This authoritative analysis introduces the key concepts used by contemporary political scientists.

For courses in Introduction to Political Science and Political Theory and Thought.

This authoritative analysis introduces the key concepts used by contemporary political scientists. Rigorous, concise, and tightly argued, it makes use of everyday and historical examples to illustrate important and challenging conceptual material. The authors use the core political phenomenon of influence as a springboard to explaining politics, government, state, political systems, democracy, and the like. Considerable attention is paid to democratic political systems and what has been learned about the conditions that facilitate or undermine democracy.