Political Science Texts

Our Collection of political science texts delves into the complex world of politics and governance. Whether you are studying political science or simply interested in understanding the dynamics of power and decision-making, the historic and contemporary selections in this Collection can help you examine the forces and ideologies that shape societies and social institutions.

The Harbinger

by Jonathan Cahn

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Future, Globalization

Tags Christian, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Crime Fiction

The Harbinger, by Jonathan Cahn, a Messianic Jewish rabbi and author, is Cahn’s debut novel. The Harbinger is described as a Christian novel; it uses and relies on themes, concepts, and scripture that are prevalent in the Old Testament. It was initially published in September 2011 by FrontLine, an imprint of Charisma House, which is a religious publishing group dedicated to spreading religious messages. FrontLine is the imprint of Charisma House used for discussing cultural... Read The Harbinger Summary

The Nine

by Jeffrey Toobin

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Politics & Government, US History, World History, Biography

In The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, author Jeffrey Toobin begins the Prologue near the end of the story with the funeral of Chief Justice William Rehnquist in 2005. This is a nonfiction book about the transformation of the Supreme Court from liberal to conservative over a period of roughly 35 years, and the transformation was complete upon the death of Rehnquist. Toobin, an American lawyer and legal analyst, published The... Read The Nine Summary

The Righteous Mind

by Jonathan Haidt

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion & Spirituality

In The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, published in 2012, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt presents a new way to understand the often-contentious moral divides in politics and religion. Haidt looks at the topic in three separate parts. First, he works to give a clearer picture of how the mind works. Secondly, he presents a framework for understanding the different moral values that emerge between different cultures and political parties... Read The Righteous Mind Summary

The Social Contract

by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Publication year 1762

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government

Tags Philosophy, Age of Enlightenment, Education, Education, Sociology, World History, French Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government

The Social Contract is a political treatise published in 1762 by the Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Rousseau argues about the best ways to establish and maintain political authority without unduly sacrificing personal liberty. He builds off 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes’s idea of the “social contract” between the people and sovereign authority, departing from Hobbes in his views on monarchy and the natural state of humankind. The Social Contract was enormously influential on political thought before... Read The Social Contract Summary

Why Nations Fail

by Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Community

Tags Business & Economics, Politics & Government, World History, Science & Nature, Sociology

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (2012) is a nonfiction book co-authored by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. Acemoglu, an MIT economist renowned for his work on political economy, and Robinson, a political scientist and economist, combine their expertise to examine the reasons behind the varying levels of success and failure among nations. This interdisciplinary work, situated at the intersection of institutional economics, developmental economics, and economic history, examines a... Read Why Nations Fail Summary

Winners Take All

by Anand Giridharadas

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Equality, Social Class, Justice, Power & Greed, Community, Wins & Losses

Tags Politics & Government, Business & Economics, Social Justice, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Social Class, Sociology, World History

... Read Winners Take All Summary

Witness

by Whittaker Chambers

Publication year 1952

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, The Past, Politics & Government, War, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil

Tags US History, Cold War, Politics & Government, Philosophy, Christian, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

... Read Witness Summary