Amazon.com description: Product Description: Balancing theory with application and now in a new, exciting full-color design, Dr. Hauss' COMPARATIVE POLITICS is the best-selling comprehensive text for the Introduction to Comparative Politics course. The book uses a unique theme-DOMESTIC RESPONSES TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES-to introduce key concepts and examines the growing interdependence among strong and weak states through the discussion of 12 countries. The introduction establishes a comparative structure based on 5 themes that are treated as appropriate for each individual country in color-coded boxed features. The themes are conflict, democratization, economic liberalization, globalization, and challenges. The countries discussed are categorized by economic development, helping students develop their skills of comparison, synthesis and interpretation amongst countries of similar economic status. Students will gain an understanding of some of the most important general trends, an exposure to politics in a number of countries, and a desire to dig more deeply into this fascinating and exciting field of comparative politics.