What is Comparative Politics and Government? Subfield of Political Science

Political Science How do we define political science? What are some subfields of political science? Of the political scientists O’Neill mentioned, with which are you most familiar? (pg. 15) What is the goal of a political scientist?

Politics is the … Struggle in any group for power that will give a person or people the ability to make decisions for the larger group Think of examples: Bullis School United States Russia

Government is… “the institutions, people, and processes by which a nation-state or political unit is ruled and its public policy created and administered” Wood/Sansone American Government

Public Policy is “all of a government’s actions and programs that address issues and problems in society or work toward a national goal” (Wood/Sansone) What types of public policy must governments decide?

Is it possible to understand the internal politics of a place without understanding the impact of external forces?

Methods Used by Comparativists Quantitative: Gathering of statistical data across a large number of countries in order to look for correlations and test hypotheses about cause and effect Use of deductive reasoning

Methods Used Qualitative: Mastery of a limited number of cases through the detailed study of a country’s history, language, and culture. Use of inductive reasoning

Types of Questions Political Scientists Ask: 1. Empirical: Questions centered on facts that seek to discover, describe, and explain facts and factual relationships. (Observable). 2. Normative: Questions based on the values, standards or ideals that we make. The “norms” of society.

Combination of Methods to: Draw generalizations about politics Look for correlations and causation Categorize countries Look for patterns

Questions to Discuss: What are the limitations/problems with these comparative methods? What are the benefits of these methods? According to O’Neill, have political scientists been successful in predicting worldwide political changes? How should political scientists treat non- state actors?