Comparative Politics: An Institutional and Cross-National Approach - Softcover

Mahler, Gregory S.

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9780130985965: Comparative Politics: An Institutional and Cross-National Approach

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0130985961 ISBN 13: 9780130985965

Publisher: Pearson College Div, 2002

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An exceptionally clear, jargon-free writing style and an emphasis on political institutions and behavior—rather than on abstract conceptual frameworks—make this volume consistently more accessible to readers than most others on comparative politics. It features both a cross-national approach—permitting readers to develop a truly comparative understanding of the types of institutions (e.g. constitutions, executives, legislatures, political parties, etc.)—as well as a country-by-country approach that examines those institutions within the context of eight different countries—enabling readers to see how all the “pieces” fit together. The volume analyzes comparative political analysis, constitutions and ideologies, political development and political economics, legislatures and legislative structures, the executive, judiciary and the legal order, interest groups, political parties and the individual and the political environments of The British, French, German, Japanese, Canadian, Mexican, Nigerian, and Russian political systems. For those interested in a comprehensive look at comparative politics.

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From the Publisher:

Focusing on political institutions and nation states, the book first examines various structures in the political environment such as constitutional frameworks, legislatures, executives, judicial systems, electoral structures and political parties. It then goes on to examine those institutions within the context of eight different countries.

It was indeed a pleasure to be asked by Prentice Hall to prepare a fourth edition of this text. It is really gratifying that so many students have used this book since Prentice Hall first published it in 1992, and I am pleased to be asked to update and revise the manuscript.

As the first edition of this volume was going to press, Germany was evolving from two states to one. More dramatic in recent political history, of course, was the devolution and the ultimate demise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The chapter on the. USSR that appeared in the first edition, while anticipating substantial changes—because Mikhail Gorbachev had already come to power, and significant changes were appearing in the Soviet Union on a regular basis—was not able to do justice to the extent of change that resulted from Gorbachev's reforms. I do not believe that anyone would have predicted at that time the degree of change that has taken place over the ensuing years. In fact, the chapter on Russia in the second edition bore very little resemblance to the chapter on the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the first edition. The last several years have seen equally radical—and not always beneficial—changes in Russia, and this edition's discussion of Russia includes much coverage of the new challenges facing the Russian Federation.

This edition has continued the inclusion of area studies chapters used in the second and third editions, including individual chapters on Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, Russia, Mexico, and Nigeria. While this volume continues to include more discussion of stable, Western democratic political systems than discussion of newer nations, non-Western nations, and nondemocratic nations, a concerted effort has been made to increase such discussion here. The inclusion of area chapters from the African (Nigeria) and Latin American (Mexico) contexts is an example of an effort to include substantial discussion of all types of political systems; however, space and time limited the number of individual political systems that could receive detailed description in the text. As was indicated in the second and third editions, a good deal of what has happened in Nigeria and Mexico in recent years is characteristic of other African (and Asian and Latin American) nations, so these case studies are of some value to us and to our students in our comparative undertaking.

Once again, this volume places an emphasis on political institutions—as indicated by the title—for the same reasons as were indicated in the first and second editions: their ease of comparison, their facility of identification and classification, and the extent to which they lend themselves to analysis. This emphasis on political institutions, combined with the cross-national perspective of this volume, gives students both the tools and the perspective to undertake a meaningful cross-national introduction to the political world in which they must operate.

Acknowledgments

I would like to again acknowledge the assistance and encouragement of the outstanding professionals at Prentice Hall who have been associated with this undertaking. Brian Prybella was enthusiastic about the idea of a fourth edition remarkably soon after the third edition appeared. Barbara Reilly oversaw the production process at Prentice Hall. Serena Hoffman and Karen Bosch were also extremely important in the editing and proofreading process.

I also want to thank the scholars who have been contacted over the years by Prentice Hall to review the several editions of the book and make suggestions for changes. These scholars have made a number of very helpful suggestions for improvements. Much of the book's improved comprehensiveness is because of these individuals' advice, which was much appreciated. Particular thanks go to Terry D. Clark of Creighton University and Azzedine Layachi of St. John's University for their insightful comments on the fourth edition.

Finally, I want to once again acknowledge the role of my students in the production of this book. It was comments of my students that initially convinced me to try my hand at writing a better text, and their subsequent comments have helped me a great deal in deciding what should be included in this type of work and the best way of presenting the material. For this edition I was very fortunate to have some outstanding students here at Kalamazoo College who helped me gather information, especially Joshua Volz. I appreciated his assistance.

Gregory S. Mahler

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