“[This is] a textbook that offers students a good introduction to the science of politics while emphasizing the moral, empirical, and prudential dimensions of politics.”—Prosper Bernard, Jr., College of Staten Island The Challenge of Politics balances classic political theory with contemporary politics to help students understand the fundamental questions of political science. The authors relate insights of classic political thinkers both to their modern counterparts and to the political dynamics of American, comparative, and international affairs.