This is a new introductory textbook on comparative politics and government, providing students with a guide to the literature and a new approach to the subject.

Jan-Erik Lane and Svante Ersson are joint authors of Politics and Society in Western Europe (Sage, 1991) and Comparative Political Economy (Pinter, 1993). Lane is also the author of The Public Sector: Concepts, Models and Approaches (Sage, 1993).