Political Research Methods & Practical Skills is the most comprehensive political research methods textbook available Written especially for politics students it provides a practical & relevant approach to the subject that equips students with the knowledge & skills needed to evaluate research findings & successfully carry out independent study & research Taking a helpful step-by-step approach the authors guide the reader through the process of asking & answering research questions & the different methods used in political research providing practical advice on how to be critical & rigorous in both evaluating & conducting research With an emphasis throughout on how research can impact important political questions & policy issues Halperin & Heath equip readers with the skills to formulate significant questions & develop meaningful & persuasive answers An Online Resource Centre accompanies this text &

Includes:: a range of resources for both students & lecturers For students
- Learn from real examples of actual research to see what research proposals & literature reviews look like in practice
- Take your learning further with relevant web links to reliable online content related to each chapter For registered lecturers
- Access additional case studies complete with accompanying questions for use in class or to assign as additional reading
- Reinforce key themes from each chapter with suggested seminar questions & activities





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An examination of the rapidly evolving state of political risk & how to navigate it by former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice & Amy Zegart 336 pages Rice Condoleezza ...

Human beings live together in societies which by their very nature give rise to institutions governing the behaviour & freedom of individuals This raises important questions about how these institutions ought to function & the extent to which actual systems of government succeed or fail in meeting these ideals This Oxford Reader contains 140 key writings on political thought covering issues about human nature & its relation to society the extent to which the powers of the State are justified the tension between liberty & rights & the way resources should be distributed Topics such as international relations minority rights democracy socialism & conservatism are also discussed by contributors ranging from Plato & Aristotle to Foucault Isaiah Berlin & Martin Luther King ...

From the author of the international bestsellers World on Fire Battle & Hymn of the Tiger Mother a bracing & original look at the tension between our tribal instincts & our democratic political ideals Humans are tribal We need to belong to groups Groups unite us fostering a sense of belonging & taking care of some of our most basic needs They have also throughout history divided us Today the West
- & particularly the United States
- sees the world in terms of nation-states engaged in great ideological battles democracy vs authoritarianism communism vs capitalism the free world' vs the axis of evil' Abroad our inability to recognise ethnic religious sectarian & clan-based tribes has led to stunning oversights in Vietnam Afghanistan & Iraq This hasn't always been the case During its imperial heyday for instance Britain exploited the power of group identities by practicing ruthlessly successful acutely group-conscious divide-&-rule policies to its advantage Now political correctness has seen group-blindness become the norm leading to disasters at home & abroad Pundits miscalled the US election & Brexit because they failed to pay heed to the deep significance of political tribes at home They didn't understand & even looked down on what matters most to ordinary citizens not equality not democracy not grand ideals but belonging to a group If we are to transcend our political tribes we must rediscover a broader more nuanced unity that acknowledges the reality of our group differences Insightful challenging & provocative Political Tribes is Amy Chua at her best

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'A beautifully written eminently readable & uniquely important challenge to conventional wisdom' J D Vance author of Hillbilly Elegy Never has our society felt more divided In Political Tribes Amy Chua diagnoses the cause of our current political discord tribalism In many parts of the world the group identities that matter most
- the ones that people will kill & die for
- are ethnic religious sectarian or clan-based Time & time again our blindness to tribalism has undermined our foreign policy At home we have recently witnessed the rise of identity politics a movement that encourages us to define ourselves against & thereby exclude others The shock results of the US election & the Brexit referendum show that tribalism is a social truth that we ignore at our peril When people are defined by their differences to each other extremism becomes the common ground & the grand ideals of democracy have a hard time competing with a more primal need to belong If we are to transcend our political tribes we must rediscover a broader more nuanced unity that acknowledges the reality of our group differences Insightful challenging & provocative Amy Chua's groundbreaking book could not be more timely

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Now in its fourth edition this hugely popular textbook has established itself as the number one introduction to Politics for students around the world Systematically revised & updated the book continues to offer a clear & comprehensive guide to the most important conceptual & theoretical issues in the study of Politics Paying particular attention to the interdependence of domestic & world events in present day politics this latest edition is once again the ideal text to recommend to students undertaking introductory modules across Politics & International Relations programmes With numerous features such as case studies controversies key thinkers & concept boxes it helps students of all levels develop their critical awareness as well as their own views ...

' Compelling' Ian Mc Ewan ' Engrossing' Alan Johnson ' Essential' Robert Peston THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERPolitics has changed For decades Britain was divided between Left & Right but united in its belief in a two-party state Now with nationalism resurgent & mainstream parties in turmoil stark new divisions define the country & the centre ground is deserted Nick Clegg witnessed this change from the inside Here he offers a frank account of his experiences & puts the case for a new politics based on reason & compromise He writes candidly about the tense st&-offs within government & the decision to enter coalition with the Conservatives in the first place He also lifts the lid on the arcane worlds of Westminster & Brussels the vested interests that suffocate reform as well as the achievements his party made despite them Whatever your political persuasion if you wish to understand politics in Britain today you cannot afford to ignore this book ...

' Politics & the English Language' is widely considered Orwell's most important essay on style Style for Orwell was never simply a question of aesthetics; it was always inextricably linked to politics & to truth' All issues are political issues & politics itself is a mass of lies evasions folly hatred & schizophrenia When the general atmosphere is bad language must suffer' Language is a political issue & slovenly use of language & cliches make it easier for those in power to deliberately use misleading language to hide unpleasant political facts Bad English he believed was a vehicle for oppressive ideology & it is no accident that ' Politics & the English Language' was written after the close of World War II ...

Catastrophic events like the bombing of Hiroshima Hurricane Katrina s devastation of New Orleans & drone strikes periodically achieve renewed political significance as subsequent developments summon them back to public awareness But why & how do different conceptions of time inform & challenge these key events & the narratives they create? In this book Michael J Shapiro provides an approach to politics & time that unsettles official collective histories by introducing analyses of lived experience articulated in cinematic televisual musical & literary genres His investigation is framed by questions of our responsibility to acknowledge those victims of violence & catastrophe who have failed to rise above the threshold of public recognition Ultimately by focusing on time as an active force shaping our conception of political life we can deepen our understanding of complex political dynamics & improve the theories & methods we rely on to interpret them This bold & original book will be of interest to students & scholars of political theory cultural studies & cinema studies looking for a new perspective on the temporal aspects of political life ...

' Politics as a Vocation' examines what makes good political leaders & explores the effects of political action on modern societies On one level it summarizes the political scholarship of one of the founding fathers of social science On another it reflects practical concerns about the future of Germany after its defeat in World War I 100 pages Mc Clean Tom ...