Understanding the Political World offers a comparative perspective on how politics works at the global, national, group, and individual level. ¿ Focusing on how fundamental concepts in political science relate to real political events, this bestselling text surveys political behavior, systems, and processes throughout the world and asks students to evaluate and apply this knowledge. Through an engaging writing style, numerous examples, and the instructive use of visuals, Understanding the Political World encourages students to think like political scientists and to critically examine new and enduring political realities and challenges. ¿ Teaching and Learning Experience Personalize Learning: MyPoliSciLab delivers proven results in helping students succeed, provides engaging experiences that personalize learning, and comes from a trusted partner with educational expertise and a deep commitment to helping students and instructors achieve their goals. Explore Concepts and Current Events: Drawing on recent political events from a discussion of the economic crisis in the context of Ireland to the Iraqi people’s struggle to create a democracy, this text surveys the discipline of political science and shows how political scientists analyze real-world politics. Improve Critical Thinking: "Compare," "Focus," and "Debate" boxes encourage students to think comparatively and to develop political arguments. Engage Students: A new four-color design and numerous photos offer a current and lively reading experience. Emphasize Learning Outcomes: New learning objectives in every chapter focus students on what they need to learn. In MyPoliSciLab, study plans based on the same learning objectives give students follow-up reading, video, and multimedia activities for further practice. Instructor Support: An instructor’s manual, test bank, and PowerPoint presentation provide more teaching resources. In MyPoliSciLab, ClassPrep¿collects class presentation resources in one convenient online destination.