What Is Political Theory? provides students with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the discipline. Eleven substantive chapters address the most pressing topics in political theory today, including: what resources do the classic texts still provide for political theorists? What areas will political theorists focus on in the future? Can western political theory alone continue to provide a framework for responding to the challenges of modern political life? The authors assess the intellectual challenges to conventional political theory, such as post-structuralism and the scientific study of politics, that have revitalized the field in the last 30 years. They also broaden the perspective to take in non-western ideas and to reconceptualize political theory in the light of specifically global challenges. Students and teachers of political theory and political philosophy will find this book invaluable in understanding the factors that have shaped current political theory and which will guide its future development.