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COVER -- CONTENTS -- ILLUSTRATIONS AND FEATURES -- PREFACE -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- ABOUT THE AUTHOR -- GUIDE TO LEARNING FEATURES -- GUIDE TO THE WEBSITE -- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS -- 1 COMPARING GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS -- PREVIEW -- OVERVIEW -- WHAT IS COMPARATIVE POLITICS? -- WHY DO WE COMPARE? -- WHAT DO WE COMPARE? -- HOW DO WE COMPARE? -- CLASSIFYING POLITICAL SYSTEMS -- COMPARING ECONOMIES -- COMPARING SOCIETIES -- THE FUTURE OF COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS -- DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -- CHAPTER CONCEPTS -- KEY TERMS -- COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS ONLINE -- FURTHER READING -- 2 POLITICAL SYSTEMS -- PREVIEW -- OVERVIEW -- POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT -- POLITICAL CULTURE -- CONSTITUTIONS -- EXECUTIVES -- LEGISLATURES -- JUDICIARIES -- SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNMENT -- ELECTIONS -- POLITICAL PARTIES -- THE FUTURE OF POLITICAL SYSTEMS -- DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -- KEY TERMS -- POLITICAL SYSTEMS ONLINE -- FURTHER READING -- 3 UNITED KINGDOM -- PREVIEW -- OVERVIEW -- POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT -- POLITICAL CULTURE -- POLITICAL SYSTEM -- POLITICAL PROCESSES -- THE FUTURE OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS -- DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -- CHAPTER CONCEPTS -- KEY TERMS -- UNITED KINGDOM ONLINE -- FURTHER READING -- 4 GERMANY -- PREVIEW -- OVERVIEW -- POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT -- POLITICAL CULTURE -- POLITICAL SYSTEM -- POLITICAL PROCESSES -- THE FUTURE OF GERMAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS -- DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -- CHAPTER CONCEPTS -- KEY TERMS -- GERMANY ONLINE -- FURTHER READING -- 5 UNITED STATES -- PREVIEW -- OVERVIEW -- POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT -- POLITICAL CULTURE -- POLITICAL SYSTEM -- POLITICAL PROCESSES -- THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS -- DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -- CHAPTER CONCEPTS -- KEY TERMS -- THE UNITED STATES ONLINE -- FURTHER READING -- 6 JAPAN -- PREVIEW -- OVERVIEW -- POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT -- POLITICAL CULTURE -- POLITICAL SYSTEM.

The study of comparative government is in a state of relatively limited development. Questions are still being raised about the specificity of the subject matter and of the methodology; the enthusiasm with which comparative political scientists went into grand models in the 1960s and early 1970s has been followed by a degree of scepticism This scepticism is not justified It was imprudent to move so quickly towards grand models, while what was critical for the development of comparative government was and continues to be twofold First, there has to be a substantial improvement in our knowledge of political life all over the world: this has begun to occur, but empirical studies must be pursued more systematically and in a true comparative manner Second, the major theoretical thrust has to relate to the understanding of structures, which arc the key elements in the life of political systems; this means in particular that we have to understand systematically and dynamically such questions as institutionalization, integration, legitimacy, as well as the relationship between values and structures. If this were to occur, as it can and if empirical studies develop at a rapid pace in parallel, there is no reason to be despondent about the future of comparative government.