Description: This book examines almost two decades of research using the structural or network approach to political behavior. Network analysis begins with the assumption that the most important elements of political power are the relationships of influence and domination among social actors. Influence is the exchange of information about preferences and intentions; domination is the exchange of material sanctions to reward or punish compliance with commands. By examining the confluence of these two networks, analysts can develop a structural picture of the political process. David Knoke provides an overview of the work already done in the structural analysis of politics and the directions it will take in the future. Topics covered include voting decisions, social movements, formal organizations, community power systems, national elites and the world system of nation-states. Theoretical conceptualizations, empirical findings and topical research agendas are discussed in each of these areas.
Review Quotes: "David Knoke's Political Networks is...about political processes as they occur within polities, social movements, organizations, communities, national elites, and among nation-states. By defining the scope of his work in this way, Knoke is able to integrate a staggeringly large portion of the recent research on each of these 'experimental animals, '...and closely to show the connections between this work and fundamental theoretical and methodological issues. I know of no other recent book in the social sciences which does this with as much clarity, verve, style, and wit." Contemporary Sociology