January 13 and 15, 2015 Chapter 2: Approaches in Comparative Politics

Question 1

What was the result of moving beyond single countries in comparative politics?

Answer 1

New approaches in comparative politics had to be developed.

Question 2

The “new” approach in comparative politics that allowed moving beyond comparing single countries resulted in…

Answer 2

These approaches being useful across range of political systems, moving beyond western states, and political theories becoming the source of the approaches to comparison.

Question 3

What are the two categories that political theory can fall under?

Answer 3

Positivist and constructivist.

Question 4

What do positivist political theories state?

Answer 4

Facts are real and observable.

Question 5

What do constructivist political theories state?

Answer 5

Facts are socially constructed, and depend on perception.

Question 6

What is theorizing?

Answer 6

Making judgements about what is and is not relevant in terms of explaining some significant economic, social, or political phenomenon.

Question 7

What is the basic definition of theory?

Answer 7

A simplifying device that allows you to decide which facts matter and which do not.

Question 8

Compare theory to a conceptual filter, or a set of photographic lenses.

Answer 8

Different lenses help you focus on different things. Different lenses (theories) serve different purposes; this may help explain why, in the social sciences, there are multiple often competing theories.

Question 9

Are all theories equally valid?

Answer 9

No, there are good and bad theories.

Question 10

Without theory, comparative politics would simply be a…

Answer 10

Collection of information.

Question 11

There is a ___ bias for existing theories.

Answer 11

Supporting.

Question 12

Because of the supporting bias for existing theories, researchers should use ___ .

Answer 12

Triangulation.

Question 13

What is triangulation?

Answer 13

Using multiple theories.

Question 14

What are grand theories?

Answer 14

All encompassing theories that offer generalizations. Became popular with the claim to integrate all cases.

Question 15

What are middle range theories?

Answer 15

Provides explanations that applies only to certain situations in certain geographical, political, and historical context.

Question 16

What are the 5 I’s in political theory?

Answer 16

1. Institutions.
2. Interests.
3. Ideas.
4. Individuals.
5. International Environment.

Question 17

How do institutions affect political theory?

Answer 17

Structures matter. Institutions shape and constrain the behaviour of individuals. The political structure you live in influences your political behaviour.

Question 18

___ analysis is the root of comparative politics.

Answer 18

Institutional.

Question 19

The first institutions to be analyzed were ___ by Aristotle.

Answer 19

Constitutions.

Question 20

What are 3 alternative concepts of institutions under contemporary “new institutionalism?”

Answer 20

1. Normative institutionalism.
2. Rational institutionalism.
3. Historical institutionalism.

Question 21

What is normative institutionalism?

Answer 21

Institutions provide a set of norms.

Question 22

What is rational institutionalism?

Answer 22

Institutions provide incentives and disincentives.

Question 23

What is historical institutionalism?

Answer 23

Institutions persist over time (path-dependence).

Question 24

Institutionalist approaches are relatively weak in explaining ___.

Answer 24

Change.

Question 25

How do interests affect political theory?

Answer 25

Individuals are self-interested utility maximizers and engage in political actions to receive benefits and avoid costs.

Question 26

What is interests that affect political theory also called?

Answer 26

Rational choice analysis.

Question 27

What is an example of how interests affect political theory?

Answer 27

Research on consocialism, which is the idea that interest can be social as well.

Question 28

What is consocialism?

Answer 28

The idea that interest can be social as well.

Question 29

How do ideas affect political theory?

Answer 29

Ideas matter for output and ideologies.

Question 30

Why are ideas often treated as a residual factor in political theory?

Answer 30

The effect of ideas is difficult to measure.

Question 31

Conceptualizations of ideas addressed the dimension of ___.

Answer 31

Trust.

Question 32

___ ___ is declining in the United States because of the television, and increased de-connectedness.

Answer 32

Social capitalism.

Question 33

Theories claiming the end of ideologies are…

Answer 33

Challenged by recent surges in conservatism and religiousness.

Question 34

What are the 2 types of Grand Theories?

Answer 34

1. Structural functionalism.

2. Systems theory.

Question 35

Structural functionalism.

Answer 35

A sociological grand theory that attempts to explain why society functions the way it does by focusing on the relationships between the various social institutions that make up society.

Question 36

Systems theory.

Answer 36

Focused on the structure of the political systems. The interdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research.

Question 37

How do individuals affect political theory?

Answer 37

Highlights the importance of political biographies and political diaries.

Question 38

What are some examples of the individual approach to political theory?

Answer 38

Research on representative bureaucracy. Research on voting behaviour across countries.

Question 39

How does the international environment affect political theory?

Answer 39

In a globalized world, individual analysis of countries is difficult.

Question 40

What is Galton’s problem?

Answer 40

In a globalized world, isolated analysis is increasingly difficult, which leads to serious analytical problems for comparative politics.

Question 41

Give an example of how international environments affect political theory.

Answer 41

Poor countries are more likely to be influenced by wealthy countries, as the IMF and World Bank only give loans if the poor country makes changes according to the wealthy countries’ views.

Question 42

What is the sixth “I?”

Answer 42

Interaction.

Question 43

How does interaction relate to political theory?

Answer 43

The five “I’s” are not isolated, but interact with each other.

Question 44

Give an example of how interaction can be used to explain social movements.

Answer 44

Sometimes they can be conceptualized by institutions, sometimes they are looked upon as public manifestations of “ideas,” and sometimes they reflect underlying social and economic interests.

Question 45

What is the weakness of the 5 “I’s?”

Answer 45

Neglects dynamic political processes. For example, will look at the legislature of an institution, but not on the legislative process.