Studying Politics Scientifically

1
Studying Politics Scientifically

• The Scientific Method
• Is Political Science a Science?
• Political Science Discipline

2
The Scientific Method

• The scientific method
• Findings are based on objective, systematic
  observation and verified through public
  inspection of methods and results
• The ultimate goal is to use verifiable results to
  construct causal theories that explain why
  phenomena behave the way they do

3
The Scientific Method

• What are the most important components of the
  scientific method?

4
The Scientific Method

• Empirical verification
• Falsifiability
• Non-normative research
• Cumulative enterprise
• Empirical generalization
• Explanatory
• Prediction
• Probabilistic explanation
• Parsimony

• What are the most important components of the
  scientific method?

5
The Scientific Method

• The method uses a common structure
• Research question
• A question that asks why or how a political
  phenomena behaves
• Theory
• A body of statements that synthesize knowledge of
  and explain phenomena
• Hypotheses
• The terms to be tested through the collection and
  analysis of empirical data
• Empirical analysis
• Confirms or refutes hypotheses and theory and
  answers research questions

6
The Scientific Method

• Many different approaches to scientific work
• Two groups of techniques
• Deductive
• Arguments are proven to be true through the use
  of several logical statements in which a
  conclusion is true because the underlying
  premises are true
• Inductive
• One draws an inference from a set of propositions
  and observations

7
Is Political Science a Science?

• There are two general objections to classifying
  political science as a science
• Practical objections
• Philosophical objections

8
Is Political Science a Science?

• Practical objections
• Political behavior is extremely complex
• People can intentionally mislead researchers
• Measurement is often subjective
• Data can be difficult or impossible to attain

9
Is Political Science a Science?

• Philosophical objections
• The reasoning behind political behavior cannot be
  measured objectively
• The facts of political phenomena are
  constructed or conditioned by the observers
  perceptions, experiences, and opinions

10
Political Science Discipline

• The discipline has changed over time.
• Traditional approach
• Period between 1930 and 1960primarily described
  the practice of government
• Empirical approach
• Followed early survey work in the 1950sled to
  the widespread application of statistical
  methodsexplanatory research

11
Political Science Discipline

• The discipline has changed over time.
• Normative pushback
• In response to empiricismfocused on questions of
  morality and policy issues that are relevant to
  real- world political discussions
• Debate between empirical and normative research
  has cooled since the 1980s