Comparative Politics

Anastasia Kuz-Grady, University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Comparative Politics, Third Edition, is the best text on the market. It encourages critical thinking, promotes a hands-on comparativist experience, and thoroughly engages students with the major themes, debates, and discussions in comparative politics."



Cheryl Van Den Handel, Northeastern State University

The mix of theory, methodology, and case studies introduces comparative analysis in an accessible way. My students appreciate the text's readability."

J. Tyler Dickovick is the Grigsby Term Associate Professor of Politics at Washington and Lee University. Jonathan Eastwood is the Laurent Boetsch Term Professor of Sociology at Washington and Lee University.

Contents Insights Preface Maps of the World PART I: Comparative Political Analysis CHAPTER 1 The Comparative Approach: An Introduction Asking Why: Research Questions in Comparative Politics Major Questions in Comparative Politics Empirical Arguments Versus Normative Arguments Solving Intellectual Puzzles: A Contemporary Analogy Concepts Features of Good Concepts Conceptualization Operationalizing: From Concepts to Measures Empirical Evidence Facts and Evidence Cases and Case Studies The Comparative Method Variables and Comparison Most-Similar-Systems Design Most-Different-Systems Design Comparative Checking Within-Case Comparison Is the Study of Politics a Science? The Limits of the Comparative Method CHAPTER 2 Theories, Hypotheses, and Evidence Introduction to Theories, Hypotheses, and Evidence Theories Hypotheses How Theories Emerge and Are Used Types of Evidence Hypothesis Testing Correlation Causation Critiques: Using Theory and Evidence Empirical Critiques: Using Deviant Cases Theoretical Critiques: Improving Theories and Hypotheses The Challenges of Measurement: Biases, Errors, and Validity THINKING COMPARATIVELY Qualities of Good Analysis and Argumentation Step 1: Asking Good Questions: Why? Step 2: Hypothesis Testing: Generating Good Hypotheses and Testing Them Fairly Step 3: Balancing Argumentation: Evidence, Originality, and Meaningfulness PART II: The State, Development, Democracy, and Authoritarianism CHAPTER 3 The State Concepts The Modern State State Capacity Failed States The State-Society Relationship Types Characteristics of Modern States Bureaucracy Impersonality Sovereignty Traditional Functions of States Defense Policing Taxation Order, Administration, and