Lecture 1 12/5/2020: Introduction to Comparative Politics and Methodology PDF

LECTURE 1 [12/5/2020] Introduction to Comparative Politics and Methodology What is comparative politics? Sub field within political science that focuses on domestic politics (state politics) and analyses patterns of similar...

LECTURE 1 [12/5/2020] Introduction to Comparative Politics and Methodology What is comparative politics? Sub field within political science that focuses on domestic politics (state politics) and analyses patterns of similarities and difference between and among countries — why these similarities and differences exist? Involves comparing domestic political systems, institutions, processes, policies, conflicts and attitudes in one country or different countries Employs a single country (case) analysis (qualitative approach) or multi- country comparative analysis (quantitative approach) What do comparitivists study? Why do authoritarian states democratize? What accounts for contours, dynamics and ideologies of nation states? Under what conditions do civil wars and revolutions erupt? Why is political representation channeled through political parties in contemporary democracies? Why do some parties run on policy programs, others on patronage? Can citizens use elections and courts to hold government accountable? Why do some democratic governments succeed and others fail? Captures the comparative methodology What do comparativists study? Interested in identifying the similarities and differences among macro social units → diverse historical outcomes and processes and their significance for current institutions Cross-societal similarities and differences LECTURE 1 [12/5/2020] 1  Interested in the cases themselves, their different historical experiences in particular, not simply in relations between variables characterizing broad categories of cases What is the comparative method? The analysis of a small number of cases, entailing at least two observations, yet too few to permit the application of conventional statistical analysis Too many cases may make you fall to abstractions, the more cases will be a bit shallow compared to a establishing the study with regards a few cases The systematic analysis of small number of cases (“small-N analysis”) The Experimental Method It will be hard to make use of this method considering that it is more for the analysis of the Natural Sciences Merit: Eliminates rival explanations though experimental control Inherent Problem: Experimental control is impossible for many or most topics of relevance to CP Statistical Methods Widely used on multi country analysis Merit: Assesses rival explanations through statistical control Inherent Problem: Difficult to collect adequate information in a sufficient number of cases, due to limited time and access Case Study Method Single country analysis with thick description Merit: Permits intensive examination of cases even with limited resources Inherent Problem: Contributes less to building theory than studies with more cases LECTURE 1 [12/5/2020] 2  The Comparative Method Merit: Small-N analysis allows for an intensive analysis of a few cases with limited energy expenditure, financial resources and time Inherent Problem: Weaker basis than the experimental or statistical method for evaluating hypotheses Weak capacity to sort out rival explanations Why do we compare? - Purpose (Why) Not just descriptive but understand the similarities and differences. Always go back on theory and framework in order to make sense of the situation. New evidence for the theory and that theory is not just limited to specific cases but can be extended to other aspects Highlight how similar and different contexts are, and how contexts matter (history, culture, colonial legacy, etc.) 1. Theory-testing — the systematic examination of covariation among cases for the purpose of causal analysis 2. Parallel demonstration of theory — the examination of a number of cases with the goal of showing that a particular model or set of concepts usefully illuminates these cases 3. Contrast of contexts — the examination of two or more cases in order to highlight how different they are - establishing a framework from interpreting how parallel processes of change are played out in different ways within each context Comparative Strategy Small-N or Large-N country studies Comparing many countries, comparing few countries and single-country studies Case oriented (unit analysis: state, government, system) LECTURE 1 [12/5/2020] 3  Variable oriented (what is it about the countries that you would want to explain?) Comparative Research Design - How are you going to choose your cases? Most similar approach (same cases different outcomes) — examines cases that are very much alike, but the dependent variable (DV) in the study varies from one case to the next Most different approach (amidst different contexts, why is everyone greatly affected?, different cases and same outcomes) — examines cases that are very different from one another, but the DV in the study is similar from one case to the next Most similar approach Major strength: findings would seem to apply to countries with very different values of the DV Main weakness: it limits the researcher’s ability to generalize from the findings to countries that are quite different from the ones studied Most different approach Major strengths Researcher is able to rule out a number of possible explanations for the values of the DV Researcher is able to generalize from the findings to a wide range of countries Main weakness: Findings apply at best only to countries with roughly the same value of the DV as those in the study Four types of Comparative Analysis Individualizing - contrasts ‘a small number of cases in order to grasp the peculiarities of each case’ Universalizing - aims to establish that every instance of a phenomenon follows essentially the same rule Variation Finding - why they are different and similar? What are the factors that affect the covariations present in cases? Question of yielding different LECTURE 1 [12/5/2020] 4  outcomes. Seeks to establish a principle of variation in the character or intensity of a phenomenon by examining systematic differences between instances. Encompassing - places different instances at various locations within the same system, on the way to explaining their characteristics as a function of their varying relationships to the system as a whole. Mixed Methods Triangulation: two or more different research strategies are use to investigate the same phenomenon so that findings or insights from one strategy can be corroborated by the other(s); specifically quantitative and qualitative approaches are used in parallel. Facilitation: more than one approach is used, but one of them is dominant and different techniques may be used sequentially (for example a qualitative study to generate hypotheses before a quantitative study is undertaken). Complementarity: different approaches are integrated rather than used in parallel or sequentially, as when researchers shift repeatedly from one to another. LECTURE 1 [12/5/2020] 5