POLI 105 1st Edition Exam 1 Study Guide Lectures 1 11 Review The Five goals o Define not all things can be easily defined i e democracy power legitimacy o o o o Describe we can simply describe what we know but must be able to provide how we know this Explain we can come up with arguments based on observations and case comparison based on these arguments we can also find causation Predict if we believe our explanations are correct then we can predict outcomes however prediction does not work so well in the poli sci world b c it is so complex Prescribe basically asking what should we do with regard to this issue The challenge Ontology and Epistemology Scientific Method and Falsification some problems Some the Great Chain of Being problem of deduction based on ontology 1 Galileo and Copernicus observations inductions don t match deductive assumptions 2 Bacion and the need for experimentation 3 Movement to theory of man as rational creature capable of shaping his own destiny 4 Relationship of man and governmenti Hobbes and Locke Social Contract and Liberalism 5 But wait Hume tells us empirical reality may not match the deductions of a social contract Types of Questions 1 what ought to be a Normative question that expresses a value judgment b Should be based on good analysis but sometimes policy is shaped by other political factors c This in turn causes political controversy 2 what is a Empirical question that expresses empirical analysis b Ideal is to obtain a value neutral understanding of phenomenon c Centered on facts seek to discover describe and explain facts and factual relations These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute Conclusions Let your epistemology shape your ontology and avoid having your ontology shape your epistemology Concepts How do we define the terms we use Concepts are the building blocks of science They must be clear and understood Three issues to deal with o How do Concepts Travel o o Asking whether a concept can be utilized in other cases or to create other generalizations What is the problem of concept stretching Abusing a concept or redefined a concept i e danger of using the concept of terrorism too broadly What is the proper level of abstraction Level of abstraction determines to some extent our ability to make casual arguments as well as capacity to engage in more deterministic or probabilistic analysis Shapes how we understand the interaction of variables and it hinges on language Institutions Institutions play a major role in comparative politics yet there is no one set definition of what exactly an institution is Can be structures of govt like executives parliaments etc Can also be rule systems like the criminal justice system Can have hard material presence like the World Bank Can also be set of ideas and values that bind us Two types of institutions o Formal include laws regulations and rules which are underpinned by regulatory pillar o Informal norms cultures and ethics which are supported by the normative and cognitive pillars Observation and Experimentation Poli sci emphasizes observation rather than experimentation Field research though rarely perfect is used often Much of comparative politics us based on observational study b c it is difficult to construct experiments Observations and Comparative Case Study Approach B c we seek to explain political phenomenon we develops theories about particular cases More often our theories seek to identify generalizations trends and explanations that can cross cases Issue of Causation Correlation DOES NOT equal causation A correlation is an association a relationship that suggest that variables change together o Positive correlation variables correlate in the same direction o Negative correlation variables are inversely correlated Types of causations o Causal inferences o Causal sequences causal chains o Causal mechanisms What s an N N number of observations Single case single N Small N means a small number of cases and a large N means a large number of case studies Case Study Approach Single case studies can o Provide contextual descriptions o Help develop new classifications o Help us generate new hypotheses o Confirm or infirm theories o Explain deviant cases through cross national comparisons Small N cases Often rely on more deductive methods Utilize fewer data points on more unique phenomena Trade off on thicker description in lieu of more data Large N cases Often rely on inductive approaches Utilize many data points to seek out patterns Structure is in numbers but often lack in depth Advantages o Allows for stronger inferences and theory building o Often shows high degrees of certainty if correlations happen o Can also help us identify deviant cases or outliers that might help explain why phenomena occur Drawbacks o Trade off between richness of analysis and broadness of the scope of study o Detail of qualitative study is lost o Large N studies can be difficult o Concepts might not be easy to measure through math Spurious Causation When two variables seems to appear linked in a cause and effect relationship but in fact there is no causal linkage whatsoever When they are linked indirectly by some other causative variable or variables Most Similar Systems Design Mill s Method of Difference Consists in comparing very similar cases which only differ in the dependent variable on the assumption that this would make it easier to find those independent variables which explain the presence absence of the dependent variable Helpful because it keeps many confusing and irrelevant variables in the research constant Most Different Systems Design Mill s Method of Agreement Consists in comparing very different cases all of which however have in common the same dependent variable so that any other circumstance which is present in all the cases can be regarded as the independent variable Power Ability to effect outcomes Can be both potential and kinetic physics o Could exist as the ability to deliver an event or in the delivery of an event True question is whether power really is zero sum Power varies within a society and is not equally divided but subject to the types of resources and abilities that the actor possesses Luke and the 3 Dimensions of Power 1 First Dimension a Involves a focus on behavior in the making of decisions on issues over which there is observable conflict of subjective interest seen as