The article argues that sovereign states, not subnational regions or metropolitan areas, are the proper unit for comparative policy analysis. It contends that politics in democracies is nationalized with unified parties and nationally recognized leaders, whereas cross-national party coordination rarely involves attacking sister parties in other countries for their policies.
Eighty-eight years ago, the Munich Agreement allowed Nazi Germany to seize Czechoslovakia's German-speaking borderlands without Czech consent or participation, a decision Western powers believed preserved peace but actually emboldened Hitler and facilitated Nazi conquest across Europe. The agreement reflected Western naivety about dealing with a fascist regime and had severe consequences, including cementing Hitler's power and encouraging Mussolini's alignment with Germany.