For undergraduate-level courses in Third World Politics, Comparative Politics, Developing World courses in Political Science, and regional courses on Asia or Latin America. This text explores political, economic, and social issues common to diverse Third World countries. It stresses the themes of democratization, modernization, and dependency theory, examining the nature of underdevelopment. The text analyzes the major political and socio economic rifts that divide many of these nations and the efforts being made to understand and address these challenges.