Purposefully written for those coming to politics for the first time, this new textbook provides an exploration and analysis of the most important contemporary political issues of the Third World.

It offers a different, deeper perspective to the standard texts in this field, encouraging an understanding of the concerns - and drawbacks - of the traditional approaches. This ensures that the reader can fully appreciate the breadth and nature of a range of pressing - and previously understated - issues: the striving for democracy; the political consequences of economic growth and development; the struggle of religious and ethnic minorities; women's and human rights; and the politics of the natural environment. In doing so, the interaction of domestic and global factors affecting many aspects of Third World politics is highlighted and a new, qualitatively different set of concerns is identified resulting from recent international changes such as the end of the Cold War and the demise of the Soviet bloc.

Both an ideal introduction and invitation to further study, this volume is essential reading for beginning students studying a range of courses, including global politics, world politics, Third World politics, comparative politics, development studies and international relations. It will also be especially useful to those in the second year of their degres, following a range of modular courses, such as Third World Politics.