The Science of Politics

-I don’t think that anyone has tried to write something like this before. If one wants to give an overview of political science, then this is about the only book there is!—James A. Robinson, Harvard University-At long last, a text that puts science back into political science; at the same time, it is not an ‘American government and politics’ text masquerading as an introduction to political science. I am delighted with it. The central concept of the ‘public good’ lends coherence to the organization of the book and allows Josep M. Colomer to integrate a vast amount of material encompassing all levels of analysis. The product is a remarkable achievement.—Abdalla Battah, Minnesota State University, Mankato-The Science of Politics: An Introduction aims to do something that no other political science textbook currently does: to lay out the key ‘things we know’ about politics that satisfy the criteria of simplicity, practicality, and historical relevance. It is very well written, with an authoritative style that clearly demonstrates an impressive sweep of historical knowledge and understanding… . It has an analytical coherence which is consistent throughout the book, in line with the goal to be ‘scientific’. This style completely distinguishes this text from others in the field and is a key selling point for students. I would recommend it to others without hesitation.—Helen Margetts, University of Oxford “I don’t think that anyone has tried to write something like this before. If one wants to give an overview of political science, then this is about the only book there is!”–James A. Robinson, Harvard University”At long last, a text that puts science back into political science; at the same time, it is not an ‘American government and politics’ text masquerading as an introduction to political science. I am delighted with it. The central concept of the ‘public good’ lends coherence to the organization of the book and allows Josep M. Colomer to integrate a vast amount of material encompassing all levels of analysis. The product is a remarkable achievement.“–Abdalla Battah, Minnesota State University, Mankato”The Science of Politics: An Introduction aims to do something that no other political science textbook currently does: to lay out the key ‘things we know’ about politics that satisfy the criteria of simplicity, practicality, and historical relevance. It is very well written, with an authoritative style that clearly demonstrates an impressive sweep of historical knowledge and understanding… . It has an analytical coherence which is consistent throughout the book, in line with the goal to be ‘scientific’. This style completely distinguishes this text from others in the field and is a key selling point for students. I would recommend it to others without hesitation.“–Helen Margetts, University of Oxford “I don’t think that anyone has tried to write something like this before. If one wants to give an overview of political science, then this is about the only book there is!”–James A. Robinson, Harvard University”At long last, a text that puts science back into political science; at the same time, it is not an ‘American government and politics’ text masquerading as an introduction to political science. I am delighted with it. The central concept of the ‘public good’ lends coherence to the organization of the book and allows Josep M. Colomer to integrate a vast amount of material encompassing all levels of analysis. The product is a remarkable achievement.“–Abdalla Battah, Minnesota State University, Mankato”The Science of Politics: An Introduction aims to do something that no other political science textbook currently does: to lay out the key ‘things we know’ about politics that satisfy the criteria of simplicity, practicality, and historical relevance. It is very well written, with an authoritative style that clearly demonstrates an impressive sweep of historical knowledge and understanding… . It has an analytical coherence which is consistent throughout the book, in line with the goal to be ‘scientific’. This style completely distinguishes this text from others in the field and is a key selling point for students. I would recommend it to others without hesitation.“–Helen Margetts, University of Oxford

Josep M. Colomer is a life member of the American Political Science Association and an elected member of the Academia Europaea. He has taught political science in New York, Washington, and Mexico and is currently a Research Professor at the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) in Barcelona. He is the author of more than thirty books, which have been published in six languages.