Richard J. Payne is Distinguished Professor of Politics and Government at Illinois State University.Jamal R. Nassar is Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at California State University, San Bernardino.

“Payne and Nassar do a remarkable job of interconnecting the myriad of issues facing developing countries and following the thread of globalization that runs through them. This approach goes a long way in providing students with a bigger picture of both the third world and the globalized world. ”–Manjusha Gupta, North Dakota State University

• Chapter 1. Government, Politics, and Cultures in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America  Chapter 2. Global Interdependence  Chapter 3. Religion and Politics  Chapter 4. Nationalism, Colonialism, and Independence  Chapter 5. Global and Domestic Inequalities  Chapter 6. Challenges of Development  Chapter 7. The Costs of Development  Chapter 8. Women in the Developing World  Chapter 9. Transitions to Democracy and Human Rights  Chapter 10. Political Leadership and State Capacity  Chapter 11. Ethnicity, Ethnic Conflict, and Conflict Resolution  Chapter 12. Migration  Chapter 13. Foreign Relations of the Developing Countries