John Hoffman is Emeritus Professor of Political Theory at the University of Leicester. He is author of Marxism and the Theory of Praxis (Lawrence and Wishart, 1975), Marxism, Democracy and Revolution (B. R. Gruner, 1983), The Gramscian Challenge (Blackwell, 1984), State, Power and Democracy (Wheatsheaf Press, 1988), Tomorrow is Built Today (with Andrew Nyathi, Anvil Press, 1990), Beyond the State (Polity Press, 1995), Sovereignty (Open University Press, 1998), Gender and Sovereignty (Palgrave, 2001) and Citizenship Beyond the State (Sage, 2004), and Introduction to Political Theory (with Paul Graham, Pearson Education, 2006).

This book covers alphabetically both the major concepts in political theory and the key writers in the field. While ensuring accuracy and objectivity, the entries represent interpretations that are both challenging and interesting.