Political Science

How well is the field of political studies doing and where is it headed? These questions are answered by this broad world overview of political science, its advances and shortcomings, along with prescriptions for the future in the first decades of the 21th century. The volume includes three world regional assessments of the discipline by senior scholars along with an in-depth survey of various sub-disciplinary fields and a concluding critical essay on the future of political studies. Great as a text book, i.e., an introductory global overview.

Digitalization is not only a new research subject for political science, but a transformative force for the discipline in terms of teaching and learning as well as research methods and publishing. This volume provides the first account of the influence of digitalization on the discipline of political science including contributions from 20 different countries. It presents a regional stocktaking of the challenges and opportunities of digitalization in most world regions.

This ground breaking volume offers a range of alternative approaches to political science, highlighting problems too rarely confronted by "mainstream" political scientists. Ranging from Gunfighter Sagas to the changing faces of an imaginary Mars, the innovative chapters introduce whole new ways of rethinking politics, stirring up the all too conventional ways of the discipline. "Klaus von Beyme, one of the most erudite members of our profession, in his introduction conclusively demonstrates the book's cross-disciplinary merits. I believe this valuable work will be a powerful boost to an international, comparatively informed, pluralist political science." Theodore J. Lowi (Cornell University), former President, International Political Science Association
The collection is a very good example of old fashioned socio-historic research that will leave the reader with the good feeling of having learned something interesting and being able to make the connection between our hectic, new, super-modern, digital present and a past that remains relevant and informative if studied carefully and employed to contemporary challenges that often lie at the heart of international development.

"Known as a field of quantitative measurement and theoretical debate, political science is also a field where researchers draw increasingly on in-person fieldwork. This book presents a collection of 35 field research stories from scholars of political science from a range of subfields, ranks, and specializations in a readable and relatable guidebook for fieldwork in political science. Each story will be accompanied by reflections from the author on the key lesson that he or he took from his/her experience. Organized around a number of methodological topics, this book will complement existing methods textbooks in that it will provide practical (and entertaining) illustrations of a range of concepts, from specific research methods, such as conducting interviews and surveys, to broader topics, such as research ethics and personal safety. What really makes this book stand out is that it will be a collection of real, personal stories from working political scientists: some funny, some dramatic, all fascinating and informative. This book will be an essential resource for PhD students learning about research methods as well as an important go-to reference for political scientists as they develop new field research plans and projects"-- Provided by publisher.

Provocation is a peculiar, manipulating form of political influence. It involves artificial triggering of events, attitudes and human behaviours and one-sided determination of disputable issues requiring agreement. The author presents real-world examples to illuminate the various intricacies of this concept, its applications, aims, and much more.