POL218 Final Exam questions and answers latest
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Terms in this set (53)
Politics Politics is the struggle in any group for power that
will give one or more persons the ability to make
decisions for the larger group (could be an
organization or the entire world)
comparative politics a subfield that compares the pursuit of power in
politics, across countries.
inductive reasoning First examining cases and then forming a hypothesis
deductive reasoning starting with a puzzle and from there generating
some hypothesis about cause and effect to test
against a number of cases.
,7 major challenges Comparativists 1. difficulty controlling variables (each country is
face different, cannot perfectly compare them)
2. variables are interconnected, aka multicausality
(many variables interact to produce outcomes)
3. often too few similar cases to study
4. not easy to gather information (field work
required, need to speak language)
5. comparativists tend to focus on one area/region
out of interest or language ability.
6. bias makes it hard to select the right cases, aka
selection bias (picking cases based on if the
dependent variable happened, such as revolution,
when you should examine cases with the
independent variable, like inequality, to see if the
dependent followed)
7. problem of determining cause and effect
(endogeneity)
correlation vs causation Correlation - an apparent association between
certain variables
Causal relationship- a cause and effect between
variables
, Qualitative vs Quantitative methods quantitative: evidence and methodology, such as
interviews and observations. often narrowly
focused, deep investigations of one or a few cases
drawing from scholarly expertise, however some
can be spread across the globe. Usually inductive
(start with case studies then generate a theory).
Depth > breadth
quantitative: rigorously define and measure
variables. Favour a wider selection on cases across
areas, statistical analysis, mathematical models.
More likely to use deductive reasoning, start with a
theory that can be tested with array of data.
Breadth > depth
Institutions organizations or activities that are self-perpetuating
and valued for their own sake. An institution is
something so embedded in people's lives as a norm
or value that it is not easily dislodged or changed.
People see an institution as central to their lives,
and, as a result, the institution commands and
generates legitimacy. Institutions embody the rules,
norms, and values that give meaning to human
activity. In many countries, democracy is an
institution: it is not merely a means to compete over
political power but a vital element of people's lives,
bound up in the very way they define themselves.
ex. the pentagon. Politics is full of institutions. The
basic political structures of any country are
composed of institutions: the army, the police, the
legislature, and the courts. We obey them because
we see them as legitimate ways to conduct politics.
institutions generate norms and values and set the
stage for political behaviour thus a useful way to
study politics. The bond between people and
institutions is the "glue of society"
update| instant download
Save
Terms in this set (53)
Politics Politics is the struggle in any group for power that
will give one or more persons the ability to make
decisions for the larger group (could be an
organization or the entire world)
comparative politics a subfield that compares the pursuit of power in
politics, across countries.
inductive reasoning First examining cases and then forming a hypothesis
deductive reasoning starting with a puzzle and from there generating
some hypothesis about cause and effect to test
against a number of cases.
,7 major challenges Comparativists 1. difficulty controlling variables (each country is
face different, cannot perfectly compare them)
2. variables are interconnected, aka multicausality
(many variables interact to produce outcomes)
3. often too few similar cases to study
4. not easy to gather information (field work
required, need to speak language)
5. comparativists tend to focus on one area/region
out of interest or language ability.
6. bias makes it hard to select the right cases, aka
selection bias (picking cases based on if the
dependent variable happened, such as revolution,
when you should examine cases with the
independent variable, like inequality, to see if the
dependent followed)
7. problem of determining cause and effect
(endogeneity)
correlation vs causation Correlation - an apparent association between
certain variables
Causal relationship- a cause and effect between
variables
, Qualitative vs Quantitative methods quantitative: evidence and methodology, such as
interviews and observations. often narrowly
focused, deep investigations of one or a few cases
drawing from scholarly expertise, however some
can be spread across the globe. Usually inductive
(start with case studies then generate a theory).
Depth > breadth
quantitative: rigorously define and measure
variables. Favour a wider selection on cases across
areas, statistical analysis, mathematical models.
More likely to use deductive reasoning, start with a
theory that can be tested with array of data.
Breadth > depth
Institutions organizations or activities that are self-perpetuating
and valued for their own sake. An institution is
something so embedded in people's lives as a norm
or value that it is not easily dislodged or changed.
People see an institution as central to their lives,
and, as a result, the institution commands and
generates legitimacy. Institutions embody the rules,
norms, and values that give meaning to human
activity. In many countries, democracy is an
institution: it is not merely a means to compete over
political power but a vital element of people's lives,
bound up in the very way they define themselves.
ex. the pentagon. Politics is full of institutions. The
basic political structures of any country are
composed of institutions: the army, the police, the
legislature, and the courts. We obey them because
we see them as legitimate ways to conduct politics.
institutions generate norms and values and set the
stage for political behaviour thus a useful way to
study politics. The bond between people and
institutions is the "glue of society"
