Chapter 1: The Comparative Method

Comparative Government

A political system is a complex organism, and it is important for students in ________ to remember that the institutions of the state (such as a parliament or a president) are not the only significant actors.

Correlation

________ when evaluating the relationship of two variables, the evidentiary indication that changes in one of the variables corresponds closely to changes in the other variable, though there is not necessarily enough evidence to indicate which is the cause of which.

Inputs

________ are demands- made most commonly by political parties and interest groups, but also potentially by other citizen social movements and civil society groups- regarding policies they would like to see from the political system.

Social sciences

________ such as comparative government and politics largely involve the use of data in their study and comparison of countries.

Normative statements

________- which assert a particular norm or goal that a policy should move toward.

Empirical statements

________- in which we simply compare data, making a statement that can be measured and proven true.

purpose of comparison

is to identify social and political problems, and to be able to recommend a course of policy action or reform to best address those problems. 

**empirical statements**

in which we simply compare data, making a statement that can be measured and proven true

**normative statements**

which assert a particular norm or goal that a policy should move toward

political system

is a complex organism, and it is important for students in Comparative Government to remember that the institutions of the state (such as a parliament or a president) are not the only significant actors. 

**Political culture**

is deeply rooted in society. 

**Linkage institutions**

connect people to policymaking.

**State institutions**

formally make and enforce the policies.

Social sciences

such as comparative government and politics largely involve the use of data in their study and comparison of countries. 

**Causation**

when evaluating the relationship of two variables, the evidentiary indication that changes to the independent variable cause statistically significant changes to the dependent variable

**Correlation**

when evaluating the relationship of two variables, the evidentiary indication that changes in one of the variables corresponds closely to changes in the other variable, though there is not necessarily enough evidence to indicate which is the cause of which