TextBooks Shop

Increasingly, political scientists are describing their empirical research or the reasoning behind their choices in empirical research using the terms "experiment" or "experimental." One of the primary reasons for doing so is the advantage of experiments in establishing causal inferences. In this book, Rebecca B. Morton and Kenneth C. Williams discuss in detail how experiments and experimental reasoning with observational data can help researchers determine causality. They explore how control and random assignment mechanisms work, examining both the Rubin causal model and the formal theory approaches to causality. They also cover general topics in experimentation such as the history of experimentation in political science; internal and external validity of experimental research; types of experiments - field, laboratory, virtual, and survey - and how to choose, recruit, and motivate subjects in experiments. They investigate ethical issues in experimentation, the process of securing approval from institutional review boards for human subject research, and the use of deception in experimentation.

Learn to write a great research paper with WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER IN POLITICAL SCIENCE! This concise political science text is more than just a typical research methods text - it helps you master writing, methodological, and research skills with ease. Topics covered include how to develop a research question, write a literature review, design a study, analyze information, write introductory and concluding sections, and edit and revise a paper. With a glossary, writing checklists, and examples of different parts of papers written by actual undergraduates, this political science text provides you with the tools you need to write a good research paper.

The mass media are playing an increasingly central role in modern political life that expands beyond their traditional function as mediators between the world of politics and the citizens. This volume explores the extent and circumstances under which the media affects public policy; whether the political impact of the media is confined to the public representation of politics or whether their influence goes further to also affect the substance of political decisions. It provides an in-depth understanding of the conditions under which the media might, or might not, play a role in the policy process and what the nature of their influence is. Bringing together conceptual and methodological approaches from both political science and communications studies, this book presents an interdisciplinary perspective. It presents empirical evidence of the processes involved in the interaction between mass communication and policy and features case studies from Western Europe and the US and across different policy fields. The book will be of interest to students of public policy, political communication and comparative politics.

Exceptionally up-to-date and rich in cross-national examples, Political Science  offers an unbiased and thorough introduction to the basic concepts and theories of political science. With a critical look at the major theories, it exposes students to many ways of thinking, and challenges them to think critically. Emphasizing both U.S. and comparative politics provides students with a solid foundation for connecting their studies ot what is happening in the world around them.

A practical guide on how to make the most of a Political Science degree and prepares students for a career in the political field. Overview of major career sectors of interest to Political Science majors expands their knowledge and broadens their search for a rewarding career. Two career profiles per chapter offer students an opportunity to learn how individual people achieved success with their Political Science degrees. Students are given anticipated employment and salary statistics for various career fields as a valuable resource in their pre-graduation career planning by way of opportunity and salary. A valuable resource for Intro to Political Science courses that have a mix of “undeclared” students and Political Science majors in need of guidance on what they can do with a Political Science major.

This is a comparative, conceptual introduction to political science, organized topically rather than country-by-country, providing in-depth examples at the end of most chapters to provide greater richness about various countries than a topical treatment would normally provide. The theme of "power and choice," based on a definition of politics as the making of collective choices for a group or state through the use of power, runs through much of the text.

The systematically revised third edition of the leading text on approaches and methods in political science features a considerable internatizationization in both the team of contributors and the range of coverage and examples. About half the chapters are entirely new and the rest are substantially revised and updated.

This comprehensive, practical writer's manual is designed to help readers accomplish two goals: 1) improve their writing skills and strategies and 2) learn political science at the same time. The manual considers the different types of papers common to political science at all levels, at the introductory level, and at the advanced level—exploring the purposes and characteristics of each paper, the steps for writing a successful paper, and typical formats. The volume provides a handbook of style for political science, guide to distance learning and the Internet and writing assignments for all levels. For those interested in improving the political science writing.

This work explores how after acquiring Puerto Rico in 1898, the United States engaged in a systematic ideological conquest of the population through social science textbooks used in the public school system.

Students value the book’s relevance to their experience of today’s world, its engaging, personal writing style, and the many intriguing examples (including more than 60 found in boxed discussions) from every part of the world, making concepts more vivid and memorable. The numerous political cartoons, compelling photographs, maps, and analytic diagrams effectively sustain students' interest and elaborate on key concepts. Instructors appreciate the book's comprehensive coverage of key theories and concepts and the logical manner in which it explores many of the interesting questions addressed by political scientists.