W. Phillips Shively

an introduction to political science

Power & choice

Christopher H. Achen

In the last several years, new disputes have erupted over the use of group averages from census areas or voting districts to draw inferences about individual social behavior. Social scientists, policy analysts, and historians often have little choice about using this kind of data, but statistical analysis of them is fraught with pitfalls. The recent debates have led to a new menu of choices for the applied researcher. This volume explains why older methods like ecological regression so often fail, and it gives the most comprehensive treatment available of the promising new techniques for cross-level inference. Experts in statistical analysis of aggregate data, Christopher H. Achen and W. Philips Shively contend that cross-level inference makes unusually strong demands on substantive knowledge, so that no one method, such as Goodman's ecological regression, will fit all situations. Criticizing Goodman's model and some recent attempts to replace it, the authors argue for a range of alternate techniques, including estensions of cross-tabular, regression analysis, and unobservable variable estimators.

Cross-Level Inference

Power and Choice, Thirteenth Edition is a comparative, conceptual introduction to political science which involves students in the dramatic and interesting variety of politics around the world; students clearly are the audience of this text. The theme of "power and choice," based on a definition of politics as the making of collective choices for a group or state through the use of power, runs through much of the text. The text is organized topically, rather than by county-by-country, and provides in-depth examples at the conclusion of most chapters.

An Introduction to Political Science

Power and Choice

John Anthony Maltese

Joseph A. Pika

Discover what makes American democracy unique and how its government impacts your life American Democracy in Context provides a combined comparative and historical approach to inspire students to better understand, care, and become active citizens. Bestselling authors Maltese, Pika, and Shively explain the distinctive features of how Americans practice democracy—how they vote, translate election results into representation of interests, make policy decisions, enforce laws and maintain justice—and how those practices differ from other democracies in the world. The emphasis is always on the American political system, but the search for understanding requires students to examine how the American system has developed over time (historical context) and how it compares with similar practices in other democracies (comparative context). This combined approach motivates students to understand why politics is relevant to their everyday lives and how they can affect changes to make their lives better. Also available as a digital option (courseware). Contact your rep to learn more about American Democracy in Context - Vantage Digital Option.

American Democracy in Context

Discover what makes American democracy unique and how its government impacts your life American Democracy in Context provides a combined comparative and historical approach to inspire students to better understand American government and become active citizens. Bestselling authors Maltese, Pika, and Shively explain the distinctive features of how Americans practice democracy—how they vote, translate election results into representation of interests, make policy decisions, enforce laws and maintain justice—and how those practices differ from other democracies throughout the world. The emphasis is always on the American political system, but the search for understanding encourages students to examine how the American system has developed over time (historical context) and how it compares with similar practices in other democracies (comparative context). This combined approach motivates students to understand why politics is relevant to their everyday lives and how they can affect changes and make a difference. Hear author John Maltese talk about key features in the book. Watch now! This title is accompanied by a complete teaching and learning package. Contact your SAGE representative to request a demo. Digital Option / Courseware SAGE Vantage is an intuitive digital platform that delivers this text’s content and course materials in a learning experience that offers auto-graded assignments and interactive multimedia tools, all carefully designed to ignite student engagement and drive critical thinking. Built with you and your students in mind, it offers simple course set-up and enables students to better prepare for class. Learn more. Assignable Video with Assessment Assignable video (available with SAGE Vantage) is tied to learning objectives and curated exclusively for this text to bring concepts to life. Watch a sample video now. LMS Cartridge (formerly known as SAGE Coursepacks): Import this title’s instructor resources into your school’s learning management system (LMS) and save time. Don’t use an LMS? You can still access all of the same online resources for this title via the password-protected Instructor Resource Site. Learn more.

The extensively revised tenth edition of W. Phillips Shively’s Power & Choice: An Introduction to Political Science maintains the author’s goal since the text’s inception: to provide a general, comparative introduction to the major concepts and themes of political science by engaging students with concrete examples of analysis without overwhelming them with excessive detail.

Power and Choice, with PowerWeb

Gift to King's University College Library from Prof. Martin Westmacott.

Power & Choice

The Craft of Political Research immerses readers not only in how political scientists work but also in how ideas produce research questions and guide the selection of research methods. Emphasizing the internal logic of research methods and the collaborative nature of the research process, this slender text explores the design behind interesting questions, problems in measurement and analysis, and key statistical methods. Brief and inexpensive to include in any course, The Craft of Political Research’s elegant explanations inspire a big picture understanding of how political scientists explain political reality and encourage students to create their own inventive, original, and bold research work. Features include: Focuses on the big picture of how good research leads to good theories instead of just what research method to use. Provides concise and accessible coverage of key topics, including the nature of research, research design, sampling, statistical analysis, ethics, and more. Includes detailed examples of classic and contemporary political science research to give students models for their own original research.

W. Phillips Shively

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