Comparatice Politics 1

Question 1

Comparative politics

Answer 1

Sub field of political science that analyzes different cases via comparative method

Develops stronger claims about cause and effect
Tests hypothesis via facts
Develop theories on why the world works like it does
Needs necessary and sufficient conditions for cause and effects

Question 2

Empirical arguments

Answer 2

Links cause and effects; why the politic world works like it does

Relies on observations for experiments
Asks what it is
Facts of now

Question 3

Concepts

Answer 3

Idea comparatives use to think about the processes studied
Clarity, coherent, consistent.
Certain variables must be measurable

Question 4

Satori’ ladder of abstraction

Answer 4

Idea that we can organize ideas on the basis of their specificity or generality

Question 5

Operationalism

Answer 5

Process through which we take our basic concepts and render them measurable

Question 6

Cases

Answer 6

Basic units of analysis in comparative politics

Can be political groups, organizations, specific institutions, or historical episodes

Question 7

Addressing questions

Answer 7

Most similar systems (MSS) analysis and most different system analysis (MDS)

Question 8

Generalizable

Answer 8

The quality that a given theory, hypothesis, or finding has to being applicable

Question 9

Within-case comparison

Answer 9

Looking more carefully within one’s own case(s) to examine variation

Question 10

What are challenges to comparative politics

Answer 10

Correlation vs causation:
Correlation measures two variable associations
Causation is process that produces the effect –> difficult