Comparative Politics (CP) and major questions in the field

1. Comparative Politics (CP) and major questions in the field • CP • Big questions in CP • Economic development • Democratization • Ethnic/nationalist conflict

2. This course’s approach to CP • 3 questions—3 main parts of the course • Challenging readings by leading scholars • Read to understand • Argument • Evidence • New York Times • Think about the big questions and how they apply to the real world • One test for each topic • Scheduled for Weeks 5, 7, 10

3. This course’s approach to CP • Final paper (due March 20) • Opportunity to explore one of the big questions in greater depth • Write to convey • Argument • Evidence

4. My approach to course content • Homework • Readings • Exercises • Lecture • Introduce some new material • Build on the readings and exercises • Section • Hone skills • Reading for argument and evidence • Applying theories and concepts to real world issues

5. Comparative Politics as a Social Science • Introduction to social science • Look for convincing answers to important questions • Question 1: what explains why some communities develop economically and others (or the same place at different point in time) do not?

6. Introducing key concepts • Theory • Hypothesis • Inductive approach • Deductive approach

7. Inductive approach • Definition • The process of moving from specific observations to more general claims • Example • Economic development in one village in Shaanxi Province, China, in 2011

8. Location of case study villageShaanxi Province, China

9. Field research on development in one village

10. Mountainous, former provincial-level poor county

11. Note infrastructure—roads, bridges

12. Main occupation: agricultureNote the new road, truck

13. Local farmers—heard about new opportunity to grow black mushrooms

14. Black mushrooms need wood (logs) to grow on

15. Growing black mushrooms on wood soaked in growth medium

16. Need wood as growth medium

17. New policy allocated forest lands from collective to farm households, like privatizing land rights

18. Income from black mushrooms increased household incomes in village

19. This many black mushrooms can bring in $1,000’s of $US in income

20. Income from black mushrooms increased household incomes in village

21. Inductively generate hypothesis to explain economic development in village • Inductive approach • Start with specific case to generate hypothesis • Hypothesis • Specific statement that can tested against (additional) evidence.

22. Hypotheses and variables • Hypothesis deal with variables • Tells a story about relationship between variables • Variable—something that can hold different “scores”; it can vary • Example: economic development • Different scores • Higher • lower

23. Hypotheses and evidence • Story about relationship between variables • Roads and household rights to land  “causes” more income for households • Road (variable) • (score) present/absent • Land rights (variable) • (score) household control/collective control

24. Testing hypotheses • Testing hypothesis • Study multiple cases (examples) of the same thing • More villages • Ask the same questions • Road? • Household claim to land? • Increases in household income?

25. Testing hypotheses • Testing hypothesis • Study multiple cases • Compare the answers • Example: new road but no household claim to land  village still poor • Weaken hypothesis about road alone • Road + land = higher income

26. Theories v. hypotheses • Definition • A theory is a general explanation covering a full set of empirical phenomena. • Supported by extensive evidence (not just one example)

27. Theories v. hypotheses • Theory • Based on variables that represent more abstract, general concepts • Road: transportation infrastructure • State invested/state did not invest • Land = property rights • Private/collective

28. Theories v. hypotheses • This theory is about the relationship between infrastructure investment, property rights and economic development. • The greater the state investment in infrastructure and the more widespread private property rights, the greater the economic development.

29. Theories, hypotheses, and evidence • CP is about positive not normative theory • Positive: follow the evidence • Normative: think about what is socially desirable

30. Other approaches to social science questions • Deductive approach • Start with theory • The process of moving from a general theory to specific hypotheses and observations of empirical phenomena

31. Summary: Important concepts • Theory (general) • positive v. normative • Hypothesis (specific) • variable • Inductive approach (bottom up) • Deductive approach (top down)

32. Introducing readings in general • Not textbook • Articles by leading scholars • Challenging! • Even short reading assignment will take more time than you think • Working with reading summaries • (template on website, left column)

33. Approaching the readings • Question(s) asked by the author • Argument summary • Hypothesis • Evidence (type, examples) •  Important terms/concepts to note • 2 or more critical questions for discussion:

34. Introducing reading summaries • Important terms/concepts to note: • Okay if you’re still need more clarification, explanation write down terms and your understanding of them

35. Introducing the first reading • Prelude to big questions: States • States as main unit of comparison in Comparative Politics • States—special kind of organization

36. Introducing the next reading: Tilly • Charles Tilly, “War-Making and State Making as Organized Crime” • Style—metaphors—hiking • Analogy between protection racket and state • Don’t let the style detract from distilling the main argument.

37. Approaching the readings: Tilly • Question(s) asked by the author • How does fighting wars affect the ways states take shape and evolve? •  Important terms/concepts to note • Tilly’s definition of “national state” • Monopoly on violence • Legitimacy • Model summary will be posted to you via e-mail

38. Introduction to Comparative Politics • Course website • http://faculty.washington.edu/swhiting/pols204/