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Lipset is one of the most productive & innovative social scientists in the 20th century. Some of his many books & articles have become classic texts, in particular, his seminal book, Political Man (1960). Despite the broad scope of his work, Lipset's writings have one single focus -- the study of democracy. He has studied the social & political factors conducive to democratization & the stability of democracy, taking into account social structural conditions, the role of intermediary organizations, political culture, electoral behavior, & political leadership. His work is theoretical as well as empirical, & his perspective has always been a comparative one, referring to practically all major world regions. Lipset was the first to put forward the idea that socioeconomic development is an important precondition for democratic development & that economic success may in turn contribute to legitimize newly democratized regimes. He has also emphasized the central importance of a competitive party system for sustaining (intra-organizational) democracy. As an American, Lipset has finally always been intrigued by the exceptional character of American democracy, which he traces back to a historically unique combination of favorable circumstances at the time of its foundation, ie, social structural conditions (high levels of social mobility), a specific value system (individualism, equality of opportunities, religiosity), & the availability of political leaders intent on creating a republic based on popular sovereignty that was without precedent at the time. 2 Tables, 31 References. Adapted from the source document.