<ul><li>New authors: Raffaella Nanetti contributes the country section on Italy, Christopher Carman joins B.Guy Peters on the United Kingdom chapters, and Marjorie Castle writes on Poland, bringing fresh perspective and insight to a trusted, class-tested volume. <li>New country section: the addition of Poland highlights an important example of the post-communist transition to democracy and capitalism in Central Europe. <li>Revamped policy chapters: a focus on common policy areas--allowing as much cross-national comparison as possible--gives students a look into such important and hot-button issues as immigration and citizenship, economic development and performance, religious cleavages, human rights and minority issues, and security concerns. <li>Updated elections analysis: an assessment of recent election results--in Sweden and Germany (2002); to the European Parliament (2004); in the United Kingdom, and Germany, and Poland (2005), and Italy (2006)--as well as perspectives on forthcoming elections in Russia, France, and Sweden, offer a comprehensive picture of Europeans at the polls. <li>Expanded treatment of political parties: thorough updating in all country sections includes the continued flux in the Russian party system, the center-left challenge to Berlusconi in Italy, the formation of a new left alliance in Germany, and anti-EU and feminist parties in Sweden. <li>Extensive revision of the EU: new discussion of the European Union's 2004 expansion from 15 to 25 member-states, its draft constitution as well as its rejection by voters in France and the Netherlands, the ongoing budgetary debate, and a greater emphasis on policy issues and outcomes. <li>Updated statistical appendices: handy tables and figures feature current, comparative data on politics, economics, and social conditions in all eight countries. <li>New website: annotated links to valuable resources are a great starting point for current events, study, review, and research projects.

<ul><li>New authors: Raffaella Nanetti contributes the country section on Italy, Christopher Carman joins B.Guy Peters on the United Kingdom chapters, and Marjorie Castle writes on Poland, bringing fresh perspective and insight to a trusted, class-tested volume. <li>New country section: the addition of Poland highlights an important example of the post-communist transition to democracy and capitalism in Central Europe. <li>Revamped policy chapters: a focus on common policy areas--allowing as much cross-national comparison as possible--gives students a look into such important and hot-button issues as immigration and citizenship, economic development and performance, religious cleavages, human rights and minority issues, and security concerns. <li>Updated elections analysis: an assessment of recent election results--in Sweden and Germany (2002); to the European Parliament (2004); in the United Kingdom, and Germany, and Poland (2005), and Italy (2006)--as well as perspectives on forthcoming elections in Russia, France, and Sweden, offer a comprehensive picture of Europeans at the polls. <li>Expanded treatment of political parties: thorough updating in all country sections includes the continued flux in the Russian party system, the center-left challenge to Berlusconi in Italy, the formation of a new left alliance in Germany, and anti-EU and feminist parties in Sweden. <li>Extensive revision of the EU: new discussion of the European Union's 2004 expansion from 15 to 25 member-states, its draft constitution as well as its rejection by voters in France and the Netherlands, the ongoing budgetary debate, and a greater emphasis on policy issues and outcomes. <li>Updated statistical appendices: handy tables and figures feature current, comparative data on politics, economics, and social conditions in all eight countries. <li>New website: annotated links to valuable resources are a great starting point for current events, study, review, and research projects.