Comparative Scientist: The Guidebook

Question 1

The Greek Tradition

Answer 1

studying institutions/governance in order to find the ideal
- empirical studies

Question 2

a priori

Answer 2

knowledge/justification that is independent of experience
- “assumed”
- you don’t have to understand to know
- 2+3=5

Question 3

a posteriori

Answer 3

knowledge/justification that is dependent on experience or empirical evidence
- most aspects of science and personal knowledge
- “see to know”

Question 4

Aristotle’s Model

Answer 4

1. level of participatory power/expectation
2. ethical consideration of governance or regimes that support the elite/aristocrat

There is no set way of doing things - think shades, degrees, nuances

Question 5

Work of Comparativists

Answer 5

• reach conclusions on what gov. system works best
• use data to predict outcomes
• postulate predications
• compare the effects of gov. systems on other gov. systems
• analyze the impact 1 gov. system has on the world as a whole

Question 6

Empirical

Answer 6

• an “is statement”
• objective
• informative
• factual
• provable by data

Question 7

Normative

Answer 7

• an “ought” statement
• subjective
• value based
• working toward an idealized ideal

Question 8

Limitation of Comparative Politics

Answer 8

political science is not repeatable

Question 9

Causation

Answer 9

the action of causing something that will lead to some effect

Question 10

Correlation

Answer 10

there is an association between 2+ variables