Chapt. 1 Flashcards
What’s the bellicist theory?
Modern states were formed because of war. Main thinker is Charles Tilly.
What is a theory?
A general set of explanatory claims about some specific empirical range. It should be simple!
- Guide us to make accurate perdictions
- Are parisimonoius
- Are able to be refuted
What is a concept?
An idea used to think about the processes we study. Clear, logically consistent, useful (her) + coherent (text)
What does normative mean?
Concerned with a practice or institutions that is morally or ethically justified
What does empirical mean?
Drawn from observations about the world.
Most-Similar-Systems Design?
Look at cases that are alike but w different outcomes. (Canada and U.S. on gun laws)
Most-Different-Systems Design?
Look at cases that are different but w similar outcomes. (Women’s rights: Canada and Burma…)
Comparative checking?
Testing conclusions from a study against additional cases
Within-Case Comparison?
Deep examination of one case. Was it always demographic? Was it always ethnically homogenous?
What does endogeneity mean?
Problem of distinguishing cause versus effect
What does it mean to operationalize a concept?
To make a concept measurable.
What is Sartori’s ladder of abstraction?
Idea we organize concepts based on specificity or generality.
Why is comparitive checking important?
To make generizable claims, it is a good idea to broaden your arguments to include multiple cases.
