What is Politics?

What is politics? Is it a universal feature of all human societies, past and present? Is it tied to specific institutional arenas? Or is it found in all groups and organizations, large or small, formal or informal? This new textbook seeks to provide answers to these important questions. Starting with what it means to think politically , the book goes on to explore a wide range of meanings attributed to the concept of politics from a variety of perspectives and theoretical traditions. It offers succinct and coherent overviews by some of the foremost scholars in the field, and each invites the reader to see the activity of politics in a distinctive way. Topics covered include politics as a form of rule, feminist approaches to politics, Marxism and politics, the politics of human behaviour, environmental politics, politics as collective choice, and Islam and politics. Written with the new student in mind, this concise introduction to the study and activity of politics is essential reading for all those coming to the discipline for the first time.

What is politics? Is it a universal feature of all human societiespast and present? Is it tied to specific institutional arenas? Oris it found in all groups and organizations, large or small, formalor informal?This new textbook seeks to provide answers to these importantquestions. Starting with what it means to 'thinkpolitically', the book goes on to explore a wide range ofmeanings attributed to the concept of politics from a variety ofperspectives and theoretical traditions. It offers succinct andcoherent overviews by some of the foremost scholars in the fieldand each invites the reader to see the activity of politics in adistinctive way. Topics covered include politics as a form of rulefeminist approaches to politics, Marxism and politics, the politicsof human behaviour, environmental politics, politics as collectivechoice, and Islam and politics.Written with the new student in mind, this concise introductionto the study and activity of politics is essential reading for allthose coming to the discipline for the first time.

Preface: Adrian Leftwich viiThe Contributors xi1 Thinking Politically: On the politics of Politics 1Adrian Leftwich2 Politics is About Governing 23B. Guy Peters3 Politics and the Exercise of Force 41Peter P. Nicholson4 Marxism and Politics 53Alex Callinicos5 Politics as a Form of Rule: Politics, Citizenship and Democracy 67Bernard Crick6 Politics as Collective Choice 86Albert Weale7 The Political Approach to Human Behavior: People, Resources and Power 100Adrian Leftwich8 Politics Beyond Boundaries: A Feminist Perspective 119Judith Squires9 Political Philosophy and Politics 135Adam Shift10 Is there an Islamic Conception of Politics? 147Salwa Ismail11 Politics as Distorted Global Politics 166Anthony McGrew12 Politics as if Nature Mattered 182Neil CarterIndex 196