Synopses & Reviews
Comparative Politics provides a comprehensive, theoretical, and methodological introduction to the field of comparative politics. In the sciences, theory is tested through direct experimentation. In politics, however, social scientists cannot simply manipulate an institution or law to see what might happen. Comparisons of different political contexts are thus central to political theory. Analyzing what happens when different countries modify constitutions or party systems provides useful information about the probable consequences of such changes among diverse political orders.
The world of politics is full rich and complex factors which influence the way people vote, how policies are made, or how interest groups lobby. Written by a well-established author with an international reputation, Comparative Politics, surveys the best work in the field, examining the issues involved in an attempt to compare political systems and discussing how the methods and results of comparative politics can be improved.
This valuable survey presents a wide array of case studies to illustrate how comparative analysts devise effective methods to construct meaningful theories about political systems. All major current approaches are covered, making this essential reading for students of politics and government.
Review
“Instructive and useful.”
-Choice,
Review
“A valuable and highly informative discussion of the theoretical questions that underlie the production of popular culture in the twenty-first century.”
-Latin American Research Review,
Synopsis
A comprehensive, methodological, and theoretical survey of comparative politics
Comparative Politics provides a comprehensive, theoretical, and methodological introduction to the field of comparative politics. In the sciences, theory is tested through direct experimentation. In politics, however, social scientists cannot simply manipulate an institution or law to see what might happen. Comparisons of different political contexts are thus central to political theory. Analyzing what happens when different countries modify constitutions or party systems provides useful information about the probable consequences of such changes among diverse political orders.
The world of politics is full rich and complex factors which influence the way people vote, how policies are made, or how interest groups lobby. Written by a well-established author with an international reputation, Comparative Politics, surveys the best work in the field, examining the issues involved in an attempt to compare political systems and discussing how the methods and results of comparative politics can be improved.
This valuable survey presents a wide array of case studies to illustrate how comparative analysts devise effective methods to construct meaningful theories about political systems. All major current approaches are covered, making this essential reading for students of politics and government.
Synopsis
In the last forty-five years, immigration reform has brought tens of millions of new immigrants from Latin American countries to the United States. Since critical race theory pioneers Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic compiled the first edition of
The Latino/a Condition in 1998, the population has continued to grow exponentially, while scholarship on Latinos/as has grown just as quickly. The second edition of
The Latino/a Condition brings together a wide range of new and classic Latino and Latina voices from the fields of law, sociology, history, media studies, and politics to address questions such as: Who exactly is a Latino? Who is Hispanic? Who is Chicano?
How did Spanish-speaking people come to live in the United States?
Is the Latino family a source of strength or oppression? What about Catholicism?
Should the United States try to control Latino immigration, and is this even possible?
What are the most common media stereotypes of Latino people?
Are Latinos white? What role does law play in the racial construction of the group?
Collecting a wealth of perspectives on these and other issues central to the Latino/a experience, Delgado and Stefancic offer a broad portrait of Latino/a life in the United States at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
About the Author
Richard Delgado is University Professor at Seattle University Law School. Author of numerous articles and books on Latinos and civil rights, including
The Rodrigo Chronicles, he is also one of the founders of critical race theory.
Jean Stefancic, research professor of law at Seattle University, is the author of many articles and books on civil rights, law reform, social change, including No Mercy: How Conservative Think Tanks and Foundations Changed America's Social Agenda.