This balanced collection of classical and contemporary articles, based on a range of scholarly viewpoints, explores the tumultuous past and present of world politics. The book's forty-five selections allow readers to compare political institutions and government regimes (democratic, authoritarian, and post-communist) and examine the dynamics of decision making, performance, and political change.

Close to half of the readings in this Eighth Edition are new, reflecting the dramatic political events of recent years: the collapse of the Soviet Union and other communist systems in Europe, the struggle of former communist nations to create democratic institutions and a market economy, and the explosion of ethnic conflict, without neglecting the problems within established democracies and industrialized societies.

These readings, complemented with introductory essays from the editors, provide a stimulating overview of the tested theories and current trends in comparative politics.