Library Guides: POLS/GS 003: Comparative Politics: Find Background Information

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The Oxford Companion to Comparative Politics by Joel Krieger (Editor-In-Chief); Craig N. Murphy; Margaret E. Crahan The two-volume Oxford Companion to Comparative Politics fills a gap in scholarship on an increasingly important field within Political Science. Comparative Politics, the discipline devoted to the politics of other countries or peoples, has been steadily gaining prominence as a field of study, allowing politics to be viewed from a wider foundation than a concentration on domestic affairs would permit. Comparativists apply various theories and concepts to analyze the similarities and differences between political units, using the results of their research to develop causalities and generalizations.Each of these theories and outcomes are thoroughly defined in the Companion, as are major resultant conclusions, those comparativists who have influenced the field in significant ways, and politicians whose administrations have shaped the evaluation of contrasting governments. Approximately 200 revised and updated articles from the Oxford Companion to Politics of the World would serve as a foundation for the set, while over 100 new entries would thoroughly examine the field in a lasting, more theoretical than current-event-based, way. New entries cover such topics as failed states, Grand Strategies, and Soft Power; important updates include such countries as China and Afghanistan and issues like Capital Punishment, Gender and Politics, and Totalitarianism. Country entries include the most significant nations to permit a focus on non time-sensitive analysis. In addition, 25 1,000-word interpretive essays by notable figures analyze the discipline, its issues and accomplishments. Collectively, entries promote deeper understanding of a field that is often elusive to non-specialists.
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2012
The SAGE Handbook of Comparative Politics by Todd Landman (Editor); Neil Robinson (Editor)
Call Number: ebook
ISBN: 9781412919760
Publication Date: 2009
Also available in print: FM 6th Floor North 320.3 S129

BBC News Country Profiles
Guide to the history, politics and economics of countries and territories.
CIA World Factbook
Updated on a bi-weekly basis, the CIA Factbook, give a quick snapshot of each nation's demography, economy, government, geography, and other sectors such as transportation, communication, transportation and military.

Center for Strategic and International Studies
CSIS is one of the world’s preeminent international policy institutions focused on defense and security; regional stability; and transnational challenges ranging from energy and climate to global development and economic integration.
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CSIS is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Center’s 220 full-time staff and large network of affiliated scholars conduct research and analysis and develop policy initiatives that look to the future and anticipate change.
JuriGlobe: World Legal Systems
This unique website explores the "diversity of the various legal systems, their languages and their economic and demographic importance in the world."
U.S. Department of State Background Notes
Find facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations of independent states, some dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty.
WWW Virtual Library International Affairs Resources
Website description: "Internet directory of over 2000 annotated links to high-quality English-language sources of information and analysis in many international and global studies topics. Sites are carefully selected for their long-term value, favoring those with cost-free, authoritative information and analysis online." Maintained by Dr. Wayne Selcher, emeritus professor, Elizabethtown College.

POLS/GS 003: Comparative Politics

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