Download Intro to CP

Comparative Politics
An Introduction
Fitting Comparative into PoliSci
 Sub-disciplines of Political Science
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American Politics
Public Administration
Political Theory
International Politics
 International Relations
 Comparative Politics
 Others (Public Law, Methods, Public Policy, etc.)
Fitting Comparative into PoliSci
“A scholar who studies only American
presidents is an Americanist, whereas a
scholar who studies only French presidents
is a comparativist. Do not ask me how this
makes sense—it does not”
--Giovanni Sartori as quoted in Draper and
Ramsay, 2008:xv.
Fitting Comparative into PoliSci
“…it is impossible to understand a
country without seeing how it varies
from others. Those who know only
one country know no country.”
-Seymour Martin Lipset (American
Exceptionalism, 1996:17).
What is “Comparative Politics”?
 Comparative Politics v. Comparative Government
 O’Neil: “Politics is often described as the struggle in any
group for power that will give one or more persons the
ability to make decisions for the larger group….Politics is
essentially the struggle for authority to make decisions
that will affect public as a whole” (3).
 “Within political science, comparative politics is the
subfield that compares this struggle across countries” (3).
 Note the linkage of power to politics.
What is “Comparative Politics”?
Howard Wiarda’s defintion
 “systematic study and comparison of the world’s
political systems”
 “seeks to explain differences between as well as
similarities among countries”
 “It is particularly interested in exploring patterns,
processes, and regularities among political systems”
 “It looks for trends, for changes in patterns”
 “It tries to develop propositions or hypotheses”
Defining Terms
 Theory: an attempt to explain and therefore to
understand the complex reality around us.
 Empirical v. Normative Theory
 Proposition:
stating the idea that two or more
things are related. (White, 38)
 Hypothesis:
 propositions stated so that they can be tested
empirically (White, 38)
 <or> “A hypothesis is a testable statement of
relationship, derived from a theory” (Corbett, 73).
Defining Terms
 Independent and Dependent Variables
 Quantitative and Qualitative methods
 Operationalize/operationalization
Things to Compare
 Regime Types
 Institutional Structures
 Levels of Development
 Wealth (GDP and GDP per capita)
 Governance
 Capabilities of Citizens (Sen and Nussbaum)
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Meeting Physical Needs
Insuring Physical Safety
Making Informed Decisions
Having Civil and Political Rights
Types of Comparative Political
Inquiry
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Single Case Study
Studies of Multiple Cases
Area Studies
Cross-Regional Studies
Global Comparisons
Thematic Studies