the standout features of this book is its clarity. The authors have a talent for explaining intricate political theories and concepts in a way that is easy to understand without oversimplifying the content. Each chapter is thoughtfully organized, with summaries and key terms that reinforce the main points, making it an invaluable study tool.
Furthermore, the inclusion of contemporary issues and debates in comparative politics ensures that readers are not only learning about historical developments but also understanding how these concepts apply to current global events. This relevancy makes the book a must-read for anyone interested in the evolving nature of political systems and governance.
Overall, Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction is a well-crafted, insightful, and informative guide that I highly recommend to students, educators, and anyone with a keen interest in comparative politics.
June 27, 2023
On today's (second) installment of "Rating my college textbooks because if I have to read them, they better count toward my Goodreads challenge!" we have the comparative politics book! This was a really good introductory textbook that covered a lot of the basics and vocab I needed to know in class. It made me feel like I knew enough to hold my own against the poli sci bros in class, so I can't complain!!
June 24, 2025
I finished this book as part of my lecture with Professor Mehran Kamrava. The various examples provided were quite thoughtful but made me read word by word to grasp the messages(somewhat hidden) in each chapter and link it to the lectures which were more in depth and entertaining. Some chapters were dragged for no reason(for me). Easy read and good starting point.
February 6, 2021
It was one of the most updated textbooks for the Comparative Politics class at the Department of Political Science. The most controversial cases and concepts are explained in the easiest way.
August 17, 2021
can't believe it took me so long to finish it 😭
superseded-by-later-edition
February 26, 2025I read portions of this 12th edition from 2/4/2025 to 2/26/2025. I downloaded on Kindle and began reading the 13th edition (2025) on February 26, 2026.
November 25, 2023
This book was such a pain in the ass I was squeezing my cheeks reading this shit
June 16, 2024
Makkelijk leesbaar, gestructureerd, soms te lang.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews