Concepts are the tools with which we think, critique, argue, explain, and analyze. Political concepts are nothing less than the building blocks of political understanding: the political world, in short, means what our concepts tell us it means.

However, political concepts are also extremely fluid and subject to contention. Indeed, political contention is often a dispute about the proper use of political terms.

This book provides an accessible and comprehensive guide to key concepts encountered in political analysis. Each concept is clearly and fully defined, and its significance for political contention and political critique is explored.

The introduction explains how political concepts are used and why they often become subjects of misuse. Fundamental Concepts of Political Science serves as a valuable resource and an ideal handbook for studying politics.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]