ISBN : 9780199027521
Accessible and engaging throughout, this introductory text examines politics from a Canadian, comparative, and international perspective. Guiding students through the basics of political ideologies and institutions before moving on to more complex concepts, this text covers essential questions regarding politics, such as who has power in society and why, how might groups participate in political activity, how can we distinguish among so many types of political systems, how is wealth distributed, and why is conflict so prevalent in the world today?
This newly updated edition includes new coverage of populism, the rebirth of protectionist nationalism, and the politics of climate change, and continues to use current examples and case studies from Canada and around the world.
List of Boxes
Preface
Features
Chapter 1 Studying Politics
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Power and Politics
Why Study Politics?
What Is Politics?
Approaches Used in the Study of Politics
Political Studies and Our Daily Lives
Division and Connection in a Changing World
Domestic and International Politics
Citizens and Canada
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 2 Finding a Common Vocabulary: Political Concepts
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Political Organization
Political Action
Values
Identity
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 3 Political Thought, Philosophy, and Ideology
Learning Objectives
Introduction
What Is Political Philosophy?
The History of Political Thought
Ideology
The Left-Right Spectrum
Liberal Thought
Neoliberalism
Conservatism
Socialism
Nationalism
Other Systems of Thought
Feminism
Post-Colonialism
Environmentalism
Fascism
Anarchism
Political Islam
Confucian Political Thought
The Relevance of Ideas
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 4 The Role of Government
Learning Objectives
Introduction
What Do Governments Do?
What Can Cause a Government to Fail?
Some Shared Objectives of Government
Some Activities of Government
Schools of Thought Regarding the Role of Government
Objectives of Political Systems
Constitutions: The Basic Law
Liberal Democracy
Authoritarianism
Totalitarianism
Government and Canada
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 5 Branches of Government
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Institutions of Government
The Executive
The Legislature
Legislative Structures
Legislative Functions
The Judiciary
Constitutionality Ruling
Judicial Legal Interpretation
Judicial Dispute Adjudication
The Bureaucracy
Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Government in Canada
Canadian Federalism
Canadian Courts and the Constitution
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms and Individual Citizens
Canadian Law
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 6 Political Systems
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Distributing Power within the State: To Centralize or Share?
Unitary Systems
Federal Systems
Canadian Federalism: An Evolving History
The Division of Powers
The Evolution of Canadian Federalism
Quebec and Canadian Federalism
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 7 Political Participation: Elections and Parties
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Democracy and Voting
Types of Electoral Systems
Political Parties
Election Campaigns
Campaign Financing
Direct Democracy and the Referendum
Elections and Political Parties in Canada
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 8 Political Socialization and Culture
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Political Culture
Political Socialization
Public Opinion
The Media and Politics
Civil Society and Non-Governmental Organizations
The Participation of Private Actors in the Decision-Making Process
Policy Communities
Advocacy Groups
Lobbying
Corporatism
Canadian Political Culture and Socialization
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 9 Politics in Developed States
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Comparative Politics
What are Developed States?
A Brief Postwar History of the Developed World
Post-Industrialization and Political Authority
Case Studies
Canada
The United States
South Korea
The European Union
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 10 Politics in Developing States
Learning Objectives
Introduction
A Note about Terminology
Political and Social Development
Democracy and Political Development
The Role of the Military
Health Care
Economic Development
The Link between Political and Economic Development
Population Growth
The Role of International Organizations
China: The Politics of an Emerging Global Power
China's Political System
Chinese History: The Heritage of Imperialism and Revolution
The Origins of Modern China
Chinese Economic Reform
Future Challenges for China
Mexico: The Challenges of Democratization
History
Mexico's Political System
The Mexican Presidency
The Mexican Congress
A Brief History of Elections in Mexico
The Mexican Economy
Economic Liberalization and Openness
Organized Crime, Drugs, and Public Security
The Future of Mexico
India: Politics and Development in the World's Largest Democracy
History
India's Political System
Indian Development
The Future of India
Afghanistan: The Legacies of Conflict in a Developing State
The History of Modern Afghanistan
The People of Afghanistan
The Political System of Afghanistan
The Future of Afghanistan
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 11 International Politics and Foreign Policy
Learning Objectives
Introduction
International Politics, International Relations, Foreign Policy, and the State
The International System
Actors in World Politics
Globalization
Competing Approaches to International Politics
Power Politics: The Realist Approach
Process and Co-operation: The Liberal Approach
Rejecting Realism: The Marxist Approach
Perception and Politics
Diplomacy and Foreign Policy
Geography
Natural Resources
Population
Technological Development
Internal Political Structures and Processes
Canada and the World
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 12 International Security
Learning Objectives
Introduction
Security and Insecurity
War in International Relations
Terrorism
Humanitarian Interventionism
Peacekeeping, Conflict Management, and Resolution
Canada in Afghanistan
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 13 International Political Economy
Learning Objectives
Introduction
What is IPE?
The Perspectives of IPE
Economic Interdependence
International Economic Co-operation
The World Trading System
The Growth of Trade since 1846
The GATT
The WTO
Present and Future Challenges for Trade
The International System of Money and Finance
What Is the International Monetary System?
What Is the International Financial System?
The Bretton Woods System
The Latin American Debt Crisis
International Finance and the Late 1990s Crisis
The Global Financial Crisis, 2008
Economic Regionalism
The New NAFTA
Oil and Oil Prices
Multinational Corporations
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Chapter 14 Conclusion
Learning Objectives
Introduction
What Have We Learned?
Where Do We Go from Here?
Conclusion
Self-Assessment Questions
Weblinks
Further Reading
Film and Video Clips
Notes
Glossary
Index
