Description:This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the study of politics. It is designed to be of use to students taking courses in any field of the discipline, as well as general readers with an interest in the subject. As with earlier editions, this edition blends reflections on enduring political themes and issues with an analysis of contemporary developments. Contemporary developments are nevertheless of particular significance on this occasion. This is because the political tendency that has dominated the post-1945 period – the onward march of liberalism and democracy – has faltered and, in some cases, been reversed. In this context, new and essentially illiberal forces have emerged, often fashioned out of a potent combination of populism, nationalism and anti-globalism. However, the precise significance of these new forces, and their trajectory of development, remain unclear.