Introduction to Comparative Politics: Political Challenges and Changing Agendas, 9th Edition

Mark Kesselman, Joel Krieger, William A. Joseph, Colin M. Brown, Kelly Bauer

Copyright 2025
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Introduction to Comparative Politics: Political Challenges and Changing Agendas 9th Edition by Mark Kesselman/Joel Krieger/William A. Joseph/Colin M. Brown/Kelly Bauer

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Overview
Meet the Authors
What's New
Features
Table of Contents
Pricing

Overview

Welcome to the updated and timely Kesselman/Krieger/Joseph/Brown/Bauer's INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS: POLITICAL CHALLENGES AND CHANGING AGENDAS, 9th EDITION, designed specifically for faculty seeking a comprehensive and engaging resource. This edition reflects the dynamic political climate of today, offering both theoretical and country-by-country approaches that enable students to explore similarities, differences and nuances within and between political systems. New chapters significantly expand on the previous edition's coverage of political theory, while the country-by-country case studies align with the AP Comparative Politics exam. Delve into four theory chapters that provide a solid foundation by covering essential topics across the subject. The pedagogy and condensed narrative facilitate meaningful connections and comparisons among the countries studied, enhancing the learning experience.

Meet the Authors

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Mark Kesselman

Mark Kesselman is the senior editor of the International Political Science Review and professor emeritus of political science at Columbia University. His research focuses on the political economy of French and European politics. His publications include THE AMBIGUOUS CONSENSUS (1967), THE FRENCH WORKERS MOVEMENT (1984), THE POLITICS OF GLOBALIZATION: A READER (2012), and THE POLITICS OF POWER (2013). His articles have appeared in The American Political Science Review, World Politics and Comparative Politics.

Joel Krieger

Joel Krieger is the Norma Wilentz Hess Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College. He is author of REAGAN, THATCHER, AND THE POLITICS OF DECLINE (Oxford University Press, 1986), along with BRITISH POLITICS IN THE GLOBAL AGE (Oxford University Press, 1999). He is the editor-in-chief of THE OXFORD COMPANION TO COMPARATIVE POLITICS (Oxford University Press, 2013).

William A. Joseph

William A. Joseph is professor of political science and department chair at Wellesley College. He is also an associate in research of the John King Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University. His major areas of academic interest are contemporary Chinese politics and ideology, the political economy of development, and the Vietnam War. He is the editor of and a contributor to POLITICS IN CHINA: AN INTRODUCTION, 2nd EDITION (Oxford University Press, 2014).

Colin M. Brown

Colin M. Brown is an associate teaching professor in Northeastern University’s political science department. His primary academic interests are in immigration, citizenship and West European politics; he also conducts pedagogical research on teaching writing skills in the political science classroom. He is a local faculty affiliate of Harvard University’s Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies and is co-editor of the Political Science Educator.

Kelly Bauer

Kelly Bauer is an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the political science department at George Washington University, and a member of the Red De Politólogas – #NoSinMujeres. Her research explores identity and development politics in Latin America, plus political science pedagogy. Her book, NEGOTIATING AUTONOMY: MAPUCHE TERRITORIAL DEMANDS AND CHILEAN LAND POLICY (University of Pittsburg Press, 2021), was externally supported by the U.S. Fulbright Program and Inter-American Foundation's Grassroots Development Fellowship. Her work has appeared in Journal of Agrarian Change, NACLA, Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Canadian Journal of Development Studies, Revue canadienne d’études du développement, and Journal of Political Science Education.

What's New

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New theory chapters on democracy, political economy and political identities present students with the conceptual background to analyze the political, economic and social structures discussed in the case studies.
An expanded, separate chapter on comparative methods and a new concluding chapter called “Debating The Future of Comparative Politics” offer students ways to continue their learning beyond the text. These chapters include tips and starting points that help merge research design with the course content, give students more ways to explore current events on their own, and enhance the skills needed to undertake individual projects.
Learning objectives are listed at the start of each chapter, integrated into respective chapter sections, and summarized in the chapter conclusion.
Each case study chapter includes a new data analysis feature box, which challenges students to use quantitative data to describe and analyze variation in political outcomes. This feature supports students’ data literacy, inviting them to use data to expand their learning.
The U.S. Connection feature compares an important aspect of political institutions with the American counterpart.

Features

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Sidebar boxes in each country chapter highlight three interesting and provocative aspects of politics. A profile feature spotlights biographies of important political leaders, while the Global Connection feature provides links between domestic and international politics.
Each country chapter includes six consistent sections to facilitate cross-national comparison and student understanding: a chapter-opening vignette illustrating an important feature of the country's political patterns, a description of the country's past and current political economy, a discussion of the major political institutions, an analysis of political participation, a discussion of collective action and political identities, and a review of major current issues that confront the country.
Data analysis boxes in each country chapter challenge students to use quantitative data to describe and analyze variation in political outcomes. This feature supports students’ data literacy learning and invites them to use data to expand their learning.

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1. Introducing Political Science.
2. Building Theory and Presenting Evidence in Comparative Politics.
3. Democracy and its Alternatives.
4. Identities: Class, Ethnicity, and Collective Politics.
5. Governing the Economy.
6. Britain.
7. Germany.
8. India.
9. Brazil.
10. Mexico.
11. Nigeria.
12. The Russian Federation.
13. Iran.
14. China.
15. Debating The Future of Comparative Politics.