The Political Atlas of the Modern World is a unique reference source which addresses these questions by providing a comparative study of the political systems of all 192 countries of the world. * Uses quantitative data and multidimensional statistical analysis * Ranks countries according to five indices of political development: stateness, external and internal threats, potential of international influence, quality of life, institutional basis of democracy * Illustrated throughout with tables and diagrams. How can we compare political systems in contemporary world politics? What measures can we use to understand the political development of countries whose histories and cultures make them so different? The Political Atlas of the Modern World is a unique reference source which addresses these questions by providing a comparative study of the political systems of all 192 countries of the world. Using quantitative data and multidimensional statistical analysis, the Atlas ranks countries according to five indices of political development: * stateness * external and internal threats * potential of international influence * quality of life * institutional basis of democracy. Illustrated throughout with tables and diagrams, the book describes the methodological tools used and the key research findings. This innovative research project was initiated and sponsored by the Institute for Public Projects (Moscow) and supported by MGIMO-University.