The challenge of politics : an introduction to political science / Neal Riemer, Drew University, Douglas W. Simon, Drew University, Joseph Romance, Fort Hays State University.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Offers a comprehensive introduction to political science that addresses fundamental theories about politics, focusing on political values, the science of politics, political wisdom, political health, creative breakthroughs in politics, and the future of politics.

So often, political science is introduced to students as a segmented field. The Challenge of Politics instead enables students to see how the subfields converge around a set of crucial questions: can we, as citizens and students articulate and defend a view of the good political life and its guiding political values? Can we develop a science of politics to help us understand significant political phenomenaùthe empirical realities of politics? Can we bring a high level of political prudence or wisdom to bear on judgments about politics and public issues? Can citizens and students creatively address the future of politics?Riemer, Simon, and Romance aim to harmonize the valuable lessons of classic and contemporary theory, as well as to reconcile politics to scientific and empirical study. The book gives students an avenue to explore the impact of philosophy and ideology, to recognize major forms of government, to evaluate empirical findings, and to understand how policy issues directly affect peopleÆs lives. Throughout, the authors look at political dynamics of American, comparative, and international affairs. While continuing to pursue its distinctive normative approach and showing politics to be a potentially humanizing enterprise, this new edition of Challenge has been revised and updated for major world events like the global financial crisis, recent elections in the U.S. and elsewhere, important policy decisions like the recent Supreme Court ruling in the U.S. on healthcare, and the aftermath of the Arab Spring. Based on reviewer feedback, it has also been substantially streamlined throughout.

Showing how the subfields of political science converge, this book provides students with an avenue through which they can explore philosophy and ideology, to recognize major forms of government, to evaluate empirical findings, and to understand how policy issues affect people's lives