Price: $97.95

Format:
Paperback 432 pp.
55 colour photos; 7 figures; 4 maps; 3 tables, 8" x 10"

ISBN-10:
0195431626

ISBN-13:
9780195431629

Copyright Year:
2010

Imprint: OUP Canada

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Politics

An Introduction

George A. MacLean and Duncan R. Wood

A new entry on the Canadian market, Politics: An Introduction guides students through the basics of political ideologies and institutions before moving on to more complex concepts such as the importance of government, the organization of political systems, and the role of individuals and groups in society. With an emphasis on Canadian content throughout, the text also maintains an international scope by using case studies to examine and compare political issues in 'developed' and 'developing' countries around the world. Featuring extensive pedagogy and a beautiful full-colour design, this new text offers students an accessible, comprehensive entry into the field of political studies.

Readership : A core text for first-year introduction to politics courses offered out of political science departments in universities and general social science programs in colleges.

Reviews

  • "The organization and presentation of material is very easy to follow. I was continually impressed in almost all of the chapters with how well the succession of topics were connected to each other in a smooth flow."

    "The readability of this text is excellent. It is perhaps the best written of all the introduction to political science texts I have read, used, or reviewed."

    --John Soroski, Instructor, Grant MacEwan University
  • "The presentation of the material in this text is very well done. The discussions of the different topics are clear and while it does cover a wide range of topics and sub-fields in political science the presentation is very effective due to the continuation of basic themes and questions through the text."

    --Neil Hibbert, Assistant Professor, University of Saskatchewan
  • "The textbook contains good coverage of the politics of countries outside North America, while focusing on Canada and then the US. The authors begin with what's closest to home for the students, and work their way out."

    --John von Heyking, Associate Professor, University of Lethbridge

Preface
From the Publisher
Acknowledgements
1. Studying Politics
Why Study Politics?
Approaches Used in the Study of Politics
Politics and Our Everyday Lives
Division and Connection in a Changing World
Domestic and International Politics
Citizens and Canada
2. Finding a Common Vocabulary: Political Concepts
Introduction: The Importance of a Common Language
Political Organization
Political Action
Values
Identity
3. Political Thought, Philosophy, and Ideology
What is Political Philosophy?
The History of Political Thought
Ideologies
Liberal Thought
Socialism
Nationalism
Other Systems of Thought:
Conservatism
Feminism
Environmentalism
Fascism
Anarchism
Political Islam
The Relevance of Ideas
4. The Role of Government
What Do Governments Do?
Some Shared Objectives of Government
Some Activities of Government
Schools of Thought Regarding the Role of Government
Forms of Political Systems
Liberal Democracy
Authoritarianism
Totalitarianism
Government and Canada
5. Branches of Government
Institutions of Government
The Executive
The Legislature
Legislative functions
The Judiciary
Constitutionality ruling
Judicial legal interpretation
Judicial dispute adjudication
The Bureaucracy
Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Institutions of Government
Government in Canada
Canadian federalism
Canadian courts and the Constitution
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms and individual citizens
Canadian law
6. Political Systems
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
7. Political Participation: Elections and Parties
Democracy and Voting
Types of Electoral Systems
Political Parties
Election Campaigns
Campaign Financing
Direct Democracy and the Referendum
Elections and Political Parties in Canada
8. Political Socialization and Culture
The Process of Political Participation
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
Interest Groups
Lobbying
Policy-communities
Corporatism
Canadian Political Culture and Socialization
9. Politics in Developed States
What Are Developed States?
A History of the 'Developed World'
Post-Industrialization and Political Authority
Cases:
Canada
The United States
Japan
The European Union
10. Politics in Developing States
What is Development?
A History of the 'Developing World'
Political and Social Development
Economic Development
The Link between Political and Economic Development
Population Growth
Post-Industrialization and Political Crisis
The Role of International Organizations
Debates about Development
China: The Politics of an Emerging Global Power
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
Elections in Mexico
The Mexican economy
Economic liberalization and openness
The future of Mexico
11. International Politics and Foreign Policy
International Politics, International Relations, Foreign Policy, and the State
The International System
Actors in World Politics
Globalization
Competing Approaches to International Politics
Process and Cooperation: 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
12. International Security
Security and Insecurity
War in International Relations
Terrorism
Humanitarian Interventionism
Peacekeeping, Conflict Management and Resolution
Canada in Afghanistan
13. International Political Economy
What is IPE?
The Perspectives of IPE
Economic Interdependence
International Economic Cooperation
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
The Bretton Woods system
The Latin American debt crisis
The New International Finance and the crises of the late 1990s
The Global Financial Crisis 2008-9
Economic Regionalism
Oil and Oil Prices
Multinational Corporations
14. Conclusion
What Have We Learned?
Where Do We Go from Here?

Instructor Resources:
Instructor's Manual
Test Generator
PowerPoint Slides
CBC MP3 Clips
Student Study Guide:
Chapter Summaries/Outlines
Learning Objectives
Glossary Definitions
Self-Grading Quizzes
Suggested Essay Questions
Short Answer Questions
Author Podcasts
CBC MP3 Clips

George A. MacLean is professor and department head of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of Clinton's Foreign Policy in Russia (2007), co-author of Introduction to Politics: Power, Participation, and the Distribution of Wealth (2001) (with Duncan Wood), co-editor of Ideas, Interests, and Issues (2005 and 2008), and editor of Canada and the United States: A Relationship at a Crossroads? (2005) and Between Actor and Presence: The European Union and the Future for the Transatlantic Relationship (2001). His articles on international relations, foreign policy, international political economy, and security have been widely published in journals and periodicals.

Duncan R. Wood is full professor, director of the Program in International Relations, and director of the Canadian Studies Program at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City. He is also a researcher in the Centro de Derecho Economico Internacional (CDEI) at ITAM. His research focuses on the reform of the Mexican energy sector, Latin American energy policy, migration and remittances, the political economy of international finance, Canadian and Mexican foreign policy, and Canada-Mexico relations. He has published on banking supervision, North American relations, Latin American oil companies, and Mexican migration.

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Special Features

  • 100% Canadian. Extensive references and examples throughout encourage students to think critically about the nature of politics in a Canadian context.
  • Global context. Examines the nature of the international system, the complicated issues of global insecurity, and the dynamics of international political economy, giving students a well-rounded understanding of politics.
  • Practical. Connecting theory to practice, the book uses current and relevant examples to illustrate key concepts.
  • Clear organization. Begins with an exploration of important political concepts and their origins, followed by an overview of political philosophy and key ideologies, before moving on to more complex concepts.
  • Accessible. Written in a clear, engaging style, making difficult concepts easy for undergraduate students to understand.
  • Standalone chapter on "International Security" (Ch 12). This important and timely topic is covered in a separate chapter.
  • Country case studies. Examines politics in a comparative context, considering 'development' and 'underdevelopment' in the world today.
  • Dynamic full-colour format. Visually appealing layout helps students navigate content.
  • Extensive pedagogy. Key terms highlighted at first use, marginal glossary, boxed features, political cartoons, chapter conclusions, self-assessment questions, web links, and lists of further readings boost student understanding and promote active learning.
  • Illustrative CBC MP3 clips and podcasts. Icons in each chapter highlight accompanying news clips, which help students connect theories and ideologies to real-world events.