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Over 1,700 entries

Written by a leading team of political scientists, this dictionary embraces the multi-disciplinary spectrum of political theory including political thinkers, history, institutions, theories, and schools of thought, as well as notable current affairs that have shaped attitudes to politics.

Fully updated for its fourth edition, it has had its coverage of international relations heavily revised and expanded, reflected in its title change, and it includes a wealth of new material in areas such as international institutions, peace building, human security, security studies, global governance, and open economy politics.

The dictionary is international in its coverage and will prove invaluable to students and academics studying politics and related disciplines, as well as politicians, journalists, and the general reader seeking clarification of political terms.

Over 350 entries

This new dictionary provides clear and authoritative definitions of terms within the fast-growing field of African Politics. It includes coverage of elections, parties, judiciaries, popular protest, gender relations, the politics of development, and Africa’s international relations as well as major events and figures within African Politics. Entries range from Afrocentrism and the Bandung Conference to ‘Rhodes must fall’ and Sino–African relations and include key terms of particular relevance to Africa such as neopatrimonialism, queue voting, and post-conflict power-sharing. The dictionary also showcases the remarkably vibrant and insightful political language used in Africa, including a range of vernacular terms that are essential for a deep understanding of local political realities.

Written by a world-leading expert on the political science of Africa, this dictionary is an essential guide for both undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as academics, journalists, and researchers working on African politics.

Over 430 entries

This new dictionary provides clear and accessible definitions of a range of terms from within the fast-developing field of Gender Studies. It covers terms which have emerged out of Gender Studies, such as cyber feminism, the double burden, and the male gaze, and gender-focused definitions of more general terms, such as housework, intersectionality, and trolling. It also covers major feminist figures, including Hélène Cixous, bell hooks, and Mary Wollstonecraft, as well as groups and movements from Votes for Women to Reclaim the Night. It is an invaluable reference resource for students taking Gender Studies courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and for those applying a gender perspective within other subject areas.

Over 870 entries

Compiled by an expert team of contributors, this dictionary covers all the major figures in world politics of the twentieth century. Authoritative and wide-ranging, it describes and assesses the lives of around 870 men and women who have shaped political events across the world.

Each entry includes an account of the background, career, and achievements of the individual concerned, balancing fact with critical appraisal.

This second online edition, commissioned especially for Oxford Reference, contains many new entries, and the whole text has been thoroughly revised and updated. The cross-references given in the entries are linked only to other entries within the Dictionary of Political Biography. For individuals for whom a cross-reference is not given, use the search facilities within Oxford Reference Online to find more information.

Over 230 entries

This new dictionary defines critical terms relating to China’s politics since 1949. It comprises succinct definitions covering core political structures, ideologies, and practices, as well as individuals, groups, and concerns that are essential to them.

Covering the full spectrum of Chinese politics, authoritative and up-to-date entries include charm offensive, cybersecurity, hukou system, Silk Road, and United Nations Peacekeeping Operations.

Complete with useful weblinks, this new addition to the Oxford Quick Reference series is an indispensable companion for students studying Asian and international politics, as well as for professionals whose interests relate to China’s expanding domestic and foreign politics.

Over 280 entries

This new dictionary covers India’s core political structures, ideologies, and practices, as well as individuals, groups, and concerns that are essential to them.

The entries cover a diverse range of subjects, from caste, the Gujral Doctrine, and the Indian diaspora to the Partition of India and the Shah Bano controversy. The dictionary captures the richness of India’s politics, as well as its foremost ideas and principles, explaining and interrogating important historical events and social concerns.

Complete with useful web links, this new addition to the Oxford Quick Reference series is an indispensable companion for students studying Asian and international politics, as well as for professionals whose interests relate to India’s expanding domestic and foreign politics.

Over 300 entries

This dictionary provides a useful overview of the wide array of political structures and systems that comprise the contemporary Middle East. From Turkey through Iraq and Iran, to the Arabian Peninsula and the states of North Africa, it includes up-to-date definitions of political organizations, key political figures, and important developments, as well as region-specific concepts such as Majlis, academic terms such as rentier state theory, and events such as the Arab Spring.

It is an essential reference resource for students taking courses or modules in politics in the Middle East or broader subject areas such as politics, history, economics, and international relations with a specific focus on Middle Eastern politics.

Over 450 entries

The International Studies Encyclopedia, published in association with the International Studies Association (ISA), is the most comprehensive reference work of its kind for the fields of international studies and international relations. It brings together specially commissioned, peer reviewed essays, written and edited by an international team of the world's best scholars and teachers.

Key features:

• Primarily organized around the different sections representing areas of specialization within the International Studies Association

• Over 400 specially commissioned, peer reviewed essays of up to 10,000 words focusing on the most important topics and issues

• Written and edited by an international team of the world’s best scholars and teachers and overseen by an editorial board comprising 28 past and present Presidents of ISA

Over 275 entries

This is the first reference work to provide detailed, in-depth coverage of all aspects of American politics. Top scholars have written entries that surpass all previous reference material on the subject and provide scholars and students with ready access to sophisticated, comprehensive material. Long entries form the core of the book, covering such topics as climate change, terrorism, welfare policies, nuclear proliferation, voting behavior, and think tanks. Each of these entries includes high-level scrutiny of the literature, history, and future of the topic.

The Companion also includes a number of entries from The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World (Joel Krieger, 2001), revised as necessary to bring coverage of such topics as foreign aid and nuclear weapons up to date. In the current context of political gridlock, international tension, economic underperformance and social division, students of American politics need to focus on more than the inner workings of their own political institutions, important as that focus is. They also need to approach their work with as wide an understanding of our contemporary international and domestic economic, social, and cultural conditions as it is possible for them quickly and easily to acquire. The Oxford Companion to American Politics has been designed precisely to meet the full range of those needs.

The Oxford Companion to Australian Politics is the first scholarly and comprehensive account of Australian political life and thought that gives attention to all aspects of national politics and to Australian politics in regional, international and global contexts. It also takes full account of the colonial origins of Australian politics and includes entries on indigenous politics, frontier politics and settler societies.

Over 400 specially commissioned entries cover such topics as biographies, key events, policy issues, colonial origins, indigenous politics, organisations and institutions, settler societies and frontier politics. Individual entries vary in length, from longer interpretive essays of 4,000 words commissioned from acknowledged experts in particular fields - of the kind used in The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World - to shorter, more factual entries. This Companion is an essential reference source for those teaching or studying Australian politics and culture, as well as the general reader with an interest in Australian and/or world affairs.

Over 350 entries

The Oxford Companion to Comparative Politics fills a gap in scholarship on an increasingly important field within Political Science. Comparative Politics, the discipline devoted to the politics of other countries or peoples, has steadily gained prominence, allowing politics to be viewed from a wider foundation than a concentration on domestic affairs alone would permit. The Companion focuses on the major theories, concepts, and conclusions that define the field, analyzing the similarities and differences between political units. Entries cover such topics as failed states, grand strategies, soft power, capital punishment, gender and politics, and totalitarianism, as well as countries such as China and Afghanistan. There are also entries on comparativists who have influenced the field in significant ways, and politicians whose administrations have shaped the evaluation of contrasting governments. Additionally, 25 in-depth interpretive essays by notable figures analyze the discipline, its issues and accomplishments.

The Encyclopedia expands and updates the coverage of comparative politics found in The Oxford Companion to United States History, the award-winning 2001 publication edited by Paul Boyer (Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison). More than 100 entirely new entries join nearly 200 revised and updated entries originally published in the Companion, all of which have been signed by topic experts. Heavy use of cross-referencing assists readers searching for related entries, and selective bibliographies direct readers to the most important recent scholarly works. There is also an introduction by Paul Boyer and a topical outline of entries.

Collectively, this work will promote a deeper understanding of a field that non-specialists often find elusive.

Over 300 entries

International relations has long been a core discipline within the field of Political Science, one of great importance for understanding social, cultural, economic, and political exchanges across national and international boundaries. Every dimension of human experience falls within the scope of the field, making it applicable to psychologists, historians, anthropologists, and others across a wide swath of academia.

The Companion contains entries that are mostly thematic in content, rather than site-specific, permitting the work to have value and currency for years to come. The numerous theories and applications of international relations are comprehensively covered, as are controversies related to the field, prominent figures, and the ways in which international relations have shaped political history.

This major new edition of The Oxford Companion to Politics of the World reflects the changing world with a reassessment of many of the core themes of the previous edition, and new articles on the people, concepts, and events that have shaped the world since 1993. The second edition includes biographies of Kofi Annan, Tony Blair, Bill Clinton, and Gerhard Schroder; articles on events such as the Rwandan Genocide and the war in Kosovo; and coverage of international trade developments such as NAFTA and the World Trade Organization. Eighty-seven of the 672 articles in the Second Edition are completely new; most others are thoroughly revised.

This edition also features a substantial new set of articles, a dozen essays on critical isssues written by influential figures. Recognizing the importance of including varying viewpoints, the editors have commissioned these essays to provide an informed and often passionate debate on controversial topics. Discussions include Lani Guinier and Glenn Loury on Affirmative Action; Francis Fukuyama and Milton Fisk on the Limits of Liberal Democracy; and Lloyd Axworthy and John Bolton on the United Nations.

Over 100 entries

This encyclopedia is the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource on African politics ever produced. In these peer-reviewed entries, readers will find authoritative overviews of the key methodologies and approaches, as well as all of the major topics in African politics, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic areas of political science.

Under the editorial directorship of Nic Cheeseman and associate editors Rita Abrahamsen, Gilbert M. Khadiagala, Peace A. Medie, Rachel Beatty Riedl, and Etienne Smith, The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Politics brings together world-leading researchers from Africa, the United States, and Europe. The Encyclopedia features cutting-edge chapters on a remarkably broad range of topics, and particular areas of strength include: political institutions; identity politics and the significance of ethnicity and religion; the African state and its strengths and weaknesses; development politics; economic policy and management; ideas and ideologies; international relations and regional politics; conflict, violence, and civil war; political and social movements; media and political communication; elections and democracy; research methods and approaches; and ethics and the politics of research.

Each clearly written piece provides a concise summary of the state of the art before drawing on new ideas and evidence to push the debate forward. The encyclopedia is therefore essential reading for all who seek to understand core and emerging topics within the vast and growing literature on African politics.

Over 500 entries

The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Political and Legal History provides comprehensive coverage of political and legal history in the United States, covering for the first time in one reference work the key events, historical actors, presidential elections, court cases, and larger political and legal trends throughout American history. Entries capture the unique nature of the nation's founding principles embodied in the Constitution, the expansive nature of American democracy, political conflict, and compromise, and the emergence of the modern welfare and regulatory state, all of which evince the tensions, contradictions, and possibilities manifest throughout America's history. From presidents and Supreme Court judges to critical legislation and party formation, this work clearly demonstrates how U.S. politics and law have evolved since the colonial era, and encourages readers to anticipate further changes.

The Encyclopedia expands and updates the coverage of American political and legal history found in The Oxford Companion to United States History, the award-winning 2001 publication edited by Paul Boyer (Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison). More than 200 entirely new entries join hundreds more revised and updated entries originally published in the Companion, all of which have been signed by topic experts. Heavy use of cross-referencing assists readers searching for related entries, and selective bibliographies direct readers to the most important recent scholarly works. There is also an introduction by Paul Boyer and a topical outline of entries.

This is a reference work of unparalleled depth and scope that will introduce a new generation of readers to the complexities of this dynamic field of study.

85 long form essays

Contemporary societies are increasingly crisis-prone, and crises have profound implications for the rapidly changing political, economic, and social landscape. Crises pose major challenges to governments, communities, leaders, and organizations. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Crisis Analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the rapidly emerging and evolving field of crisis studies and explores its connection to several relevant neighboring fields of knowledge. Crises are complex, unfold in diverse political and socio-technical contexts, and must be studied and understood from multiple angles and disciplinary perspectives. This Encyclopedia brings together contributions by experts from political science, public administration, management, international relations, public health, sociology, economics, media and mass communications, the law, and many other fields to explore important theoretical, methodological, empirical, and practical issues related to crisis and crisis management. Articles focus on concepts (crisis as well as closely related concepts such as emergency, disaster, resilience, security etc.), contingencies (natural hazards, major accidents, pandemics, terrorism, social and political conflict among many others), historical and contemporary cases, classic and cutting edge research methods, different “phases” of the crisis/emergency management cycle, as well as documenting a wide range of pitfalls and good practices that can help to forewarn and forearm current and future crisis managers.

The 85 essays in this Encyclopedia fall into six main categories: Theory, Concepts, Metatheory and Methodology, Crisis Governance and Regional Perspectives, Bridging Gaps, and Cases & the Evolving Socio-Technical Context. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Crisis Analysis is a key reference for anyone involved in the study, research, or practice of crisis and emergency analysis and management.

Over 150 entries

This encyclopedia provides an authoritative overview of the central approaches, methodologies, and topics of the field. Its comprehensive examination of both classic and emerging theories underscores the breadth and depth of international relations theory today and is a necessary resource for students and as well as both new and established scholars.

More than 140 entries

This encyclopedia offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource on the European integration process. Under the editorial directorship of Finn Laursen and associate editors Derek Beach, Roberto Domínguez, Sung-Hoon Park, Sophie Vanhoonacker, and Amy Verdun, the publication brings together peer-reviewed contributions by leading researchers on the European Union as a global actor. Topics include the basic treaties, institutions and policies of the European Union and the previous European Communities, the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community, and the European Atomic Energy Community. It also includes articles on the various conceptual frameworks and theories that have been developed by political scientists to guide research into the integration process and the policy- and decision-making processes with a focus on the roles of the different institutions, the European Council, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Court of Justice of the EU. Additionally, the publication includes articles on the member states as well as external relations and foreign policies of the EU. As a result, the Oxford Encyclopedia of European Union Politics is a vital resource for students, scholars, and policymakers.

Over 100 entries

This encyclopedia brings together leading scholars to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date resource on foreign policy analysis ever produced. In over 100 peer-reviewed entries, readers will find authoritative overviews of the theoretical, methodological, and substantive areas of interest in the realm of foreign policy.

Over 400 entries

The Encyclopedia provides in-depth coverage of the political dimensions of Islam and the Muslim world. Developments in Muslim societies in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have highlighted the need for a major reference work focusing primarily on these dimensions. The realization of internal decay and relentless quest for reform; the collapse of the Islamic caliphate; the fall of most parts of the Muslim world under western colonialism; the emergence of nation-states; the dominance of secular ideologies; the rise of Islamic revivalist movements and faith-based political, economic, and social alternatives; and the confrontation between Islamic movements and secular inspired regimes have constituted major turning points in the contemporary history of Muslim societies. At no time has the understanding of the nature and implications of these developments been needed more.

Based on the highly acclaimed 2009 publication, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, this work brings together new and updated entries, organized thematically around the major themes of political science: concepts, values, thought, ideologies, structures, institutions, and systems. It covers in-depth topics that are unique to the Muslim world, including basic beliefs; Muslim political history; Islam in specific geographic regions; thinkers and reformers; movements, society and economy; and international relations, to create a single, specialized reference source on this important topic.