Research Methods: Types of Data

Study Notes

Empirical data is fact-based information from observation or experimentation
Normative statement is a value or opinion statement that cannot be proven or disproven
Quantitative data is information that can be measured with numbers
Qualitative data is information that is difficult to measure, including sources such as speeches, foundational documents, political cartoons, maps, and political commentaries

Correlation exists when there is an association between two or more variables
Causal relationships are difficult to determine with certainty in comparative politics, as often there are numerous variables that potentially influence political policies and/or regime stability

Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development, including statistics about life expectancy, amount of schooling, and income
Gross domestic product (GDP) is the market value of goods and services produced over a certain time in a country
GDP per capita reflects the size of the national economy in comparison with the population size
GDP growth rate shows the rate of national economic expansion
Gini index shows income inequality within a country, with a Gini of 100% indicating perfect inequality and a Gini of 0% indicating perfect equality

Freedom House scores rank countries based on scores for political rights and civil liberties
Governmental transparency is the ability of citizens to access information about a government’s policy making and policy implementation to help hold officials accountable
Governmental corruption is when public officials abuse power for personal benefit
The Fragile States Index assesses and ranks countries based on their potential to weaken due to conflicts and domestic turmoil

Political systems comprise the laws, ideas, and procedures that address who should have authority to rule and what the government’s influence on its people and economy should be
States are political organizations that combine a permanent population with governing institutions that exercise control over a defined territory with international recognition
Regimes refer to the fundamental rules that control access to and the exercise of political power
Government is the set of institutions or individuals legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state
Nation is a group of people with shared commonalities, including race, religion, language, ethnicity, political identity, and aspirations
Sovereignty is a state's ability to make binding decisions for its population and territory without outside interference
Rule of law is the principle that a state should be governed by known laws and not arbitrary decisions made by individual government officials