Daniele Caramani is Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Comparative Politics provides an exciting and authoritative introduction to one of the most important fields of political science. International experts explore the methods and theories of comparative politics as well as the structures and institutions, actors, processes, and policies at the heart of political systems around the world.

Section I: Theories and Methods; 1 Klaus von Beyme: The evolution of comparative politics; 2 B. Guy Peters: Approaches in comparative politics; 3 Hans Keman: Comparative research methods; Section II: The historical context; 4 Gianfranco Poggi: The nation-state; 5 Peter Mair: Democracies; 6 Paul Brooker: Authoritarian regimes; Section III: Structures and Institutions; 7 Amie Kreppel: Legislatures; 8 Wolfgang C. Muller: Governments and bureaucracies; 9 Alec Stone Sweet: Constitutions and judicial power; 10 Michael Gallagher: Elections and referendums; 11 John Loughlin: Federal and local government institutions; Section IV: Actors and Processes; 12 Richard S. Katz: Political parties; 13 Daniele Caramani: Party systems; 14 Roland Erne: Interest associations; 15 James Bickerton and Alain-G. Gagnon: Regions; 16 Hanspeter Kriesi: Social movements; 17 Christian Welzel and Ronald Inglehart: Political culture; 18 Herbert Kitschelt and Philipp Rehm: Political participation; 19 Pippa Norris: Political communication; Section V: Public policies; 20 Christoph Knill and Jale Tosun: Policy-making; 21 Kees van Kersbergen and Philip Manow: The welfare state; 22 Jorgen Goul Andersen: The impact of public policies; Section VI: Beyond the nation-state; 23 Simon Hix: The EU as a new political system; 24 Georg Sorensen: Globalization and the nation-state; 25 Peter Burnell: Promoting democracy

Comparative Politics provides an exciting and authoritative introduction to one of the most important fields of political science. International experts offer a range of perspectives, and explore the methods and theories of comparative politics as well as the structures and institutions, actors, processes, and policies at the heart of political systems around the world. Alongside explanation of the most important themes, students are presented with a wealth ofempirical data to demonstrate similarities and differences in practice, and to encourage research. Excellent pedagogy supports students, with key points, questions, and boxes facilitating understanding, and further reading guides and web links encouraging students to take their interest in comparativepolitics beyond the textbook. This new edition takes account of the latest developments in the wake of democratic uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, and sees a much stronger emphasis on the financial crisis, paying particular attention to state finances, and stressing the effects of the crisis on political attitudes and forms of participation.The third edition of this successful textbook is also supported by an innovative Online Resource Centre with the following features for students and lecturers: Student Resources: Comparative data sets for over 200 countries - files can be used for empirical analysis, essay writing and lab exercisesWeb directory of data archivesReview questions and exercisesFlashcard glossaryCountry profiles Instructor Resources: PowerPoint slidesTest bankFigures and tables from the book