V1

Question 1

Comparative Politics: Motivation

Answer 1

exploring differences in political outcomes across different populations

Question 2

Comparative Politics: Key Dimensions

Answer 2

Institutions
Identities
Interests

Question 3

Measures of political Comparison

Answer 3

Human Development Index (UNDP) (life expectancy, education, income)
Liberal Democracy Index (71 indicators of electoral and liberal democracy)

Question 4

Methodology

Answer 4

Systematically describe cases, identify differences and similarities

Create classifications and typologies, reduce complexity

Develop theories, generate and test hypotheses

Generate explanations, use them for prediction

Question 5

comparative politics: scientific or political?

Answer 5

scientific!

Value‐neutrality, unbiasedness

The aim is (sometimes limited) generalization

Importance of empirical evidence

It is often observational or quasi‐experimental: (lab) experiments oftentimes impossible