Understanding the Political World: A Comparative Introduction to Political Science, 13th edition

Published by Pearson (June 13, 2019) © 2020

  • James N. Danziger University of California at Irvine
  • Lindsey Lupo Point Loma Nazarene University

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For courses in Introduction to Political Science.

Grasp the ever-changing nature of politics around the world

Understanding the Political World provides insights into the continually evolving nature of international politics. Authors James Danziger and Lindsey Lupo use real examples from different political systems to demonstrate how politics are understood throughout the world. By prompting students to explain what they know, the authors bring abstract political concepts into focus by connecting them to students' lives.

The 13th Edition has been revised and updated with the latest data and information to reflect current state of politics around the globe.

Hallmark features of this title

  • The authors' engaging writing style and presentation encourages memorable applications of key concepts and relevant issues
  • Continual use of country-based examples grounds every topic in relevant, specific realities.
  • Numerous presentations of current data, often in graphical form, facilitate analysis and comparisons on many topics.
  • Photographs accompanied by informative captions illuminate themes in a way that complements the textual discussions.
  • A recurring focus on political economy emphasizes the significance of linkages between the political system and the economic system.
  • Eight excellent, full-color maps display the geographic relationships between countries in all areas of the world.

New and updated features of this title

  • UPDATED: Fresh examples, new data and revised topics throughout the text illustrate the underlying concepts and theories that are at the heart of understanding the political world.
  • NEW: Recurring themes incorporated throughout the 13th Edition include the global decline in democracy, the rise of nationalism, the emergence of populist-authoritarian leaders in many countries and the increasing challenges to globalization.
  • NEW: Chapter 15 has been completely reformulated to focus on a group of countries the authors refer to as partly developed countries. The chapter analyzes the challenges these countries face in their pursuit of prosperity, stability and security.
  • UPDATED: The quantitative and qualitative data in every table reflects the most current information available. Every discussion has been revised to reflect the latest issues, situations, and evidence.
  • UPDATED: Many of the Debate features have been revised, including a major revision of the debate on globalization. Several new Debate features, such as 1 on whether China will and should democratize, have been included.
  • UPDATED: The chapter-opening vignettes have been updated to cover topics such as the political decay in Honduras and “Chavismo” politics in Venezuela.

Features of Revel for the 13th Edition

  • UPDATED: Current Events Bulletins bring currency into your classroom with author-written articles that connect key concepts with real-life current events. New or revised articles added regularly help students engage with the course.
  • UPDATED: Data-rich interactive maps, figures, and tables with Social Explorer technology let students interact with real data to explore the concepts they've just read about.
  • NEW: Pearson Originals for Political Science videos illustrate complex political concepts a simplified and entertaining way.
  • Review the Chapter interactive summaries and Key Term flashcards allow students to review content from each chapter.

1. Politics and Knowledge
2. Political Theory and Political Beliefs
3. Political Actions
4. Influences on Beliefs and Actions
5. Political Systems, States, and Nations
6. Political Institutions I: Institutional Structures
7. Political Institutions II: Institutional Arrangements
8. Political Economy
9. Public Policy, Power, and Decision
10. Change and Political Development
11. Politics across Borders
12. Political Violence
13. The More Developed Countries of the Global North
14. The Less Developed Countries of the Global South
15. The Partly Developed Countries

About our authors

James N. Danziger is a Research Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine, where he also has served as Chair of the Department of Political Science, campus-wide Dean of Undergraduate Education and Chair of the Academic Senate. He has received many honors and awards, including a Marshall Scholarship (to Great Britain), a Foreign Area Fellowship, a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, Phi Beta Kappa and an IBM Faculty Award. He received the first UC Irvine Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award for Teaching in 1987, the UC, Irvine Distinguished Service Award in 1997 and the highest honor on the campus, the Extraordinarius Award, in 2009. His Ph.D. is from Stanford University, and he has held visiting appointments at the universities of Aarhus (Denmark), Pittsburgh and Virginia. His research has received awards from the American Political Science Association and the American Society for Public Administration. He has published extensively, particularly on information technology and politics, and is an active participant in local politics.

Lindsey Lupo is a professor of political science and chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Point Loma Nazarene University. She received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara; M.A. in Social Science from the University of California, Irvine; and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. Her fields of research are urban politics, social movements, democratization and political violence, and she is the author of Flak-Catchers: One Hundred Years of Riot Commission Politics, as well as a number of academic journal articles and book chapters. She teaches classes on urban politics, protests and social movements, comparative politics, U.S. public policy, democratization, research methods, and introduction to political science. She frequently travels with students, including to South Africa, Czech Republic and Washington, DC. She is also the director of the Institute of Politics and Public Service at PLNU, and she manages the internship program for international studies and political science students.

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