This systematic, user friendly, and refreshingly unusual introduction to comparative politics has not only been updated and refined in the third edition, but also fully revised to reflect the impact of major new developments in world politics. Designed to teach students how to think comparatively and theoretically about the world they live in, the book is organized around a set of critical questions—why are poor countries poor? why is East Asia relatively prosperous? what makes a democracy? how can we explain terrorism and genocide? what leads people to mobilize around a cause?—each the topic of a full chapter. These issue chapters are based on the solid methodological and theoretical foundation laid out in the first part of the book, and the entire text is enhanced with case studies and graphics.

How might Arab countries build the foundations for rule of law in the wake of prolonged authoritarian rule? What specific challenges do they confront? Are there insights to be gained from comparative analysis beyond the region? Exploring these questions, the authors of Building Rule of Law in the Arab World provide a theoretically informed, empirically rich account of key issues facing the countries at the forefront of political change since the Arab Spring as governments seek to develop effective and responsible judiciaries, security sectors, and anticorruption agencies.

John Casey explores the expanding global reach of nonprofit organizations, examining the increasingly influential role not only of prominent NGOs that work on hot-button global issues, but also of the thousands of smaller, little-known organizations that have an impact on people's daily lives. What do these nonprofits actually do? How and why have they grown exponentially? How are they managed and funded? What organizational, political, and economic challenges do they face? Casey answers these questions and also, liberally using case studies, situates the evolution of the sector in the broader contexts of differing national environments and global public affairs. With its broad perspective, The Nonprofit World affords readers a thorough understanding of both the place of nonprofits in the global arena and the implications of their growing importance.

A weary-looking man stands at an intersection, backpack at his feet. Curled up nearby is a mixed-breed dog, unfazed by the passing traffic. The man holds a sign that reads, "Two old dogs need help. God bless." What's happening here? Leslie Irvine breaks new ground in the study of homelessness by investigating the frequently noticed, yet underexplored, role that animals play in the lives of homeless people. Irvine conducted interviews on street corners, in shelters, even at highway underpasses, to provide insights into the benefits and liabilities that animals have for the homeless. She also weighs the perspectives of social service workers, veterinarians, and local communities. Her work provides a new way of looking at both the meaning of animal companionship and the concept of home itself.

After grappling for two decades with the realities of the post–Cold War era, the UN Security Council must now meet the challenges of a resurgence of great power rivalry. Reflecting this new environment, The UN Security Council in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive view of the council's internal dynamics, its role and relevance in world politics, and its performance in addressing today's major security challenges.

Covering decisionmaking processes, peace and security affairs, and economic, social, and humanitarian issues, The Politics of Global Governance helps students of international organizations to understand the major themes, theories, and approaches central to the subject. The fifteen new selections in this fully revised edition reflect an increased emphasis on transnational governance and emerging global norms. The editors' section introductions underscore the importance of the essays, which have been selected not only for their relevance, but also their accessibility.

This comprehensive introduction to the study of human rights in international politics blends concrete developments with theoretical inquiry, illuminating both in the process. Franke Wilmer presents the nuts and bolts of human rights concepts, actors, and implementation before grappling with issues ranging from war and genocide to social and economic needs to racial and religious discrimination. Two themes—the tension between values and interests, and the role of the state as both a protector of human rights and a perpetrator of human rights violations—are reflected throughout the text. The result is a clear, accessible exposition of the evolution of international human rights, as well as the challenges that those rights pose, in the context of the state system.

A full reckoning of Nikita Khrushchev’s accomplishments and failures cannot be complete without looking beyond his foreign policy initiatives to assess his efforts to introduce domestic policy reforms in the Soviet Union. Sergei Khrushchev tells the full story of those efforts during the years immediately before his father’s ouster—and of the intrigues and struggles for power that went along with them. In many ways, as his son shows, the premier’s reforms anticipated those that Deng Xiaoping successfully pursued later in China. But within only a few short years after he was forced to retire, they had been largely abandoned. Why that happened is one of the questions that Sergei Khrushchev seeks to answer in this book, as he draws on archival records, memoirs, and his own personal recollections to provide a comprehensive account of the 1961–1964 period.

Mustafa Kabha plumbs the complex story of the Palestinian people, from the revolts of 1936-1939 to the present, focusing on their efforts to establish a viable independent state–and the internal factors that have thwarted them. With unparalleled access to primary sources, as well as secondary material in Arabic, Hebrew, and English, Kabha provides an abundance of new information in a sweeping historical context. Uniquely combining his overarching narrative with the narratives of the multiple Palestinian communities throughout the Middle East, he makes a groundbreaking contribution to our understanding of the political, social, and cultural dimensions of Palestinian history.

What does it mean to adopt a realist, or a world systems, or a green approach to international relations? Does the plethora of “isms” have any relevance to the real world of global politics and policymaking? Making Sense of International Relations Theory addresses these questions by illustrating theories in action. With the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the US and its allies as a common point of reference, each contributor presents a particular framework for interpreting world affairs. This structure offers students tangible examples of how theory is used in practice and at the same time highlights the explanatory differences among theories. Incorporating extensive introductory sections, the book is uniquely designed to explore alternative ways of understanding current events—to assist students in making sense of, as well as with, IR theory.

Henry Bernstein argues that class dynamics should be the starting point of any analysis of agrarian change. Providing an accessible introduction to agrarian political economy, he shows clearly how the argument for "bringing class back in" provides an alternative to inherited conceptions of the agrarian question. He also ably illustrates what is at stake in different ways of thinking about class dynamics and the effects of agrarian change in today's globalized world.

"The frothy humor is barbed with a disturbing ambiguity and subversive irony..

"The novel’s plot is riveting..