Over 15 theories covered! The notes capture essential definitions, critiques, and historical contexts for each political theory, and their theoretical frameworks, with insights into how these ideas inform current political debates. The notes include core topics from the fathers of these theories an...
-Theories and “answers” to answers in the field of comp. Pol. must have relevancy to other
similar cases
-Comparative Politics: focuses on understanding and explaining political phenomena that take
place within a state, society, country, or political system// examines the interplay of domestic
and external forces on the politics of a given country
-A method of study based on comparison /// A subject of study based on examination of
political phenomena in various countries
-Focuses on internal/domestic dynamics
-Comparative method of analysis
-International Relations: field of study concerned with external relations or foreign policies of
states
-nation-state: the concept of a country (through nationalism and pride)
-state: permanent population, defined territory
-Lim does NOT think internal politics of a place and the impact of external forces be understood
separately BECAUSE of globalization (individual attributes of societies and states contribute just
as much as international factors)
-1950s: politics defined as a narrow, legal concept i.e. parliament, congress → new
definition: politics as part of a larger social process
-Comparative Method: Qualitative v. Quantitative (statistical or variable centered)
-Compare to control: using theory as a control in research
-Analytical induction: using multiple case studies to develop a theoretical generalization
3 Purposes of comparing: to control (comparative checking)l, to understand (interpretation), to
explain (analytical induction)
-within-case comparison: one case but studied over time (ex. United states studied over course
of 100 years)
08/25/23: Class Notes
*3 Roles of Social Scientists
1.Description: Details, facts, a snapshot of something at a given time
2, Explanation: “Why did X occur?”; “Is X monocausal or does X have complex
causality?”
3. Prediction: Forecasting events or outcomes
,-Positivism: What we know and learn in the world is by observing facts →This is how
we acquire knowledge
-Positivist approach: Empirical/Empricism
-Empirical/Empiricism: Based on observation
-Concept/Theoretical Construct: an idea that lacks a measurable property (i.e. nationalism,
*Concept converted → variable
-Variable: An observable whose characteristics can take on more than one value or
attribute AND these values or attributes can change across time or space
-Example of variable: pop. size (Variable) → 330 million (Attribute)
-Operationalize/Operationalization: Converting a concept into a variable
-Dependent Variable (DV)/ “Y” Variable: an outcome that we seek to explain
-Independent Variable (IV)/ “X” Variable: A variable that explains / The variable that causes
Y
-Using theory to decide which IV to use
Positivists: Will observe by theory → IV → DV
08/25/23 : Lim Ch. 2 Notes
Types of comparative analysis:
-Most Similar Systems (MSS): Comparing similar cases that bring about different
outcomes to make it easier for researchers to control factors that are not the causal agent and
isolate the IV that explains the presence or absence of the DV /// Picking the system more
broadly /// Picking 2 or more cases with a different outcome
Limitation: Deciding on a causal relationship might disregard other causal
relationships
-Most Different Systems (MDS): Comparing very different cases (different systems) that
all have the same DV; Helps identify a point of similarity which leads to the IV; Little variance on
the DV //
-Method of Agreement (MoA): If two or more instances of a phenomenon under
investigation have only a single circumstance in common the circumstance in which all the
instances agree is the cause or effect of the phenomenon /// If all instances of the IV have a
commonality, then that commonality shows causality toward the DV /// Only picking cases
where the IV causes same outcomes in the DV /// We want to identify lots of different IV
3 C’s
-Caution, Care, Constraint
Models for Comparative Analysts
1. The case study in a comparative perspective
2. Binary Analysis :(comparison of 2 units)
3. Multiunit comparison involving 3 or more units
4. Mixed Design
,-A case is a unit of analysis
1. MDS design using 3 primary cases
2. MSS design using temporal comparison
3. Multiple unit comparison (3+ units) using secondary cases
4. Individual case studies → Analytical induction
08/28/23 — Class Notes
-Deterministic statement: Leaving out any uncertainty ( A causes B)
-Probabilistic Statement: Builds in some uncertainty into the claim ( Example words: Possibly,
tends to, more likely, might)
→ We use probabilistic statements
3 Methods/Approaches in Social Sciences
1. Experimental Method
-Maximum or full control/ Manipulate inputs (Most amount of control →
Most amount of confidence in results)
2. Statistical method
-Observational Science
-Some degree of manipulation
-Least amount of confidence in our results
3. Comparative method/ case study method
-Observational Science
-Little to no control of inputs
-Least amount of confidence in our results
*CONTROL → achieved through case selection
-Isolate certain causes/factors
Case Selection techniques
1. J.S. Mill : Method of Agreement (1843 - A System of Logic)
2. Henry Teune & Adam Przeworski (1970 - The Logic of Comp. Social Inquiry)
⇒IV : that which explains
⇒ DV : the outcome
-Dichotomous Variable: The variable that can only take two answers/attributes (High/low ;
Yes/No)
-Guy Peters: “The real difficulty for the social sciences is making convincing statements about
the ???? – political phenomenon, ?? complexity of interaction, range ground phenomenon anf
the number of external source of variance
, 08/29/23 – Powner Notes /// 08/30/23 – Class Notes
Theory: a set of propositions/claims to answer an RQ
-falsifiablle
Assumptions: Claims or beliefs (typically implicit)
Scope conditions: The boundaries for your theory
Theory’s domain: the set of cases over which the theory is expected to operate
*Deductive theorizing: Reasoning from the general case to the specific /// theory precede
observation
-
*Inductive theorizing: Study of specific cases then curating a generalization from there/// the
process of reasoning from the specific to the general
-gather data → sort data → develop theory → project theory to wider range of
cases
-(Pg. 26 = nice table for ded. And ind.)
→Parts of hypothesis: IV and DV
Indicators: Observable implications and falsifiers
-Observable implications: empirical patterns you expect to see if hypothesis is correct
-Falsifiers: empirical patterns you expect to see if hypothesis is INcorrect
Caveat about hypothesis
-Cannot explain a constant (stays the same) with a variable (changing over time) →
does not give 100% accuracy
Anatomy of Social science research paper/project
Intro Section
-RQ
-Description of the broader topic
-Intro of DV (sometimes operationalized) and IVs
-Motivating the paper topic
-Sometimes case selection (Why did you pick what you picked)
-Transition paragraph (Organization of paper)
Theoretical Section
-funnel metaphor
-Literature Review
-broader framework (introducing 1 or more theories)
-key concepts
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