Chapter 1: Introduction to Comparative Politics

Selection bias

________- a focus on effects rather than causes, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about correlation or causation.

Equality

________- a material standard of living shared by individuals within a community, society, or country.

Casual relationship

________- Cause and effect: when a change in one variable causes a change in another variable.

Area studies

________- a regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered.

attitudes

A set of widely held ________, values, beliefs, and symbols about politics.

Endogeneity

________- the issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another.

Comparativists

________ examine the impact of political institutions, where they come from, and how they shape politics.

fear of restriction

An individuals ability to act independently, without ________ or punishment by the state or other individuals or groups in society.

material standard of living

A(n) ________ shared by individuals within a community, society, or country.

Game theory

________- an approach that emphasizes how actors or organizations behave in their goal to influence others: built upon assumptions of rational choice.

Hypothesis

________: an educated guess about how these variables relate (If X, then Y; More of X increases /decreases Y)

Ideals

________- beliefs and values about preferred outcomes.

Correlation

________- an apparent relationship between two or more variables.

particular outcomes

Multicausality- when variables are interconnected and interact to produce ________.

Theory

________- an integrated set of hypotheses, assumptions, and facts.

Citizenship

________ is a constitutive norm.

Multicasuality

________: when variables are interconnected and interact to produce particular outcomes.

Quantitative method

________: study through statistical data from many cases.

international system

The idea of states in the ________ is a constitutive norm.

Comparative researchers

________ use many methods and theoretical approaches to try to explain how the world works.

Behavioral revolution

________- a movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries.

Rational choice

________- approach that assumes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits and make choices to maximize their benefits.

Comparative method

________- the means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases.

Criticism

________: Cultural values change, and they can be affected by political establishments.

Deductive reasoning

________: research that works from a hypothesis that is then tested against data (Hypothesis → Tested with Cases)

Independent variable

________- a variable whose value does not depend on that of another.

Dependent variable

________- a variable whose value changes based on that of another.

Qualitative method

________- study through an in- depth investigation of a limited number of cases.

Modernization theory

________- a theory asserting that as societies developed, they would take on a set of common characteristics, including democracy and capitalism.

Comparative politics

________ is the study and comparison of domestic politics across countries.

Control variables

________: additional factors that could affect the dependent variable.

International relations

________- a field in political science that concentrates on relations between countries, such as foreign policy, war, trade, and foreign aid.

Inductive reasoning

________: research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses (Case → General Hypotheses)

Formal institutions

________- institutions usually based on officially sanctioned rules that are relatively clear.

Correlation

________: an apparent relationship between two or more variables.

Theory

________: an integrated set of hypotheses, assumptions, and facts.

Behavioral revolution

________: a movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries.

Rational choice

________: approach that asusmes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits and make choices to maximize their benefits.

Casual relationship

________: cause and effect; when a change in one variable causes a change in another variable.

Qualitative method

________: study through in- depth investigation of a limited number of cases.

Quantitative method

________- study through statistical data from many cases.

Comparative politics

________ is a social science, but one that is faced with considerable research challenges.

Analytical concepts

assumptions and theories that guide our research

Methods

ways to study and test those theories

Ideals

beliefs and values about preferred outcomes

Politics

the struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group

Power

the ability to influence others or impose ones will on them

Institutions

organizations or activities that are self-perpetuating and valued for their own sake

Comparative method

the means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases in search of cause and effect

Independent variable

the variable that doesnt depend on changes in other variables (the cause)

Dependent variable

the variable that is affected by ("dependent on") the presence of the independent variable (the effect)

Hypothesis

an educated guess about how these variables relate (If X, then Y; More of X increases/decreases Y)

Control variables

additional factors that could affect the dependent variable

Inductive reasoning

research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses (Case → General Hypotheses)

Deductive reasoning

research that works from a hypothesis that is then tested against data (Hypothesis → Tested with Cases)

Qualitative method

study through in-depth investigation of a limited number of cases

Quantitative method

study through statistical data from many cases

Correlation

an apparent relationship between two or more variables

Area studies

________: a regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered.

"Why" Things Happen

Variables and Hypotheses

Examples

historical case analysis

Examples

surveyed data, large-N statistical

Casual relationship

cause and effect; when a change in one variable causes a change in another variable

Multicasuality

when variables are interconnected and interact to produce particular outcomes

Area studies

a regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered

The risk

some regions are overrepresented in research; may bias conclusions

Selection bias

a focus on effects rather than causes, which can lead to inaccurate conclusions about correlation or causation

Endogeneity

the issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another

Theory

an integrated set of hypotheses, assumptions, and facts

Rational choice

approach that asusmes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits and make choices to maximize their benefits

Criticism

Cultural values change, and they can be affected by political establishments

Criticism

Too much reliance on interpretation

Critcism

What about underlying motives of ideology

Modernization theory

a theory asserting that as societies developed, they would take on a set of common characteristics, including democracy and capitalism

Behavioral revolution

a movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries

A Guiding Concept

Political Institutions

Institutions

organizations or activities that are self-perpetuating and valued for their own sake

A Guiding Ideal

Reconciling Freedom and Equality

Freedom and Equality

Is There a Trade-Off

Freedom and Equality

Can One Exist without the Other

V. In Sum

Looking Ahead and Thinking Carefully

Area studies

a regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered

Behavioral revolution

a movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries

Comparative method

the means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases

Comparative politics

the study and comparison of domestic across politics across countries

Correlation

an apparent relationship between two or more variables

Deductive reasoning

research that works from a hypothesis that is then tested against data

Dependent variable

a variable whose value changes based on that of another

Endogeneity

the issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another

Equality

a material standard of living shared by individuals within a community, society, or country

Formal institutions

institutions usually based on officially sanctioned rules that are relatively clear

Freedom

the ability of an individual to act independently, without fear of restriction or punishment by the state or other individuals or groups in society

Independent variable

a variable whose value does not depend on that of another

Inductive reasoning

research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses

Informal institutions

institutions with unwritten and unofficial rules

Institutions

an organization or activity that is self-perpetuating and valued for its own sake

International relations

a field in political science that concentrates on relations between countries, such as foreign policy, war, trade, and foreign aid

Modernization theory

a theory asserting that as societies developed, they would take on a set of common characteristics, including democracy and capitalism

Multicausality

when variables are interconnected and interact to produce particular outcomes

Politics

the struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group