Political Science and Comparative Politics

Understanding Political Science

Political science studies the complex interactions among people, states, and institutions. Unlike the predictable physical world, the political world is influenced by human actions and institutional dynamics. The subject seeks to uncover if there are underlying laws of politics akin to the laws of physics, enabling predictions about political outcomes.

Social Objects vs. Physical Objects

Social objects, such as states, economies, and wars, are created through human interactions and actions. They are less predictable than physical objects, yet they may exhibit identifiable patterns that function almost like laws. Political scientists aim to identify these patterns within social phenomena.

The Scientific Method in Politics

To build a scientific approach to studying politics, researchers follow these steps:

  1. Research Question: Identify a political phenomenon to investigate.

  2. Hypothesis: Formulate a hypothesis linking an independent variable (IV) to a dependent variable (DV).

  3. Testing: Apply research methods to test the hypothesis and draw conclusions.

Hypotheses and Variables

One key inquiry is what causes a state to adopt a democratic or non-democratic regime. For example, a hypothesis could be that states with higher per capita income are more likely to be democratic, with per capita income as the IV and regime type as the DV. However, many variables in complex societies make isolating a single variable challenging.

Research Design in Comparative Politics

In comparative politics, researchers must strategically select cases to analyze. Common approaches include:

  • Most Similar System Design: Select cases that are very similar, except for the variable of interest.

  • Most Different System Design: Choose cases that differ in many ways but share the same critical variable.

Methods of Testing Hypotheses

Testing can involve various methods, such as:

  • Longitudinal Studies: Observing changes over time within a single country when altering variables, like changing an electoral system.

  • Within-Case Comparisons: Analyzing changes in outcomes based on the introduction of a new independent variable while accounting for other variables.

Overall, successful research in political science involves careful consideration of methods and thoughtful isolation of variables to establish credible signals amidst noise.