December Green and Laura Luehrmann show how history, economics, and politics converge to create the realities of life in the Global South.

In this new edition, the authors continue to offer an innovative blend of theory and empirical material as they introduce the politics of what was once called the third world. They consistently link theoretical concepts to a set of eight contemporary case studies: China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, and Zimbabwe.

A central theme throughout the new edition is how the Covid-19 pandemic has worked as a hinge event-accelerating troubling trends and amplifying longstanding socioeconomic and political problems.

Other features of the fifth edition include:

Thoroughly revised chapters on economic and development issues An update on regime transitions and the rise of authoritarianism Analysis of the status of conflict, terrorist movements, and weapons proliferation An expanded discussion of populism and nationalism in both the economic and political spheres A comparison of the range of experiences and responses to the pandemic

The result is a text that has been successfully designed to challenge students’ preconceptions, arouse their curiosity, and foster critical thinking.