Comparative approach

Question 1

comparative politics asks what kind of questions and seek answer of what?

Answer 1

causal questions and seeking answers of comparative significance

Question 2

comparative politics engages in controversies about what?

Answer 2

about scientific standards (the how do you know question!)

Question 3

what types of questions are preliminary to a search for causal explanations

Answer 3

descriptive questions

Question 4

what type of questions are not posed in comparative politics

Answer 4

normative/evaluative questions

Question 5

However, _____ may have implications for normative questions

Answer 5

research

Question 6

Falsifiability definition

Answer 6

the research question must be able to be proven wrong as otherwise it is not testable

Question 7

Internal validity defintion

Answer 7

applies to the causes you have studied within your causal path

Question 8

generalisability/external validity definition

Answer 8

findings apply outside of your causal mechanism

Question 9

dependant variable

Answer 9

what one is trying to explain (successful or failed repression of mass uprising)

Question 10

independent variable

Answer 10

the causes (revolutionary versus non-revolutionary regime origin)

Question 11

intervening variable

Answer 11

intermediate steps in a causal chain (basis for security service affiliation to regime). All the other steps in between

Question 12

what is small n analysis and what does it look for?

Answer 12

looking at small amount of cases, looking for internal validity

Question 13

conditions for method of agreement

Answer 13

same precondition, same outcome therefore the precondition is the cause

Question 14

conditions for method of difference

Answer 14

when the precondition is absent, outcome is absent there the precondition is the cause

Question 15

what is process tracing

Answer 15

– puts forward a chain of variables. Involves following the steps in the causal mechanism (“causal process observations”), demonstrating that each is taking place

Question 16

how does process tracing link the dependant and independent variable

Answer 16

through a process of intervening variables

Question 17

what is a theory?

Answer 17

a set of logically consistent statements that tell us why things we observe occur

Question 18

what is a counterfactual and give an example of it

Answer 18

• Counterfactual is what would have happened if it lacked the variable and the outcome. X missed flight because they overslept. Counterfactual is if x didn’t oversleep and got onto their flight.

Question 19

____ _____ theories aim to explain everything? give some examples

Answer 19

grand narrative

marxism, post-structuralism, rational choice, modernisation theory

Question 20

what type of theories explain only transferable concepts with their specific area of focus? give some examples

Answer 20

middle range

labour process, bourgeoisie democratisation, de-industrialisation

Question 21

what does endogeneity mean?

Answer 21

chicken and egg scenario. doe social structures shape institutions or vice versa

Question 22

what is the difference between structural and agency explanations

Answer 22

structural - context of social institutions. social structures determine human actions. example - marxism

agency - individual or group actors. social structure is the product of the acts of persons.

bottom up versus top down

Question 23

what is the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning

Answer 23

deductive -
from more general to more specific.
starts with thinking up a theory and then narrows that down into more specific testable hypotheses. result is confirmation of original theories

inductive reasoning -
begin to detect patterns and regularities
formulate an hypothesis that you can explore
end up developing a general theory of conclusion