Textbook designed to provide an introduction for students of politics coming to the subject for the first time. Overviews main features and characteristics of one of the most distinctive and complex political systems in the world. Includes glossary of key terms, discussion and summary, extensive Web links, and guides to further reading.

Rob Singh is Professor of Politics at the School of Politics and Sociology, Birkbeck College, University of London. He was educated at Christ Church and Nuffield College, Oxford, from where he gained a 1st in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1989 and a DPhil in Politics in 1994. He was a Lecturer in Politics at Trinity College, Dublin (1994-96) and the University of Edinburgh (1996-99) before joining Birkbeck in 1999, where he was appointed to a chair in politics in 2004.