Comparative Politics of the Global South: Linking Concepts and Cases

Praise for the previous editions: “This book outshines any other text I have seen…. The authors do a wonderful job of synthesizing a great deal of information and presenting it in terms that should engage an audience of undergraduates.” ―Dwight Hahn, John Carroll University “The writing style is lively and the detail is impressive…. another welcome innovation is the welding together of the discussion of key issues with the eight country cases.” ―Ross Burkhart, Boise State University December Green and Laura Luehrmann show how history, economics, and politics converge to create the realities of life in the Global South. In this new edition, the authors continue to offer an innovative blend of theory and empirical material as they introduce the politics of what was once called the “third world.” They consistently link theoretical concepts to a set of eight contemporary case studies: China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, and Zimbabwe. A central theme throughout the new edition is how the Covid-19 pandemic has worked as a hinge event―accelerating troubling trends and amplifying longstanding socioeconomic and political problems. Other features of the fifth edition include: • Thoroughly revised chapters on economic and development issues • An update on regime transitions and the rise of authoritarianism • Analysis of the status of conflict, terrorist movements, and weapons proliferation • An expanded discussion of populism and nationalism in both the economic and political spheres • A comparison of the range of experiences and responses to the pandemic The result is a text that has been successfully designed to challenge students’ preconceptions, arouse their curiosity, and foster critical thinking. CONTENTS: Comparing and Defining an Interdependent World. HISTORICAL LEGACIES. Precolonial History: What Once Was, and Why It Matters. Colonialism and Resistance: Gold, God, and Glory. Linking Concepts and Cases. ECONOMIC REALITIES. The Global Economy: What the Pandemic Reveals. Aid, Trade, and Debt: Contending Views on Development. Linking Concepts and Cases. POLITICS AND POLITICAL CHANGE. Civil Society Takes on the State. Linking Concepts and Cases. Violence: The Call to Arms. Linking Concepts and Cases. Democracy: Reform, Reconfiguration, or Disintegration? Authoritarianism’s Appeal: Why Now? Linking Concepts and Cases. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. Sovereignty and the Role of International Organizations. Confronting Global Challenges. The Global South and the United States: Friends or Foes? Linking Concepts and Cases. CONCLUSION. Looking Forward: Responses to Interdependence.