Gain the skills you need to conduct political analysis and critically assess statistical research. In this Sixth Edition of The Essentials of Political Science, bestselling authors Philip H. Pollock III and Barry C. Edwards build your analytic abilities and develop your statistical reasoning with new data, fresh exercises, and accessible examples. This brief, accessible guide walks you through the essentials--measuring concepts, formulating and testing hypotheses, describing variables--while using key terms, chapter-opening objectives, over 80 tables and figures, and practical exercises to get you using and applying your new skills.