Organized thematically around important questions in comparative politics—Who rules? What explains political behavior? Where and why?— Introducing Comparative Politics, Fifth Edition integrates a set of extended case studies of 11 core countries directly into the narrative. Serving as touchstones, the cases are set in chapters where they make the most sense topically—not separated from theory or in a separate volume—and vividly illustrate issues in cross-national context. The book’s hybrid organization allows instructors to teach the way you want to teach and gives students a more accurate sense of comparative study.