Now in its third edition, Understanding Third World Politics is a comprehensive, critical introduction to key political theories and controversies in international development for students in Third World politics, political and economic development, and comparative government courses. B. C. Smith reviews the shared and increasingly diverse experiences of developing societies, debates about the nature of imperialism, and the usefulness and limitations of the term "Third World" as an organizing concept. He evaluates explanations of political change and theorizes the character and dynamics of political institutions and the instabilities they face today.