Can politics be a civilizing endeavor? Most students do not view it as such; rather, they see it as a necessary evil, overly partisan and messy. Politics in other nations seems even more confusing and bewildering with a variety of political systems, divergent histories, and diverse cultures. Where do you begin then, when teaching all of politics—its philosophy, science, policies, subfields, and scholarly debates? Just because the question is difficult to answer does not mean we should avoid tackling it. Indeed, The Challenge of Politics links social scientific concerns to the important role that values and judgment play in politics; it calls upon students to make wise decisions based on a combination of factors: thorough knowledge, deep understanding, rational thought, and a sense of compassion. This theme of politics as a scientific study and a humanizing enterprise enables students to effectively explore the impact of philosophy and ideology, to recognize major forms of government, to evaluate empirical findings, and to understand how policy issues directly affect people’s lives.

With the introductory student in mind, this text includes a wealth of features to aid learning. Photos with informative captions, tables and figures with contextual data, a variety of maps, annotated suggested readings, and highlighted key terms with a glossary enhance the book’s presentation and help students review and study.

Notable revisions to this second edition include discussion and analysis of:

• global terrorism and American-led military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq
• religion and politics with special emphasis on the rise of fundamentalism as reflected in both the Islamic world and the Christian Right in the United States
• the role of non-governmental organizations in the international system
• offenses against women, with greater attention paid to contemporary feminist theory
• major economic developments, including the continued rise of China and India as global economic powers and issues surrounding European integration
• democratization in Russia, genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, and nuclear proliferation problems, specifically in North Korea and Iran

Ancillaries that challenge students while saving instructors time
college.cqpress.com/challenge
Materials created by Douglas Simon and Joseph Romance.

Valuable study aids are paired with creative activities to help students review and master material. The website is organized into four useful categories:

• Study: Summaries and learning objectives encapsulate the most important facts and concepts of each chapter.
• New! Quiz: Students have the opportunity to self-test and receive immediate results both by question type (conceptual, factual, and vocabulary) and by chapter section. If you wish to track your students’ online work, have them email you their quiz results.
• New! Flashcards: A handy way to review the book’s key terms, students can view terms and click for definitions, or vice versa. Users can also mark terms they would like to return to as well as shuffle and reset their cards.
• Explore: Suggested readings and annotated links to relevant websites help students explore additional resources for research projects and further study while tying outside material to chapter content.

All chapters end with a conclusion, suggested readings, and glossary terms.

Preface

Introduction
Political Values
A Science of Politics
Political Wisdom
The Future of Politics and Political Science

Part 1. Rules of the Game

1. Games Politicians Play
The Game of Politics
Wipeout: The Politics of Destruction
Lion and Fox: The Politics of the Nation-State
Strike: The Politics of Withdrawal
Civil Disobedience: The Politics of Morality

2. Politics and Choice
Four Important Themes
Socrates and the Moral Life: Political Obligation in Ancient Athens
Madison, the New Republic, and Federal Theory: The Struggle for a Creative Breakthrough in Modern Politics
The German Citizen and the Nazi Regime: Can Modern Citizens Bear the Burden of Freedom?
John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis: The Perils of Choice in the Nuclear Age

3. Political Science: Components, Tasks, and Controversies
The Basic Structure of Political Science
The Three Major Components of Political Science
The Four Major Tasks of Political Science
Continuing Controversies in Political Science

4. The Scientific Enterprise
Science as a Critical and Systematic Search
Common Features of the Scientific Enterprise
The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Scientific Enterprise

5. The Physical, Social, and Cultural Environment of Politics
Propositions and Challenges
The Physical World We Live In
The Biological, Physiological, Psychological, and Social Creatures We Are
The Social Communities We Have Built
The Cultural Universe We Have Created

Part 2. Political Philosophy and Ideology

6. The Quest for the Good Political Life
Classical Greek Thought: The Search for Political Excellence
Christianity and the Good Political Life
The Renaissance: Niccoló Machiavelli and the Quest for a Virtuous Republic
Modern Political Thought
Contemporary Political Philosophy

7. Liberal Democracy
Toward a Definition of Liberal Democracy
The Ideals of Liberal Democracy
The Sources of Liberal Democracy
Liberalism, Capitalism, and Democracy
Variations on the Liberal Democratic Theme
An Assessment of Liberal Democracy

8. Democratic Socialism and Communism: Ideologies of the Left
Democratic Socialism
The Sources of Democratic Socialism
Democratic Socialism as Political Ideology: Pro and Con
Communism
The Sources of Communism
Communism as a Political Ideology and Philosophy: Pro and Con
The Recent Past and Future of Democratic Socialism and Communism

9. Toward a General Understanding of Dictatorship and Authoritarian States
The Nazi Variety of Fascism

Part 3. Comparative and World Politics

10. The Political Values of Political Actors
Some Key Terms Defined
The Values of Nations as Political Actors
Popular Values
Interest Groups and Class Values

11. National Politics: Culture, Constitutions, Citizens
Patterns for Cooperation, Accommodation, and Conflict Resolution
Political Culture and the Framing of Politics
Constitutional Features
The Role of Nongovernmental Actors

12. National Politics: Governmental Actors
The Role of Governmental Actors
Assessment of the Patterns of Governance

13. International Politics and the Global Community
Post-World War II and Post-Cold War Challenges
Current Patterns in International Politics
Balance of Power
Domination
Multilateralism
Other Forms of Behavior: Neutrality, Nonalignment, and Isolation
Nonstate Actors

14. Decision Making in Politics
The Rational Actor Model
The Political Actor Model
The Organizational Actor Model
The Elitist Actor Model
The Idiosyncratic Actor Model
Decision Making at Various Levels in American Politics
Toward a Theory of Comparative Decision Making

Part 4. Political Judgment and Public Policy

15. War and Peace in the Modern Age
Ethical and Empirical Factors
Alternative Approaches to a More Peaceful World

16. The Battle on Behalf of Human Rights
Clarifying the Problem
Ethical and Empirical Factors
Alternative Approaches to Securing Human Rights

17. The Struggle for Economic Well-Being
Defining Economic Well-Being
Ethical and Empirical Factors
Alternative Approaches to Economic Well-Being
The Critical Role of the International Community

18. The Imperative of Ecological Health
Ethical and Empirical Factors
Alternative Approaches to Ecological Health

Conclusion

Notes
Glossary
Index

"The Challenge of Politics is a great way to introduce students to political science. Unlike many other texts that just summarize the literature in a field, the authors tie everything together based on the idea of values. Political decisions and systems are shown to be the result of different world views and goals. In a world where political and social culture has increased visibility, students get a better understanding of conflicts in society and the world. More important, it provides a good springboard for conversations related to the student's own view of the world."

- Michael D. Kanner, University of Colorado-Boulder

"The Challenge of Politics is a solid and well-crafted text. It pursues an approach that is increasingly attractive to many political science departments by focusing on the interconnections between the various sub fields, in particular American Politics and Comparative Politics and Comparative Politics and International Relations. In addition, it relates the insights of classic political thinkers both to their modern counterparts and to the political dynamics of American, comparative, and international affairs."

- David Scott Palmer, Boston University

"I have enjoyed using The Challenge of Politics in my Introduction to Political Science course. The authors do an excellent job of applying the themes of political values, the science of politics, political wisdom, political health, creative breakthroughs in politics, and the future of politics and political science. These themes allow me to examine both empirical, analytical, and normative questions. I am confident that this text prepares our students for study in the field of political science."

- Renee Scherlen, Appalachian State University

Neal Riemer (late) was the Andrew V. Stout Professor of Political Philosophy at Drew University. He was the recipient of outstanding teaching awards at both the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Drew. His books include The Revival of Democratic Theory, The Democratic Experiment, and The Future of the Democratic Revolution: Toward a More Prophetic Politics. He was editor and/or coauthor of Problems of American Government, World Affairs: Problems and Prospects, and New Thinking and Developments in International Politics: Opportunities and Dangers.

Douglas W. Simon is professor of political science at Drew University, specializing in international affairs, U.S. foreign policy, international organizations, and national security. In 1991, he was the first recipient of Drew’s Presidential Distinguished Teaching Award and that same year received the Sears Outstanding Educator Award. He has contributed to such publications as the Harvard Journal of World Affairs, East Asian Survey, Comparative Political Studies, International Studies Notes, Teaching Political Science, and Society.

Joseph Romance is associate professor of political science at Drew University, where he focuses on American politics and political theory. Romance is the coauthor of A Republic of Parties? Debating the Two-Party System and is a contributor to, and a coeditor of, two new books, Democracy and Excellence: Conflict or Concord? and Democracy’s Literature. His articles and reviews have appeared in American Review of Politics and Newsday, and he has contributed to numerous edited volumes, including Progressive Politics in the Global Age.

Instructor’s Resources CD-ROM
Materials created by Douglas Simon and Joseph Romance.

• Test Bank with Respondus. More than 280 questions—conceptual and factual multiple-choice, short answer, and essay—provide the basis for exams. CQP Test Writer software—flexible and easy to use—enables you to modify questions, add your own, and create multiple versions of your tests to prevent cheating.


• PowerPoint Lecture Slides: An average of 12 slides per chapter highlights key points and underscores analytic principles of the book. This resource is guaranteed to reduce your prep time.

E-mail collegesales@cqpress.com for more information.