As an introductory text in comparative study, this work begins with the assumption that students should examine a variety of perspectives and explore alternative possibilities as a means of arousing curiosity, stimulating creativity, building interest and self-motivation, and enhancing understanding of complex issues in politics and political economy.The book provides the student with the foundations for comparative inquiry. Its purpose is threefold: to sketch an overview of the major theories and concepts; to expose issues, summarize arguments and counter-arguments; and to encourage the beginning student to pursue critical thinking in the recognition that mainstream ideas deserve scrutiny, many essential questions remain unsettled, and that the outcome may result in the formulation and reinforcement of a personal perspective, premised on one's individual learning.The principal chapters focus on important themes and dichotomies of theory with attention to institutional frameworks (state and system approaches), the social dimension (class and group formations), the cultural dimension (individual and collective preferences), the economic dimension (capitalist and socialist development), and the political dimension (representative and participatory democracy).