Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introducing the Ancient Debate: The Ideal versus the Real
The Dollhouse
Fiction as a Tool for Exploring Politics
Utopias in Fiction and Politics
Ideologies
What Is Politics?
What Is Political Science?
Chapter 2: Why Government? Security, Anarchy, and Some Basic Group Dynamics
A Model for the Emergence of Cooperation: Bobsville
Collective Action
Security
Power
Anarchy
The Context of Hierarchy
Alliances
Groups and Group Identities
Chapter 3: Governing Society: We Know Who You Are
Leadership Benefits
The Panopticon
Collective Action, Revolution, and the Use of Force
Legitimacy and Government Control
Chapter 4: Government′s Role in the Economy: The Offer You Can′t Refuse
The Tragedy of the Commons
Karl Marx-Student of Capitalism?
Socialism
The Yin and Yang of Capitalism and Socialism
Chapter 5: Structures and Institutions
Structures or Institutions?
Human Nature and Political Institutions
The Reality of Political Institutions
SimGovernment
Chapter 6: El Grande Loco Casa Blanca: The Executive (in Bad Spanish)
Oh Captain, My Captain
The Scorpion King on Grandpa′s Farm
Kings and Presidents
The Democratic Executive
Chapter 7: The Confederacy of Dunces: The Legislative Function (Not in Bad Spanish)
Boring History Stuff
A Dreary Discussion of Democratic Legislatures
A Redundant Repetition of the Theme: Contrasting Legislatures in Parliamentary and Presidential Systems
A Tired Attempt to Make Coalition Politics Interesting with a Lame Example
A Dreary Bleakness in the Authoritarian Gloom: They Endure Legislative Institutions, Too
Chapter 8: Brazilian Bureaucracy: Do I Even Need to Bother with the Jokes?
Bureaucracy, It Goes to Eleven
So, What is a Bureaucracy?
There Be Flaws in Yonder Bureaucracy, Obviously
Chapter 9: Courts and Law: Politics behind the Gavel, Obviously, but What′s under the Gown?
Law and Politics
The Functions of Courts
Trial and Appellate Courts
Legal Systems
Jurisprudence
Types of Law
Constitutional Review
Chapter 10: Not Quite Right, but Still Good: The Democratic Ideal in Modern Politics
Arrow’s Theorem
Democracy and the Liberal Ideal
An Economic Theory of Democracy
The Real versus the Ideal, Again
Chapter 11: Media, Politics, and Government: Talking Heads Are Better than None
Reality and Beyond
The Whole China Charade
Your New Brain and the Creation of Reality
News Media and Politics
A Vast Conspiracy?
Understanding the Distortions Is the Key
Chapter 12: International Politics: Apocalypse Now and Then
Causes of War
Back to Anarchy
World War I Was Unpleasant
Realism and War
Challenging the Realist Paradigm
Chapter 13: Chapter 13 Was Confiscated for Your Protection
Chapter 14: Political Culture: Sex and Agriculture, Getting Rucked Explains It All
Political Culture
Applying Political Culture
Back to the Question of “What Is Culture?”
Chapter 15: The Lastest and Bestest Chapter: The Study of Politics
Here’s Where the Story Ends
The Study of Politics
The Applied Subfields
Conclusion

About the Author

Douglas A. Van Belle is a Senior Lecturer in Media Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. He was the first person to have served as the president of both the Foreign Policy Analysis and the International Communication research sections in the International Studies Association. He has also served as the Editor-in-Chief of International Studies Perspectives and Foreign Policy Analysis and has conducted extensive research on media systems and information flows in international politics. He created the press freedom data set that precedes this study, to examine the effect of media freedom on international conflict, as exemplified by “Press Freedom and the Democratic Peace” (Journal of Peace Research). That initial analysis was expanded to complete Press Freedom and Global Politics (Praeger), which provides the foundation for the extension conducted here. Studies of popular media and political theory led to the undergraduate textbook, A Novel Approach to Politics, which is now in its 4th edition. Also, before returning to the analysis of media freedom with this project, he conducted a series of studies examining the relationship between information flows, disasters, and foreign aid, including Media, Bureaucracies and Foreign Aid (Palgrave: With Potter and Rioux).

Reviews

"A Novel Approach to Politics’ major strength is its readability. Students enjoy its irreverent approach as well as the references to various films, TV shoes, and novels. The important theories are clearly presented in a format that most students can grasp reading on their own."
*Richard Gutierrez*

"The greatest strengths of A Novel Approach to Politics are its humor and accessibility. Students love reading it."
*Matthew A. Childers*

"The genius of A Novel Approach to Politics is that Van Belle uses humor and pop culture to engage the reluctant student of politics. Its broad themes and arrangement of chapters allows plenty of freedom to add my own unique spin to the material."
*Sherri S. Replogle*

"Van Belle’s book is easily accessible to college freshman and sophomores. It is written in a conversational, witty, at times sarcastic tone that appeals to young people."
*John A. Shively*