Book and Review Article Suggestions

[ZeChocMoose]

Next semester I am taking two graduate-level political science courses to help me with my comprehensive exam and possibly my dissertation. Since this is not my area of expertise (nor did I take any classes on political science when I was in undergrad), I was hoping to read 1 - 2 books over break to help me become familiar with the terminology of the field and perhaps some of the big theories. (The classes are on legislature behavior and redistribution of public goods.) If you have any suggestions of which books to read or even review articles to look at that would be really helpful.

I realize that I am not going to become an expert, but I am hoping to get some of the relevant terminology and theories down so the learning curve isn't as steep and I am not utterly confused when I start reading the journal articles for the classes.

[ThisGuyRiteHere]

I think that maybe you should go to some Poli Sci websites and look at the recommended reading lists and see what you can gather.

[ZeChocMoose]

Yes, I could do this but I am hoping to get some personal recommendations of books/review articles that grad students have found helpful. Usually there are a couple good texts in each field, but it is hard to know as an outsider which ones those are.

Edited December 3, 2012 by ZeChocMoose

[Penelope Higgins]

Your question is too broad. There are not "a couple of good texts" in political science because the field is divided into subfields like international relations, American politics, etc and because we lack the disciplinary core of fields like sociology. If you give us more information about the course you are taking perhaps people here can make some suggestions.

[ZeChocMoose]

The classes are on legislature behavior and redistribution of public goods.

I didn't mean that as derogatory - my couple of good texts comments. My own field is very interdisciplinary as well but usually people can point to certain books or review articles by topics that can be helpful for people just starting out.