Long established as the leading text in the field, the new edition has been comprehensively updated and rewritten. Accessible, student-friendly and truly international in its coverage, this edition includes more on authoritarian states as well as a much wider variety of country studies more generally.

Preface.- 1. Key Concepts.- 2. The State.- 3. Democratic Rule.- 4. Authoritarian Rule.- 5. Theoretical Approaches.- 6. Comparing Government and Politics.- 7. Constitutions and Court.- 8. Legislatures.- 9. Executives.- 10. Bureaucracies.- 11. Sub-national Government.- 12. Political Culture.- 13. Political Participation.- 14. Political Communication.- 15. Political Parties.- 16. Elections.- 17. Voters.- 18. Interest Groups.- 19. Public Policy

"I am delighted to see that John McCormick is joining Hague and Harrop...I am also pleased to see that the author has looked at both the 'big picture' and the small details. This shows that he is taking this project seriously. This book - the best on the market for introductory-level comparative politics students, in my opinion - is hard to improve upon, yet the author has suggested a number of ways to make the book even better, and I agree with most of them...[F]or those US instructors who want a thematic approach, the revised version of this textbook offers an excellent core textbook as an alternative to the really dry, atheoretical, segmented, and highly overpriced books they may currently be inflicting upon their students. In the UK and elsewhere in Europe (plus, I hope, other countries teaching in English), the revisions proposed here should help keep this textbook in its place as one of the best available.' - Tom Lundberg, University of Glasgow, UK 'Overall, I welcome these proposed alterations to the textbook. The author generally aims to keep the strong features of H&H, while delivering some important improvements ... The author's plan maintain the accessibility of the textbook for undergraduates is most welcome ... I am very pleased to see the typology of states will be expanded. The new author understands well the limitations of the current edition, which is too great a focus on democracies. Our course is delivered in three parts: theory, liberal democracies, and authoritarian states ... Regarding the balance of coverage, the proposed reduction of emphasis on the EU is less welcome, although it may not be problematic. The second part of our course deals with liberal capitalist democracies, and in particular the issue of multi-level governance. My tutors have commented that the H&H chapter on this question is particularly weak and needs strengthening, with only five pages relevant to the course. They also noted that the chapter on Bureaucracy could do with more examples to demonstrate the transition from Weberian to post-Weberian state. The inclusion of an Islamic state is essential and a welcome alteration, while the addition of hybrid state cases looks very good.' - Nick Turnbull, University of Manchester, UK 'The revision plan contains a number of ideas that make sense to me and that potentially could contribute to improving an already sound and good textbook. - Thomas Zittel, University of Frankfurt, Germany 'I think the addition of John McCormick to the team is an excellent idea. I know his scholarship better than his textbooks, but I have the sense that he is a clear writer with huge textbook experience ... I find myself in agreement with practically all of the changes he proposes. I'm so much in agreement that I'm not going to go through and signal everything I agree with-though I'll specifically add my voice to two of his suggestions: 1) I agree that there is too much EU material (even, I think, for the European market, and very much so for the US market), and 2) I also would put the institutions before the processes (switching around the parts) ... Overall, though, I think this is a good book that is going to get better.' - Craig Parsons, University of Oregon, USA 'This book, in its numerous editions, has long been the standard introduction in the UK and elsewhere to comparative politics, and rightly so. I myself use it, and know that newcomers to the topic find it both accessible and comprehensive. There is no question that a new edition would be very welcome...Overall, as should by now be abundantly clear, I am very impressed with the proposed changes; they would make an already excellent introductory text an outstanding one, and Prof. McCormick has clearly put a great deal of thought into his suggestions. I feel that, as an assessor, I should be more critical; but I really did find myself nodding in agreement with almost all the proposed changes. I would certainly use this book for teaching, and I know many others would too.' - Leslie Holmes, University of Melbourne, Australia