The spectre of poverty, disease and ignorance still haunts much of the developing world today. But not everywhere. Some societies, such as Botswana, Mauritius, Malaysia and Korea, are successfully transforming the material life of the majority of their citizens, though not always without costs in terms of human rights. Others, such as Peru, Zaire, India and the Philippines, appear incapable of doing so. In this widely comparative study, Adrian Leftwich examines why this has happened.


Focusing on the politics and states of a wide range of developing societies, Leftwich...

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...

This book calls into question the current western orthodoxy about the relationship of democracy and development, exploring the theoretical issues involved in the relationship and examining a number of case sudies.

Throughout, this book is concerned to extend the range of politics beyond its usual institutional focus, to stress its interdisciplinary requirements and to expand the conception of politics in societies.