Description based upon print version of record.

Cover; Contents; List of Illustrative Material; Preface to the Fourth Edition; Using This Book; Guide to the Key Features; Acknowledgements; 1 What is Politics?; DEFINING POLITICS; STUDYING POLITICS; POLITICS IN A GLOBAL AGE; 2 Political Ideas and Ideologies; WHAT IS POLITICAL IDEOLOGY?; CLASSICAL IDEOLOGICAL TRADITIONS; OTHER IDEOLOGICAL TRADITIONS; 3 Politics and the State; DEFINING THE STATE; DEBATING THE STATE; ECLIPSE OF THE STATE?; 4 Democracy and Legitimacy; LEGITIMACY AND POLITICAL STABILITY; DEMOCRACY; 5 Nations and Nationalism; WHAT IS A NATION?; VARIETIES OF NATIONALISM

A FUTURE FOR THE NATION-STATE?6 Political Economy and Globalization; POLITICAL ECONOMY; GLOBALIZATION; 7 Politics, Society and Identity; POLITICS AND SOCIETY; IDENTITY POLITICS; 8 Political Culture and the Media; POLITICAL CULTURE; THE MEDIA AND POLITICAL COMMUNICATION; 9 Representation, Elections and Voting; REPRESENTATION; ELECTIONS; VOTING BEHAVIOUR; 10 Parties and Party Systems; PARTY POLITICS; PARTY SYSTEMS; DECLINE OF PARTIES?; 11 Groups, Interests and Movements; GROUP POLITICS; SOCIAL MOVEMENTS; 12 Governments, Systems and Regimes; TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS OF CLASSIFICATION

REGIMES OF THE MODERN WORLD13 Political Executives and Leadership; ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE; POWER IN THE EXECUTIVE: WHO LEADS?; THE POLITICS OF LEADERSHIP; 14 Assemblies; ROLE OF ASSEMBLIES; STRUCTURE OF ASSEMBLIES; PERFORMANCE OF ASSEMBLIES; 15 Constitutions, Law and Judges; CONSTITUTIONS; THE LAW; THE JUDICIARY; 16 Public Policy and the Bureaucracy; THE POLICY PROCESS; ROLE OF THE BUREAUCRACY; BUREAUCRATIC POWER: OUT OF CONTROL?; 17 Multilevel Politics; POLITICS, TERRITORY ANDMULTI LEVEL GOVERNANCE; SUBNATIONAL POLITICS; TRANSNATIONAL REGIONALISM; 18 Security: Domestic and International

SECURITY BEYOND BOUNDARIES?DOMESTIC SECURITY; INTERNATIONAL SECURITY; 19 World Order and Global Governance; TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY WORLD ORDER; GLOBAL GOVERNANCE; 20 A Crisis in Politics?; POLITICS UNDER ASSAULT?; ASSESSING POLITICAL PERFORMANCE; Bibliography; Index

Its lively, engaging style and authoritative and comprehensive coverage have made this highly successful text the first choice introduction to politics for students and instructors alike. The fourth edition has been has been systematically revised and updated to cover key developments such as the global economic crisis and the Arab Spring. The book also has a new more integrated chapter structure which makes it easier for students to see how different topics interrelate and takes better account of the increasing interdependence between domestic and world events.