Politics, Power, and the Common Good: An Introduction to Political Science, 7th edition

For courses in Political Science.

Politics, Power and the Common Good provides the basic knowledge that every citizen (or potential citizen) should have, from understanding the political parties that seek our votes to understanding the way that Canada's parliamentary system works. While readers need to understand the politics and political structure of our own country, politics is about more than the institutions of government. Globalization makes it important to understand what is happening in the world at large and how this affects our lives in Canada. Readers will learn about the contending perspectives that are used to understand the world, the problems of the nearly one billion people who live in extreme poverty, the global political systems of the twenty-first century, and much more.

Hallmark features of this title

• In the News. Chapter opening In the News interactive feature provides author-written content, updated annually, that puts relevant news and current events into the context of Political Science and helps you engage with the course. 
• Data is presented using engaging interactive features such as clickable timelines and maps, as well as graphs with manipulable elements and predictive functionality. 
• Integrated writing opportunities prompt students to engage with and think critically about the research presented to them. Self-paced journalling prompts encourage students to express their thoughts without breaking stride in their reading. Assignable shared writing activities direct students to share written responses with classmates, fostering peer discussion.

New and updated features of this title

• As we explore how power is manifested in both abstract and concrete ways, we can also explore the ways people and institutions can disrupt both old and new forms of power as they emerge in order to reclaim some agency, both individual and collective. In this regard, this latest edition has taken care to include and respond to the ever more diverse voices from historically marginalized communities that are increasingly impacting and shaking up established consensuses within academic understandings of politics.
• UPDATED:
  • The text takes a longer view of the globe’s political history, drawing on the insights of political anthropology.
  • The text includes an updated understanding on ethnic politics and conflict, both in Canada and internationally.
  • Contemporary movements and ideologies have been added and updated to reflect shifts in political thought and practice in recent years. Particular attention has been paid to major new developments in the political ideology of conservatism, especially in response to the continued growth of right-wing populism across the globe.
  • We have also sought to provide students with a robust but accessible overview of critical race theory in Chapter 4, an approach to the politics of race and racism that has only grown in salience in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests in the Summer of 2020.
  • Chapter 18 on the Politics of Technology is entirely new, reflecting an ongoing and rapidly changing arena in which many of the most significant developments across the entirety of political life in the coming years will be shaped.