Definitions Flashcards
Define institutions?
Constraints on actors choices - formal (law) or informal (culture)
Define Actors?
Agents of politics, individuals who make political choices e.g: voters
Define quantitative method?
Application of statistical techniques to observations to identify correlations and a casual relationship between variables.
Define qualitative method?
Use of non-numerical techniques such as text analysis and interviews to identify causal relationships and understand casual processes.
What is a dependent variable?
A subject the researcher would like to explain (e.g: democracy)
What is an independent variable?
A factor that the researcher believes is the cause of variation in the dependent variable (e.g: economic growth)
What is a hypothesis?
A proposed explanation of the causal relationship between independent variables and dependent.
The link between causality and correlation?
With causality, the 2nd even is a consequence of the 1st.
However, just because two events are correlated it does not mean that they are causally linked.
Define sufficient and necessary causes?
Sufficient cause: Cause in whose presence the effect must occur (fire and smoke)
Necessary cause: Cause in whose absence the effect cannot occur (no bourgeoise, no democracy)
Define deterministic and probabilistic causes?
Deterministic cause: Cause that ALWAYS produces a specific effect.
Probabilistic cause: Causes that influence the probability of the specific effect.
What is a majoritarian government?
Government by majority, no constraints on the will of the majority.
(E.g: Westminster; single party government in a parliamentary system)
What is a consensus model of democracy?
Constraints on the will of the majority, government by consensus.
(E.g: Coalition government or presidential system)
