Organised thematically, the book is structured in three parts, beginning with elections and representation, moving on to examine institutions and practices of government, and finally covering common challenges and their effect on European countries. Comparative European Politics takes students carefully through recent developments such as the migrant crisis, the financial crisis and growing instability in Europe.

The book is enriched with helpful learning features, such as 'over to you' boxes, which include suggestions for comparisons, and encourage students to test arguments, and form their own perspective on key issues. 'Thinking comparatively' boxes at the end of each chapter describe published research to help students evaluate theories against empirical evidence.