Introduction to Political Theory

Jeff Church provides an invaluable introduction to the major themes and problems of contemporary political theory.  His Socratic approach of weighing the pros and cons of every argument will make this a truly useful classroom guide.  This is a book that can be read with profit by both students and their teachers. -- Steven B. Smith * Review *
Jeffrey Church has undertaken the daunting task of synthesizing in plain language some of history’s most difficult, yet essential, ideas about the nature of political thinking, institutions, and reasoning. Through appealing examples, provoking questions, and impeccably organized chapters, the book confronts the fundamental questions of political theory. It’s an outstanding introduction to the major issues in the field -- highly recommended!  -- David Lay Williams * Review *
Jeffrey Church’s Introduction to Political Theory: The Fundamental Debates of Politics is a model of pedagogical clarity. The chapters are written in a way that does justice to the complexity of the concepts and texts under consideration, while sacrificing nothing in the way of accessibility for students new to political theory. This book is a fantastic choice for instructors and addresses the requests we often get from students for supplemental materials to help them synthesize information, assess their comprehension, and practice applying the ideas to real-world problems. -- Sara Rushing * Review *
Jeffrey Church’s book is a masterpiece that in a conversational manner teaches students about the main themes, concepts, figures, and books in the history of political theory. As long-time host of The Political Theory Review, Church knows about the latest developments in the field, and his textbook helps teachers and students understand and participate in the most urgent debates about justice, democracy, freedom of speech, and international relations. -- Nicholas Tampio * Review *
An excellent introductory text. It strikes a perfect balance between informing newcomers about the classic works in the field and using their contributions to provoke readers’ own thinking. -- Colin Bird * Review *