"Bringing together readings that cover the broad range of issues of importance to those studying politics and society, this volume provides a unique mix of theoretical and empirical pieces, such as state and electoral politics, that address both classic issues in political sociology as well as more recent developments, such as globalization. With strong integration of race and gender throughout, this collection offers a coherent analysis of power that reflects the contributions of a variety of critical perspectives, including Marxism, feminism, critical race theory, postmodernism, and power structure theory."--BOOK JACKET.