Political Science: An Introduction, Updated Edition, 14th edition

For courses in Introduction to Political Science.

Explore the fundamentals of political science

Political Science: An Introduction presents a survey of different political paradigms, viewpoints and theories. Authors Michael Roskin, Robert Cord, James Medeiros and Walter Jones gear the text toward those learning about the topic for the first time. A balanced presentation of theoretical abstractions and applied reasoning equips students to make calm, rational choices and protect themselves from political manipulation.

The Updated 14th Edition offers coverage of recent developments in the US and abroad, such as the rise of demagogic populism and the effects of social media on politics.

Hallmark features of this title

• Key concepts boxes integrated throughout the narrative explain democracy, theories, classic works and case studies. These features highlight important political science ideas, provide real-world examples and engage readers.
• Methodology boxes in each chapter cover thesis statements, references, quotations, tables, cross-tabulations, graphs, scattergrams and more, all at the introductory level.
• The key terms of the discipline are defined throughout the text. The most important terms are set in boldface and defined in running marginal glossaries throughout the chapters. Other key terms are italicized and defined in the glossary at the end of the text.

New and updated features of this title

• UPDATED: The Updated 14th Edition has been revised to reflect the latest developments in politics. Here is a sampling of recent important events that receive coverage.
• The rise of demagogic populism, in the US and other lands, illustrates the fragility of democracy.
• The 2016 presidential election raises anew the defects of the US electoral system, where once again the majority vote lost.
• Social media intrudes into politics, not always to good effect.
• Party-voter alignments have partially inverted, with much of the white working class going right while many educated better-off voters go left. The authors debate whether the cause is economic or cultural.
• The 2016 and 2018 US elections ushered in an increase in political participation by women.