"The central purpose of this book is to show students how to think critically--to reason, reflect, and analyze--about the enduring questions of political science. It seeks to engage students by illustrating the relevance of international issues to their own lives. The book is not organized around individual countries or particular governments, but around political ideas, institutions, processes, and problems. It moves progressively from examples familiar to American students to a non-Western emphasis, allowing students to learn important basic concepts and then apply them to a global setting."--Back cover.