Political sociology is the interdisciplinary study of power and the intersection of personality, society and politics. The field also examines how the political process is affected by major social trends as well as exploring how social policies are altered by various social forces.

Political sociologists increasingly use a wide variety of relatively new quantitative and qualitative methodologies and incorporate theories and research from other social science cognate disciplines. The contributors focus on the current controversies and disagreements surrounding the use of different methodologies for the study of politics and society, and discussions of specific applications found in the widely scattered literature where substantive research in the field is published. This approach will solidly place the handbook in a market niche that is not occupied by the current volumes while also covering many of the same theoretical and historical developments that the other volumes cover.

The purpose of this handbook is to summarize state-of-the-art theory, research, and methods used in the study of politics and society. This area of research encompasses a wide variety of perspectives and methods that span social science disciplines. The handbook is designed to reflect that diversity in content, method and focus. In addition, it will cover developments in the developed and underdeveloped worlds.

Dr. Leicht is a professor in the Department of Sociology and the co-director of the Iowa Center for Inequality Studies at the University of Iowa. He was the chair of the Organization, Occupation, and Work section of ASA from 2005-2006.Dr. Jenkins is a Professor of Sociology and Political Science and an associate at the Mershon Center for International Security at the Ohio State University. He was the chair of the Political Sociology section of ASA from 1995-1996. Both are members of the Sociological Research Association, an invited group of academics in sociology.

Institutional Theory.- Reviving State Theory.- Public Opinion, Elections, and Democratic Politics.- Neo-Functionalism and Civil Society.- Politics and the Civil Sphere.- Globalization and Transnationalism.- Elite Theory and Elites.- Conflict Theory.- Social Movements and Contentious Politics.- Guerilla Warfare and Terrorism.- Elites, PACS, and Political Influence.- The State and Economic Development.- Gender and Politics.- Globalization and Protest.- Culture and Political Protest.- Religion and Politics.- War and Democracy.- Space and Politics.- Politics and the Environment.- Ethnic Conflict and Nationalism.- NGOs and Transnational Organizations.- Democracy and Democratization.- Revolutions and Authoritarian Regimes.- Mass Media and Politics.- Elections and Voting.- The Politics of Inequality.- The Political Sociology of Criminal Justice.- Events Data and Conflict Analysis.- Ethnography and Politics.- Comparative Historical Methodology in Political Sociology.- Hierarchical Linear Modeling.- New Methods of Text Analysis and Politics.- Event-History Methods and Politics.- Social Networks and Politics.- Time-Series Analysis and the Study of Politics.- Varieties of Political Analysis.