Test 1 Flashcards
comparative politics
the study and comparison of domestic politics across countries
international relations
a field in political science which concentrates on relations between countries, such as foreign policy, war, trade, and foreign aid
institution
the humanly devised constraints that structure political, economic, and social interaction
politics
the struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group
power
the ability to influence others or impose one’s will on them
comparative method
the means by which social scientists make comparisons across cases
inductive reasoning
research that works from case studies in order to generate hypotheses
correlation
an apparent relationship between two or more variables in which they appear to move in either the same direction (positive) or opposite direction (negative)
causal relationship
a connection between two entities that occurs because one produces, or brings about, the other with complete or great regularity
multicausality
when variables are interconnected and interact together to produce particular outcomes
area studies
a regional focus when studying political science, rather than studying parts of the world where similar variables are clustered
selection bias
a focus on effects rather than causes, which can lead to inaccurate conclusion about correlation or causation
endogeneity
the issue that cause and effect are not often clear, in that variables may be both cause and effect in relationship to one another
theory
a systematic, detailed means of explaining why a social phenomenon exists that recognizes the influence of a multitude of factors, is subject to change, and avoids moral arguments in favor of empirical arguments
modernization theory
a theory asserting that democracy can be expected as a consequence of the emergence of economic development, industrialization, education, and urbanization, all of which contribute to the emergence of a middle class
behavioral revolution
a movement within political science during the 1950s and 1960s to develop general theories about individual political behavior that could be applied across all countries
qualitative method
study through in-depth investigation of a limited number of cases
quantitative method
study through statistical data from many cases
rational choice
approach that assumes that individuals weigh the costs and benefits and make choices to maximize their benefits
game theory
an approach that emphasizes how actors or organizations behave in their goal to influence others; built upon assumptions of rational choice
formal institutions
institutions usually based on officially sanctioned rules that are relatively clear
informal institutions
institutions with unwritten and unofficial rules
freedom
the ability of an individual to act independently, without fear of restriction or punishment by the state or other individuals or groups in society
equality
a shared material standard of individuals within a community, society, or country