It’s tough to keep students afloat in a sea of detail when moving from country to country in a comparative course. While it’s important to give students a sense of place, lengthy textbooks can overwhelm them with far too much description. Students are left with no clear path for understanding regional context or for making meaningful cross-national comparisons, and little sense of larger concepts and themes.

The Politics of Governing: A Comparative Introduction answers this dilemma in a truly brief text—only 320 pages long—that frames country case studies within regional chapters. This approach equips students to see the bigger picture and understand how the issues of governing can no longer be separated from events outside a country’s borders. The authors answer the same set of questions in each chapter—What are the purposes of government (the ends of politics)? What do governments do (the functions of politics)? Who exercises political power (the processes of politics)?—giving this concise text strong analysis of particular countries within a powerful regional framework.

The book incorporates the American experience as a familiar touch point for students and examines those areas of the world in which the U.S. is most engaged:

• The European chapters highlight the development of supranational institutions and their impact on politics in Great Britain, France, and Germany. These stand in contrast to the transitional politics underway to the east with Central Europe’s new democracies and the upheavals in Russia, the Ukraine, and the Balkan states keeping those countries at the margins of this new Europe.
• The diversity of Asian governments is explored within the context of competing forces between markets and democracy, at the core of which stands mainland China.
• The forces of religion and culture across the Muslim world shape the chapter that encompasses North Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, with country case studies focused on Morocco, Iran, and Indonesia.
• The chapter on Latin America highlights the draw of North American markets and the appeal of distinctive political and economic patterns in South America, with case studies on Mexico and Brazil.
• A final chapter on regional convergence examines both developing countries and competing supranational markets to understand how people in countries caught in between larger, competing regional trading blocs are affected.

NOW AVAILABLE!
FREE online chapter on Sub-Saharan Africa
By Philip Morgan, Monterey Institute of International Studies
Visit www.cqpress.com/cs/graham for access.

Adding yet more depth, a free online chapter focused on sub-Saharan Africa places Nigeria at center-stage, while contrasting the cases of South Africa and Botswana, to explore the issues of weak and failed states, ethnic and religious strife, and responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

 

ISBN: 978-1-93311-666-2

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Preface
About the Authors

1. Introduction: A Compass for Studying the Politics of Governing

2. The United States: The World’s Oldest Constitutional Democracy
The Constitution
Social Dynamics
Interest Groups
Political Parties
Elections
The Presidency
Congress
The Federal Bureaucracy
The Judiciary
Conclusion: Inventing and Reinventing a Nation
Suggestions for Additional Reading

3. The Constitutions and Institutions of Western Europe
The British Constitution
The Monarchy
The Political Executive
The Bureaucracy
The Legislature
The Judiciary
Devolution and Local Government
The French Constitution
The Political Executive
The Bureaucracy
The Legislature
The Judiciary
Decentralization
The German Constitution
The Political Executive
The Bureaucracy
The Legislature
The Judiciary
Federalism
Development of the Constitution of the European Union
Institutions of the European Union
Constitutional Prospects for the European Union
Conclusion
Suggestions for Additional Reading

4. The Dynamics of European Political Systems: The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union
The Socioeconomic Setting
Political Culture
Civil Society and Social Movements
Interest Groups
The Media
Political Parties and Party Systems
The British Party System and Parties
The French Party System and Political Parties
The German Party System and Political Parties
The Party System of the European Union
Electoral Systems and Elections
Political Recruitment
Policy Processes
Theories of EU Development and Governance
Political Views of the European Union
Conclusion: Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union
Suggestions for Additional Reading

5. Transitional Politics in Central Europe: From Communism to Western-Style Democracy
The Old System in a Nutshell
Comparisons
Framework Applied
Value Consensus
Principal Agents
How Refined?
What Values?
Political Architecture of the State
Basic Constitutional Framework
More Political Architecture
Economic Architecture
Political and Social Dynamics
Forward- versus Backward-Facing
Resource Needs
Legitimacy
Elite Accountability
Elections as Political Art
Doors and Windows
Civil Society
Leadership Cadre: “Driving Skills”
Generational Change
Confidence
Prognosis
Suggestions for Additional Reading

6. Transitional Politics in East and Southeastern Europe: Russia, Ukraine, and the Balkans
Russia
Value Consensus
Political Architecture of the State: The Constitution as an Issue
Economic Architecture
Political and Social Dynamics
Leadership
Prognosis
Ukraine
Value Consensus
Political Architecture of the State
Economic Architecture
Political and Social Dynamics: Elections
Leadership
Prognosis
Bosnia and Southeastern Europe
Value Consensus
Political Architecture of the State
Economic Architecture
Political and Social Dynamics
Leadership
Prognosis
Comparing Revisited
Suggestions for Additional Reading

7. Political Systems in East Asia: From a Great Unity (da tong) to a Greater Diversity
Diversity in East Asian Politics
China’s Ineluctable Influence
Confucian at the Core
The Political System of the PRC
Political Party Structure
The State
The Constitution of the PRC
The Limits of Party-State Control
The Political System on Taiwan
The Political System of Japan
Suggestions for Additional Reading

8. Politics in the Muslim World: Morocco, Iran, and Indonesia
Traditional Principles of Governance
Traditional Institutions and Political Culture
The Colonial Experience
Examples of Governance
Morocco
The Sultanate
Colonial Legacy: From Ruling to Reigning
Reform and Institutionalization
Political Stability
Iran
Dual Governmental System and the Power of the Jurisconsult
The Supreme Leader: Military, Judicial, and Security Power
Hizbollahi Counters Reform
Indonesia
Nationalism and Islam
“Guided Democracy”
Suggestions for Additional Reading

9. Politics in Latin America: The Mexican and Brazilian Political Systems
Mexico
Constitutional Development
Social Forces
Interest Groups
Political Parties
Governmental Institutions
The System in Action
Brazil
Constitutional Development
Social Forces
Interest Groups
Political Parties
Governmental Institutions
The System in Action
Suggestions for Additional Reading

10. Regional Convergence in a Diverse World
The New Regionalism
Great Variety--Common Economic Problems
Common Third World Political Problems
Political Institutions and Processes
Futures in the Developing World
Suggestions for Additional Reading

Index

Free Online Chapter!
11. Sub-Saharan Africa
Nigeria
South Africa
Botswana

"This is an excellent text. It is one of the richest, most accurate and well-constructed basic introductory texts in print on the governance structure, logic and process of 'major' political systems of the world."

- John D. Robertson, Texas A&M University

"The Politics of Governing is very good and enjoyable. I appreciate the authors’ attempt to create an approach that focuses on comprehensiveness rather than exhaustive coverage, and I think they succeed: they did an excellent job of describing the institutions and political context of the cases. A great strength of the book is its brevity. It would allow me as an instructor to assign other materials or build lectures that enhance the information presented, instead of trying to highlight what was the important part of the reading material."

- Mark Sachleben, Shippensburg University

"I appreciate the breadth of coverage in relatively little space in The Politics of Governing. Moreover, the presentation of the material is clear and flows well so that students find it interesting to read. I like the way the authors use charts when they really aid students’ understanding of the material, rather than cluttering the book up with graphs, photos, cartoons, which needlessly drive up the cost of so many texts these days. In other words, I like the way the book as a whole demonstrates the authors’ respect for the readers."

- Robert W. Behrman, Marshall University

"The writing style of The Politics of Governing is wonderful—both interesting and engaging. The text is brief and the focus of the chapters varies from one country to another. This obviously creates excitement and makes for entertaining reading. The authors make great use of maps, tables, and timelines, which will always be beneficial for students. Kudos to them for including these helpful pedagogical tools in the text."

- Harry M. Mokeba, Louisiana State University

Lawrence S. Graham is emeritus professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin. A specialist in public policy and comparative politics, he has had a faculty appointment at UT since 1965. Throughout his career he has combined teaching and research with hands-on experience as a consultant with a variety of national and international organizations. This work has taken him throughout Latin America, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Africa. His publications—14 books and over 100 articles—have focused on development policy and administration in Latin America, principally Brazil and Mexico, and in Southern Europe, especially Portugal and Romania.

Richard P. Farkas is professor of political science at DePaul University. He has taught for more than three decades about Central and East European Politics. He holds an honorary degree from Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration and has lectured in Russia, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and Kosovo. His research compares strategies for political and economic development in post-Communist countries. The future trajectory of these systems is a special focus of his research.

Robert C. Grady is emeritus professor of political science at Eastern Michigan University. He received degrees from Centre College and Vanderbilt University. His research and teaching interests are seventeenth through nineteenth century British and American political theory, contemporary democratic theory, and American politics and government. His articles have appeared in Interpretation, Journal of Politics, Political Science Quarterly, and Polity. Restoring Real Representation was published by University of Illinois Press. He has applied theory to practice, serving briefly on the Ann Arbor, Michigan, city council.

George Joffé teaches the contemporary history, geopolitics, and international relations of the Middle East and North Africa at the University of Cambridge and at Kings College, London University. He was previously the deputy-director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London. He specializes in Palestinian issues and on political developments in Algeria and Morocco.

Donley T. Studlar is Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of Political Science at West Virginia University, teaching courses in comparative politics and public policy. Past Executive Secretary of the British Politics Group, he has been a visiting scholar at the Universities of Waterloo, Victoria, Toronto, and Regina (Canada), Strathclyde and Warwick (United Kingdom), Bergen (Norway) and Aarhus (Denmark). The author of four books and over 100 published articles, among them are Tobacco Control: Comparative Politics in the United States and Canada (Broadview Press, 2002) and the widely-read “A Constitutional Revolution in Britain?” in Christian Soe, ed., Annual Editions: Comparative Politics (Dushkin).

Alan M. Wachman is associate professor of international politics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He served as president of China Institute in America (1995-1997) and was the American Co-director of The Johns Hopkins University–Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies (1993-1995). He earned an A.B., an A.M., and a Ph.D. from Harvard University and an M.A.L.D. from The Fletcher School. Chief among Wachman’s publications are two books: Why Taiwan? A Geo-strategic Perspective on the PRC’s Quest for Territorial Integrity (Stanford University Press, 2006) and Taiwan: National Identity and Democratization (M.E. Sharpe, 1994).

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