Now in its twelfth edition,
Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal
continues the book's tradition of offering a clear, concise, and comprehensive introduction to the ideas and ideals that shake and shape our political world. The text outlines a framework defining each ideology in terms of the four functions ideologies performs — explanation, evaluation, orientation, and political program — allowing students to compare, contrast, and analyze the various ideologies, developing their own unique views and critical thinking skills.
New to this Edition
A new co-author, Jennet Kirkpatrick, recognized for her teaching and scholarship in political theory, feminist theory, and resistance.
Chapter 2; updated material on voter suppression and populism.
Chapter 3; expanded discussion of the relationship between Adam Smith’s moral and economic theories; how John Stuart Mill’s views on free speech might apply to contemporary controversies; differences between John Rawls and Robert Nozick, and between neoclassical and welfare liberals more generally. Updated; discussion of the “Great Recession” and broader issues of economic inequality.
Chapter 4; extended discussion of Edmund Burke’s place within the conservative tradition. Updated; assessment of contemporary conservatism in light of Donald Trump’s presidency; new section on Christian Nationalism.
Chapter 5; extended discussion of Marx’s theory of history.
Chapter 6; updated the status of the socialist and communist traditions in China, Russia, and the United States.
Chapter 7; charted the resurgence of far right and neo-fascist politics in Europe. Discussion of the “Alt-Right” in the United States has been expanded, including new sections on QAnon and the “Great Replacement” theory. Also expanded upon; discussion of whether fascism could gain serious traction in the United States, and a new section on the reasons why some critics say Donald Trump is either a fascist, or dangerously close to becoming one.
Chapter 8; updated sections on Black liberation and feminism, including reference to George Floyd’s murder and the Dobbs decision that overturned
Roe v. Wade
. Also, new material on settler colonialism and on the issues for all liberation ideologies raised by the case of undocumented immigrants, and extended discussion of liberation theology.
Chapter 9; updated material on the severity of the climate crisis, and the variety of responses that have emerged to address it.
Chapter 10; a new section on Hamas, and extended discussion of protests against Islamist rule in Iran focusing on the responses to Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody. Also updated; sections on ISIS and the Taliban in light of the former’s erosion and the latter’s return to power, in addition to references to internecine conflicts among radical Islamists.
Chapter 11; updated reasons for the conclusion that there will be no end of ideological conflicts soon, especially with the continued power of religious worldviews, globalization, and—-perhaps most especially—-the return of fascism worldwide.