Jan-Erik Lane, University of Freiburg, Germany and Svante Ersson is Associate Professor at University of Umeå, Sweden.

• Does Culture Matter?; I: Culture and Outcomes; 1: ‘Culture' and the Concepts of Culture; 2: What Culture Matters For: Outcomes; II: Ethnicity; 3: Ethnic Groups and Nations; 4: Outcomes of Ethnicity; III: Civilizations; 5: Civilizations and the Major Types of Religion; 6: Religion and its Outcomes; IV: Legacies; 7: Historical Legacies and the Colonial Heritage; 8: Family Structure and Democracy; V: Universal Values; 9: Universal Values: Three Main Theories; 10: Value Orientations: How Real Are They?; 11: Gender (Sex) as a Major Cultural Cleavage; 12: Conclusion: The Impact of Culture on Outcomes

'Culture and Politics is both important and timely...The authors have brought back in culture - a feature that appeared to have disappeared in today's approaches to politics and policy...a "must-read" for each and every student in comparative politics. The book is an important contribution to political science...not only academically important, but also a rich source of well-founded information for politicians, policy-makers and journalists. I will certainly use this book in my own work and for teaching political science.' Professor Hans Keman, Vrije University Amsterdam, President of the Dutch Political Science Association and Editor of Acta Politica 'Culture and Politics makes three important contributions: It charts a major field of research in terms of theories, concepts and data. It has a rigorous systematic comparative approach based on large sets of micro and macro data. And it is highly provocative, inciting further inquiries about a theme which is of outstanding relevance, both scientifically as well as politically.' Klaus Armingeon, University of Berne, Switzerland and Director, Institute of Political Science, Switzerland

Jan-Erik Lane, University of Freiburg, Germany and Svante Ersson is Associate Professor at University of Umeå, Sweden.

• Does Culture Matter?; I: Culture and Outcomes; 1: ‘Culture' and the Concepts of Culture; 2: What Culture Matters For: Outcomes; II: Ethnicity; 3: Ethnic Groups and Nations; 4: Outcomes of Ethnicity; III: Civilizations; 5: Civilizations and the Major Types of Religion; 6: Religion and its Outcomes; IV: Legacies; 7: Historical Legacies and the Colonial Heritage; 8: Family Structure and Democracy; V: Universal Values; 9: Universal Values: Three Main Theories; 10: Value Orientations: How Real Are They?; 11: Gender (Sex) as a Major Cultural Cleavage; 12: Conclusion: The Impact of Culture on Outcomes

'Culture and Politics is both important and timely...The authors have brought back in culture - a feature that appeared to have disappeared in today's approaches to politics and policy...a "must-read" for each and every student in comparative politics. The book is an important contribution to political science...not only academically important, but also a rich source of well-founded information for politicians, policy-makers and journalists. I will certainly use this book in my own work and for teaching political science.' Professor Hans Keman, Vrije University Amsterdam, President of the Dutch Political Science Association and Editor of Acta Politica 'Culture and Politics makes three important contributions: It charts a major field of research in terms of theories, concepts and data. It has a rigorous systematic comparative approach based on large sets of micro and macro data. And it is highly provocative, inciting further inquiries about a theme which is of outstanding relevance, both scientifically as well as politically.' Klaus Armingeon, University of Berne, Switzerland and Director, Institute of Political Science, Switzerland

Jan-Erik Lane, University of Freiburg, Germany and Svante Ersson is Associate Professor at University of Umeå, Sweden.

• Does Culture Matter?; I: Culture and Outcomes; 1: ‘Culture' and the Concepts of Culture; 2: What Culture Matters For: Outcomes; II: Ethnicity; 3: Ethnic Groups and Nations; 4: Outcomes of Ethnicity; III: Civilizations; 5: Civilizations and the Major Types of Religion; 6: Religion and its Outcomes; IV: Legacies; 7: Historical Legacies and the Colonial Heritage; 8: Family Structure and Democracy; V: Universal Values; 9: Universal Values: Three Main Theories; 10: Value Orientations: How Real Are They?; 11: Gender (Sex) as a Major Cultural Cleavage; 12: Conclusion: The Impact of Culture on Outcomes

'Culture and Politics is both important and timely...The authors have brought back in culture - a feature that appeared to have disappeared in today's approaches to politics and policy...a "must-read" for each and every student in comparative politics. The book is an important contribution to political science...not only academically important, but also a rich source of well-founded information for politicians, policy-makers and journalists. I will certainly use this book in my own work and for teaching political science.' Professor Hans Keman, Vrije University Amsterdam, President of the Dutch Political Science Association and Editor of Acta Politica 'Culture and Politics makes three important contributions: It charts a major field of research in terms of theories, concepts and data. It has a rigorous systematic comparative approach based on large sets of micro and macro data. And it is highly provocative, inciting further inquiries about a theme which is of outstanding relevance, both scientifically as well as politically.' Klaus Armingeon, University of Berne, Switzerland and Director, Institute of Political Science, Switzerland