Research Methods
The method of reasoning that starts with observations and leads to a broader theory.
What is inductive reasoning?
He wrote The Social Contract and believed in the "general will" of the people.
Who is Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
This field of study compares political systems, institutions, and behaviors across different countries.
What is Comparative Politics?
When a country relies heavily on outside forces for governance, it has low autonomy.
What is a weak state?
The political entity that has a monopoly on the legitimate use of force within a territory.
What is the State?
This reasoning method begins with a theory and tests it using specific evidence.
What is deductive reasoning?
A economist who promoted free markets in The Wealth of Nations.
Who is Adam Smith?
These are structures that shape political behavior, such as governments, parties, and legal systems.
What are institutions?
This term refers to a state’s ability to implement policies and enforce laws.
What is Capacity?
This concept refers to the ability of a state to govern without external interference.
What is sovereignty?
The error of incorrectly attributing causation when two variables are merely related.
What is correlation vs. causation?
His work Leviathan described the state of nature as "nasty, brutish, and short."
Who is Thomas Hobbes?
The ability to influence or control the actions of others, often through coercion or persuasion.
What is power?
A strong state has both high __ and __.
What is capacity and autonomy?
The process of transferring power from the central government to regional or local governments.
What is devolution?
The term for when multiple factors influence a political outcome rather than a single cause.
What is multicausality?
This Italian philosopher wrote The Prince, advocating for pragmatic and ruthless leadership.
Who is Niccolò Machiavelli?
A research challenge where certain types of data or cases are overrepresented in a study.
What is selection bias?
High autonomy is often found in this type of government.
What is authoritarian regimes?
A system where power is divided between national and regional governments.
What is federalism?
When researchers cannot determine if X causes Y or Y causes X, this problem arises.
What is endogeneity?
He developed the idea of separation of powers, which influenced modern democracies.
Who is Montesquieu?
The term for theory-based explanations that guide research and policymaking.
What is political theory?
A state that completely collapses and loses control over its territory.
What is a failed state?
A system where some regions have more autonomy than others.
What is asymmetric federalism?