Political and Educational Systems in 44 Countries

Abstract

This chapter reviews key features of the 44 countries we surveyed. Descriptions of political and educational systems give a general context. Major political/educational features appear in Tables 3.1 and 3.2 and Figure 3.1. Key sources for this summary are Hunter (Statesman’s Yearbook, 1994–5), Europa Yearbook (1995), Kurian (ed.) (World Education Encyclopedia, 1988), and Banks et al. (Political Handbook of the World, 1995, 1997). Defense costs from the worldwide web’s CIA Fact Book ( odci.gov /cia/publications/fact-book/country-frame.html) report reveal that in 1996, $750 billion (one-third by the US; 2 per cent of the gross world product) was spent on arms. For political/educational analysis, we used Freedom in the World (Freedom House, 1995, 1996, 1998) reports on civil rights/liberties; Prospects of Democracy (Vanhanen, 1997); Encyclopedia of Human Rights (Lawson, 1996); and Political Parties of the World (Day, German, and Campbell, 1996).