What are the four primary functions of comparative analysis in political science?
- Contextual Description
- Classification
- Hypothesis-Testing
- Prediction
Comparative analysis helps to describe political phenomena, categorize political systems, test hypotheses, and make predictions about political outcomes.
What is contextual description in comparative analysis?
It helps scholars describe and understand political phenomena within specific, relevant contexts.
It prevents generalization based on a single case, such as avoiding US-centric models.
What does classification in comparative analysis allow researchers to do?
Create typologies and categories for political systems, regimes, or institutions.
This simplifies and organizes complex political realities.
What is hypothesis-testing in comparative analysis?
It enables researchers to test causal relationships by examining if an independent variable influences a dependent variable across different settings.
How does prediction function in comparative analysis?
By testing and confirming hypotheses across various countries, comparativists can develop generalized theories for predicting political outcomes.
Define theory in the context of political science.
A set of general statements used to explain or predict phenomena.
Define method in the context of political science.
The systematic way in which data is gathered and analyzed to evaluate a theory.
What is ontology in political science?
The nature of being; it questions the reality being studied.
What is epistemology in political science?
The nature of knowledge; it questions how we know what we know.
What is methodology in political science?
The research strategy used to answer a question.
What is a case or unit of analysis?
The entity being studied, usually a country or region.
Define variable in the context of political analysis.
A characteristic or trait that can vary across cases.
What is an observation in political research?
A specific measurement or value of a variable for a particular case.
What is Michel’s Iron Law of Oligarchy?
Over time, all groups form a hierarchy with a small elite at their head.
What does Duverger’s Law state?
Electoral systems based on single-member districts tend to produce two parties, while systems with proportional representation tend to produce multiple parties.
What is the Democratic peace theory?
Democracies do not go to war with other democracies and are less likely to engage in war than non-democracies.
What does micro-level analysis focus on in comparative politics?
Individual behavior, beliefs, and interactions.
What does meso-level analysis focus on?
Groups, institutions, and organizations.
What does macro-level analysis focus on?
States, international systems, and large-scale structures.
What are quantitative methods in comparative research?
Methods that focus on measuring variables numerically to test hypotheses across a large number of cases.
What are qualitative methods in comparative research?
Methods that focus on in-depth understanding of phenomena across a small number of cases.
What is a key limitation of experimental control in political science?
Political scientists cannot easily conduct true experiments, making it harder to establish direct causality.
What is a major difference between natural sciences and political science regarding laws?
Natural sciences yield universal laws, while political science produces probabilistic generalizations.
What is the issue of ‘too many variables, too few cases’ in political science?
Political phenomena are multi-causal, leading to too many explanatory variables relative to the limited number of historical cases.
