The Oxford handbook of political economy /

Part of the ten-volume "Oxford Handbooks of Political Science" series, this volume contains 59 articles on political economy written by more than 70 scholars. Political economy in this context means the methodology of economics applied to the analysis of political behavior and institutions--not political economy as Adam Smith or Karl Marx thought of it, but as an important subfield of political science today. Topics include analysis of political institutions and pressure groups, legislative bodies, the three branches of government, social choice and constitutional theory, public finance, politics and macroeconomics, democracy and capitalism, international political economy, nondemocratic regimes, international relations, and conflict and methodological issues in political economy. Articles vary considerably in scope and depth, as is usual of volumes of this kind. The most effective ones frame the key questions, synthesize recent literature, present original analysis, and provide some indication of directions for future research. The overall quality of writing and analysis is high, and the bibliographies are very valuable. A useful volume for reference purposes, especially for students and scholars starting work in an unfamiliar area. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through faculty collections. M. Veseth University of Puget Sound

Part of the ten-volume "Oxford Handbooks of Political Science" series, this weighty, intellectually stimulating volume features 14 thematic segments and 59 essay-style chapters by 74 field scholars. Weingast (Preferences and Situations) and Wittman (Economic Foundations of Law and Organization) address the numerous contradictory historical standards for political economics. Their broad scope allows for scholarly consideration of how sociology, psychology, and constitutional concerns influence government, finance, and their politically inextricable union. Essays are theory-laden and presume substantial background knowledge, two qualities that make this a reference geared toward specialists. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.