comp politics final

comparative politics

a subfield of political science that studies internal political structures, actors, and processes by empirically describing, explaining, and predicting similarities and differences across political systems and over time.

_____ is one of the three main subfields of political science:

1. Comparative politics

2. Political theory

3. International relations

political systems

This means comparative politics primarily looks at what happens within _____

For example:

• Governments

• Political parties

• Legislatures

• Courts

• Elections

• Political leaders

• Citizens

• Political institutions

• Political behavior

Empirical

based on observable evidence or data, rather than simply opinions or speculation.

For example:

Instead of saying "Democracy probably makes countries richer," a comparative political scientist would compare data from different countries to investigate whether there is evidence supporting that claim.

describe (why do we study comparatively)

We compare similarities and differences.

This allows us to:

• Describe political systems

• Identify patterns

• Create classifications

• Develop typologies

Example:

We might classify political regimes as:

• Democracies

• Authoritarian regimes

• Hybrid regimes

Explain (why do we study comparatively)

We want to know:

Why are political systems different or similar?

For example:

Why did some countries democratize while others remained authoritarian?

Or:

Why do some countries have many political parties while others have only two major parties?

We develop hypotheses and use empirical evidence to test them.

predict (why do we study comparativley)

Once we understand patterns and possible causes, we can try to predict outcomes.

For example:

If a country switches to proportional representation, will the number of political parties increase?

Your textbook uses the relationship between proportional representation and party proliferation as an example of how comparative politics can help formulate predictions. 

What is comparative politics?

_____ is a subfield of political science that scientifically studies internal political structures, actors, and processes by comparing political systems.

Why do we study politics comparatively?

 to describe similarities and differences between political systems, to explain why these similarities and differences exist, and to make predictions about political outcomes. By comparing cases and using empirical evidence to test hypotheses, comparative politics allows researchers to draw causal conclusions, develop generalizations, and improve theories.

⭐ Memorize this structure:

Definition + Describe + Explain + Predict

Small-N

Small-N = Few Cases

Example:

Comparing France and Russia to understand why social revolutions occurred.

Because you're studying only a few cases, you can examine each case in greater detail.

This is often associated with:

• Qualitative research

• Case-oriented research

• Detailed analysis

• Looking at combinations/configurations of factors

The important insight from your textbook is that small-N research can still be rigorous and empirical.

This is important because you might be tempted to think:

"Few cases = not scientific."

That's wrong.

Your textbook specifically discusses how scholars have demonstrated that rigorous empirical tests can be conducted with a small number of cases. 

Large-N

Large-N = Many Cases

Example:

Comparing 150 countries to examine whether economic development is associated with democracy.

This often allows researchers to:

• Use quantitative data

• Identify broad patterns

• Make generalizations

• Conduct statistical analysis

Intensive

Focuses on:

Fewer cases + more features examined in detail

Think:

Zoom in

Extensive

Focuses on:

More cases + broader patterns

Think:

Zoom out

Qualitative

Often involves:

• Detailed case studies

• Historical analysis

• Interviews

• Process tracing

• Examining configurations of factors

Quantitative

Often involves:

• Numerical data

• Statistics

• Large numbers of cases

• Identifying relationships between variables

Synchronic

Compare cases at roughly the same point in time.

Diachronic

Study changes over time.

How Does the Number of Cases Influence the Method of Comparative Studies?

The number of cases influences the comparative research design and the methods researchers use. A small number of cases, or small-N research, allows researchers to study cases in greater depth and examine complex configurations or combinations of factors. A large number of cases, or large-N research, allows researchers to identify broader patterns and often use quantitative and statistical methods. However, the number of cases does not determine the method by itself; the research question, type of data, and time period also influence the appropriate research design.

⭐ Memorize:

Small-N = depth/configurations

Large-N = breadth/patterns

But: Research question determines the design.

Theory can act as "blinders"

Researchers may become too committed to a particular theory.

Once they have chosen a theoretical approach, they may unconsciously look for evidence that supports their theory and overlook evidence that contradicts it.

This is sometimes called confirmation bias or, in your textbook's language, theory becoming "blinders."

Example:

A researcher believes:

Economic development causes democracy.

They might focus heavily on evidence supporting this relationship while ignoring countries that became democratic without high economic development.

Grand theories can be too broad and explain too little

Your textbook discusses grand theories that try to explain everything.

The problem is:

If a theory is so broad that it can explain almost anything, it may not make meaningful or specific predictions.

Your textbook basically says:

"By explaining everything they actually explained nothing."

That's the idea you should understand.

Theory

Your best friend AND your worst enemy.

Best friend:

• Guides research

• Helps interpret findings

• Gives researchers questions

• Helps generate hypotheses

• Helps explain political phenomena

Worst enemy:

• Create blinders

• Encourage confirmation bias

• Make researchers overlook contradictory evidence

• Become too broad

• Prevent researchers from considering alternative explanations

Your textbook explicitly emphasizes that ____ is necessary but should not become a set of "blinders" and that researchers ideally should examine questions from different theoretical perspectives. 

two negative aspects of theory.

1. Theory can create blinders/confirmation bias.

Researchers may focus on evidence that supports their theory and overlook disconfirming evidence.

2. Grand theories can be overly broad.

They may attempt to explain everything but therefore fail to generate meaningful or specific predictions.

That's a strong answer.

Grand Theory

Attempts to explain political phenomena in a very broad, all-encompassing way.

Problem:

Too broad → difficult to make meaningful predictions.

Middle-Range Theory

Focuses on more specific relationships and contexts.

Internal Validity

Are the conclusions correct for the cases actually studied?

Think:

Inside the study

You are asking:

Did my research correctly describe or explain the cases I actually examined?

External Validity

Can the results be generalized to other similar cases that were not included in the study?

Think:

Outside the study

You are asking:

Can I apply my findings to other countries/cases?

The Trade-Off between internal and external validity

Fewer cases

You can study them in greater detail.

↓

Potentially stronger conclusions for those specific cases

↓

Higher internal validity

More representative cases

You may be able to generalize findings to a broader population.

↓

Higher external validity

internal vs external validity

Internal validity refers to the extent to which the conclusions or inferences drawn from the cases actually studied are correct. External validity refers to the extent to which the findings can be generalized to other similar cases that were not included in the study. In general, studying fewer cases in greater depth may strengthen internal validity, while studying a broader and more representative set of cases may improve external validity.

For a fill-in-the-blank, however:

Internal = Correctness of conclusions about cases studied

External = Generalizability to other cases

Dependent Variable (Y)

The outcome you are trying to explain.

What is to be explained?

Independent Variable (X)

The factor that may explain or cause variation in the dependent variable.

Example:

Economic development

We might hypothesize:

Higher economic development → Greater likelihood of democracy

Confounding Variable

a third factor that can influence the relationship between your independent and dependent variables.

It can make it appear that:

X → Y

when another factor is actually influencing the relationship.

Let's say you find:

Economic development → Democracy

But perhaps:

Education → Economic development

AND

Education → Democracy

Then education might be a _____

The relationship between economic development and democracy could be partly explained by education.

It's a variable that creates a misleading or distorted impression of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.

That's why researchers try to:

• Control for other variables

• Include relevant variables in their models

• Develop well-specified theories

• Consider alternative explanations

independent vs dependent vs condounding variables

The independent variable is the explanatory factor or potential cause that is expected to influence an outcome. The dependent variable is the outcome that the researcher seeks to explain. A confounding variable is a third factor that may affect the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, potentially creating a misleading or spurious relationship if it is not controlled for.