Comparative Politics

By revealing the contextual conditions which promote or hinder democratic development, Comparative Politics shows how democracy may not be the best institutional arrangement given a country's unique set of historical, economic, social, cultural and international circumstances. "This book stands out from other textbooks on comparative politics. It represents a rare accomplishment as it has a focus on a substantively significant issue, that of democracy and democratization, which also serves as an instructional tool for problem-based learning. The book is insightful, coherent, and lucidly written and will enrich comparative politics classrooms." Kerstin Hamann, University of Central Florida How does one promote the development of political democracy? And what are the factors that help explain the emergence of political democracy? By providing the answers to questions like these, Comparative Politics helps shape our understanding of why the "building" of democracy in post-war Iraq remains so elusive – and reveals that democracy may not, in fact, be the best institutional arrangement given a country's unique set of historical, economic, social, cultural, and international circumstances. After examining the historical development of democracy in such cases as Great Britain, France, the US, Germany, Russia, and Japan, chapters proceed to address the contextual conditions which promote or hinder democratic development. Choices and elements of the "design" of political systems are then considered, including presidential vs. parliamentary vs. "mixed" systems, legislative and judicial design, and the relationship between military and civilian authorities. With scholarly precision, Comparative Politics offers rich insights into the reasons why there is no universally applicable institutional design that can help "promote" democracy – along with the impediments that can prevent the fruition of any such design. By revealing the contextual conditions which promote or hinder democratic development, Comparative Politics shows how democracy may not be the best institutional arrangement given a country's unique set of historical, economic, social, cultural and international circumstances. Addresses the contextual conditions which promote or hinder democratic development Reveals that democracy may not be the best institutional arrangement given a country's unique set of historical, economic, social, cultural and international circumstances Applies theories and principles relating to the promotion of the development of democracy to the contemporary case studies