Contemporary Western Political Systems (Revised Edition)

Author: Tang Xiao, Wang Wei, Wang Chunying
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-12-01
Features: Since the publication of Contemporary Political Systems of Western Countries in 1996, nearly a decade has passed. During this time, the political systems of traditional Western countries such as Western Europe and the United States have undergone varying degrees of reform and renewal due to changes and developments in the era. Countries represented by Russia, former Soviet Union nations, and Eastern European former socialist states have gradually seen their political systems mature and stabilize as they transition toward Western political systems, with their characteristics becoming clearer and more distinct. Research on Western political systems by domestic and international scholars has also deepened further, resulting in numerous notable works. The awareness of Western political systems among domestic readers, especially college students, has significantly improved, leading to higher demands for teaching and research in this field. Therefore, we felt it necessary to revise Contemporary Political Systems of Western Countries. The revisions primarily focus on the following aspects: First, in terms of content, the introduction and comparative analysis of Western political systems in the original edition have been updated, with attention paid to summarizing and incorporating the latest research findings by domestic and international scholars. Additionally, introductions and analyses of the political systems of transitional countries, represented by Russia, have been added to each chapter. Second, in terms of chapter structure, while maintaining the overall structure of the original book, the revision has adjusted Chapter 8 on contemporary Western mass media, adding a new section on contemporary Western interest groups and combining it with mass media to introduce and analyze the social supervision systems of contemporary Western countries. Third, in terms of methods for introduction and comparative analysis, the revision has integrated the analysis of relevant political systems of representative Western countries within the framework of thematic introductions and comparisons of Western political systems, aiming to organically combine these two approaches.