ABSTRACT
This book studies the politics of governments on a comparative basis. Although the words ‘politics’ and ‘politicians’ are typically associated with governments, and especially with national governments, there is also politics in groups of all kinds, such as trade unions, businesses and even churches. This book, however, concentrates on governmental politics because governments are very powerful and are seen to be very powerful, even in the most liberal countries and even where they do not run the economy. They have great financial resources, their decisions have the authority of the law, and the coercion of physical punishment is at their disposal. In countries large or small, the actions of our own government and the actions of the governments of the great powers will shape our destiny.
