About the Authors

Author: Austin Minter

Austin Minter teaches political science, sociology, and ethnic studies at Lemoore College, Fresno City College, and California State University, Fresno. He holds degrees in political science, sociology, and public administration. His research interests include political institutions, public policy, and government-society relations. He focuses on how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, shape government operations, administrative decision-making, service delivery, and institutional accountability. He also studies aviation policy and regulation, transportation governance, and aviation safety. Using qualitative and mixed methods, he examines how policies are developed, implemented, and experienced by individuals and communities. Additional interests include intergovernmental relations, administrative burden, disaster management and recovery, rural governance, economic inequality, civic engagement, and the intersection of technology, education, and public institutions.

Dr. Minter adapted this textbook so that it flows with the way the course is taught, particularly in eight-week and other short-term formats, and so that faculty have resources they can readily integrate into their own courses. He believes course textbooks should be relevant and accessible, with examples that are meaningful to students and closely tied to the material they are reading.

Acknowledgments

This textbook is adapted from Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics by Dino Bozonelos, Julia Wendt, Charlotte Lee, Jessica Scarffe, Masahiro Omae, Josh Franco, Byran Martin, and Stefan Veldhuis (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative), licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.