Comparative approach Flashcards
comparative politics asks what kind of questions and seek answer of what?
causal questions and seeking answers of comparative significance
comparative politics engages in controversies about what?
about scientific standards (the how do you know question!)
what types of questions are preliminary to a search for causal explanations
descriptive questions
what type of questions are not posed in comparative politics
normative/evaluative questions
However, _____ may have implications for normative questions
research
Falsifiability definition
the research question must be able to be proven wrong as otherwise it is not testable
Internal validity defintion
applies to the causes you have studied within your causal path
generalisability/external validity definition
findings apply outside of your causal mechanism
dependant variable
what one is trying to explain (successful or failed repression of mass uprising)
independent variable
the causes (revolutionary versus non-revolutionary regime origin)
intervening variable
intermediate steps in a causal chain (basis for security service affiliation to regime). All the other steps in between
what is small n analysis and what does it look for?
looking at small amount of cases, looking for internal validity
conditions for method of agreement
same precondition, same outcome therefore the precondition is the cause
conditions for method of difference
when the precondition is absent, outcome is absent there the precondition is the cause
what is process tracing
– puts forward a chain of variables. Involves following the steps in the causal mechanism (“causal process observations”), demonstrating that each is taking place
how does process tracing link the dependant and independent variable
through a process of intervening variables
what is a theory?
a set of logically consistent statements that tell us why things we observe occur
what is a counterfactual and give an example of it
• 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.
____ _____ theories aim to explain everything? give some examples
grand narrative
marxism, post-structuralism, rational choice, modernisation theory
what type of theories explain only transferable concepts with their specific area of focus? give some examples
middle range
labour process, bourgeoisie democratisation, de-industrialisation
what does endogeneity mean?
chicken and egg scenario. doe social structures shape institutions or vice versa
what is the difference between structural and agency explanations
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
what is the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning
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
