Introduction

Question 1

Are comparative cases usually large N or small N studies?

Answer 1

Small N

Question 2

What makes an answer valuable in comparative politics?

Answer 2

An answer is value if it is….
- falsifiable… that a statement can be proven wrong
- internally valid… that causes lead to an effect in particular circumstances and cases
- externally valid… if certain cases and facts can be applied to others
- identifies patterns - situations that fall in similar ways, or have differences due to certain reasons

Question 3

What questions are there over whether controlled comparisons are still valuable in political science?

Answer 3

There are questions over whether controlled comparisons are rigorous and quantitative enough/whether they have enough external validity

Question 4

What is a theory?

Answer 4

A theory is a set of logical statements that explain why things occur. It shows how variables relate in particular ways and they are predictive of outcomes.

Question 5

What are dependent, independent and intervening variables respectively?

Answer 5

• dependent variable: the thing that is measured… the thing that you EXPLAIN
• independent variable: the thing that causes the change
• intervening variables: steps in a chain of events that compound to cause an outcome

Question 6

What is deduction?

Answer 6

Deduction is from the general to the specific
- begins with theory, applies this to specific circumstances to create a testable hypothesis
- Results in a theory either being proven or falsified

Question 7

What is induction?

Answer 7

Induction is from the specific to the general
- patterns and regularities identified in specific circumstances
- allows us to form hypotheses that can be explored
- from these, we can create a theory

Question 8

What is a causal mechanism?

Answer 8

A causal mechanism observes how causes produce effects. It looks at how chains of events produce plausible, confirmable cause-effect relationships.

Question 9

What is process tracing?

Answer 9

Process tracing is a method. It analyses causal mechanisms, looking at how steps, events, circumstances are followed in these to demonstrate what takes place, why and how things lead to each other.

Question 10

What do structural explanations of events/society usually involve?

Answer 10

Structural explanations of events/society usually observe how social institutions and structures constrain human action. All things are determined in a top down manner by structure.

Question 11

What do agency explanations of events/society usually involve?

Answer 11

Agency explanations ignore the idea of socialisation, believing individual agents have the power to shape and control situations, moulding situations from the bottom up.

Question 12

Why are counterfactuals often valuable?

Answer 12

Counterfactuals can help us to understand the world as it is by looking at something that could’ve happened. They are able to test hypotheses.

Question 13

What advantages are there of comparison?

Answer 13

Comparison allows us to explain why things occur by looking at contrasting situations. They are not just based on a single case, and they allow us to accumulate knowledge in a generalisable way. They also help to identify crucial elements in chains of events.

Question 14

What problems are there with comparison?

Answer 14

Comparison can often be accused of producing monocausality (a single explanation for a complex issue) as well as of endogeneity (where the link between explanatory and dependent variables cannot be explained due to omitted intervening variables). There are also issues of selection bias and external validity.

Question 15

What is endogeneity?

Answer 15

Endogeneity is the problem whereby a causal link between explanatory and dependent variables cannot be properly identified due to the omitting of additional variables, leading to incorrect or biased results.

Question 16

What issues are there of case selection in the study of controlled comparisons?

Answer 16

Case selections are often judged to have been done selectively in terms of controlled comparison, arguably in a biased fashion to produce certain results.

Question 17

How can controlled comparisons arguably still hold external validity?

Answer 17

Controlled comparisons can be eternally valid if they show a significant level of variation that may be translated onto different contexts.

Question 18

What arguments are made about the type of external validity provided by large n, cross-national tests?

Answer 18

Large N, cross-national tests arguably do not generate external validity, but merely confirm validity that is generated by small n studies.

Question 19

What sort of claims do small n case studies often make? Why do they do this? (Link to black swan)

Answer 19

Small n case studies make PROBABILISTIC claims rather than deterministic ones, as when deterministic claims are made, a single case where this does not apply disproves the claim.

Question 20

What can often be measured about the relationship between variables by small n studies more easily than in large n studies?

Answer 20

Small n studies succeed in measuring the strength of the effect that X has on Y, and on whether any confounding or amplifying variables exist that should be isolated.

Question 21

Explain the ‘clock model’ of political science

Answer 21

The ‘clock model’ of political science revolves around formulating predictable, law-like outcomes, from which deductions can be made. Looks at causal relationships.

Question 22

What arguments are made about the ‘clock model’ and its suitability to studying political science?

Answer 22

Many would argue that a clock model is unsuited to studying political science, as it is frequently unpredictable. A natural science approach is arguably not useful to the study of social sciences.