Politics and government

This brief book is different, and we hope that it will open new vistas to stu dents who are beginning to learn about government and politics in countries other than their own. Ultimately, they will be the ones to judge if we have suc ceeded. Before they begin the study of the various political systems, however, they should read the few introductory pages that follow, which are designed as a type of compass to point the way we propose to go, the objectives we hope to reach, and some of the problems or difficulties that may be encountered.

Jorgen Rasmussen revised chapters 1 and 2 (in the first edition the work of Alex Dragnich) and chapter 5 (formerly the work of John T. Dorsey, Jr.). Alex Dragnich revised his chapter on Communist political systems. Taketsugu Tsurutani revised his chapter on the Japanese political system. Lawrence Gra ham contributed the chapter on the Mexican political system. All four authors collaborated on the introduction.