This thematic introduction to comparative politics, framed around and driven by the concept of "the good society," emphasizes institutions, draws on the United States for some of its comparisons, and includes a unique assortment of case studies -- touching on a range of countries from rich democracies to less-developed states -- to make abstract concepts concrete. The book's normative approach is a bold departure from other books as it examines political systems and measures them against the yardstick of a "good society." Utilizing the "capability approach," developed by scholars Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, they outline in their first chapter the qualities of a good society. The authors then compare and evaluate postindustrial democracies in the West, less-developed countries, and communist and post-communist countries against this standard. Not only do the authors thoroughly examine the performance of different countries against the criteria of the good society, but they explain why some countries are better than others at creating one.