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Political Science 330

Designing Political Research

This course is intended as an introduction to empirical research in political science. Seminar participants will begin the semester with a discussion of the philosophy of social science as well as the logic of positivism, hypothesis testing, and alternative perspectives on research in the discipline. Next we turn our attention to the process of theory construction, the nature of causality and causal theorizing. The third section of the course will be devoted to the analysis and discussion of the various methods of empirical inquiry in political science, including: experiments, comparative case studies, participant observation, survey research, content analysis, and large-n statistical work. The final section of the course will focus on strategies for success in the profession of political science, including the write-up and presentation of empirical research as well as ethical standards in research. The objectives of this course are: 1) to introduce students to the logic of inquiry in political science, 2) to introduce students to the various methods of empirical inquiry in political science, and 3) to help students learn how to formulate and present empirical research projects.

Course Requirements

1) Most of our time in class will be spent discussing and analyzing the weekly readings, so attendance at and participation in the discussions are essential. As a part of this participation, students will be expected to sign up to lead class discussions during the semester. Class participation will count for 25% of your final grade.

2) Students will be asked to write two short (3-5 page) methodological critiques of the substantive writings in the course. Students will be allowed to select which readings they critique but will be asked to sign up in advance. Papers should be turned in to Professor Goemans and Professor Gelpi by noon on the date that the readings will be discussed in class. These short response papers will comprise 25% of your final grade.

3) The central focus of this course is to teach students the basic goals and structure of empirical research in Political Science. Thus students will be asked to complete a research design paper of 10-15 pages and present their design to the class. Both the selection of research question and methodology are entirely up to the student. Designs may be qualitative or quantitative, but they must be scientific! Students do NOT need to complete their research during the semester (or even start it). However, students will be expected to present a plausible plan for how they could execute their proposal. The research design paper will comprise 50% of your final grade.

It is important that students cite the material that they have relied upon in writing these papers. If you have questions about when you need to provide citation for a source, please see the Duke Libraries' guide on avoiding plagaiarism. If you have questions about how to provide citation on your sources, please see the Duke Libraries' guide on citation formats. Use any citation format that you prefer, what is important is that you give credit to the sources you used.

Required Books

The following books have been ordered and should be available for purchase at the Bryan Center bookstore. They are also on reserve, but because we will be referring to them frequently wesuggest you buy them if at all possible. In addition, the articles are available on reserve at Perkins Library, on e-reserves, and/or online databases through Duke Libraries. You can click on the title to be linked to that reading.

• King, Gary, Robert O. Keohane, and Sidney Verba. 1994. Designing Social Inquiry. (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
• Babbie, Earl. 2002. The Basics of Social Research.2nd. ed. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company).
• Elster, John. 1999. Nuts and Bolts for the Social Sciences. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)
• Chalmers, A.F. 1999. What Is This Thing Called Science? 3rd. Ed. (Indianopolis: Hackett Publishers).

Please note that Babbie's textbook is also supported by a variety of online resources. Students can access the Basics of Social Research Website for tutorials, excercises, self-quizes and other learning tools. Click on the link for "student resources," and then click on the link for the Basics of Social Research. Numerous examples and applications of the concepts in the book are available from InfoTrac. Please note the suggested InfoTrac search topics in the text for additional supportive reading material.

Schedule of Readings and Discussions:

Each class meeting will be divided into two separate discussion sessions. Our first session will last from 3:50-5:00 and will be followed by a ten minute break. Then we will resume for our second discussion session from 5:10-6:20.

August 29 - Organizational Meeting

September 5 - Discussion leader: Prof. Goemans

Session 1- What is Political Science About?

• Babbie - Chapter 1
• KKV - Chapter 1

Session 2 - Philosophy of Social Science Part I - Ontology and Epistemology

• Bohman, James. New Philosophy of Social Science. Chapters 1 & 2 (pages 16-103).
• Chalmers, Chapters 14 & 15

Recommended additional readings:

• James S. Coleman, Foundations of Social Theory, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990. Chapter 1 [Linking micro and macro behavior]
• Charles Taylor, "Interpretation and the Sciences of Man," Chapter 1 in ??? [Hermeneutics and interpretation.]
• Pauline Marie Rosenau, Post-Modernism and the Social Sciences, Insights, Inroads, and Intrusions. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992
• Paul Feyerabend, Against Method, London: Verso, 1988
• Max Weber, "'Objectivity' in Social Science and Social Policy." In Max Weber, The Methodology of the Social Sciences, translated and edited by Edward A. Shils & Henry A. Finch. New York: The Free Press, 1949
• Ernest Nagel, "Symposium: Problems of Concept and Theory Formation in the Social Sciences," in Science, Language and Human Rights, (American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, Vol. I), Philadelphia, 1952, pp.43-64
• Carl G. Hempel, "Symposium: Problems of Concept and Theory Formation in the Social Sciences," in Science, Language and Human Rights, (American Philosophical Association, Eastern Division, Vol. I), Philadelphia, 1952, pp.65-86
• Toward a Scientific Understanding of International Conflict: A Personal View (in Symposium: Methodological Foundations of the Study of International Conflict) Bruce Bueno de Mesquita International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 2. (Jun., 1985), pp. 121-136. (In JSTOR)

September 12 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Goemans

Session 1 - Philosophy of Social Science Part II - Causal Theorizing

• KKV Chapters 2-3
• Babbie, pp.81-89.
• Little, Daniel. Micofoundations, Method, and Causation. Chapters 8-12 (pages 173-256).

Recommended Additional Reading:

• Fearon, James. 1991. "Counterfactuals and Hypothesis Testing in Political Science." World Politics. 43( 2): 169-195.

Session 2 - Inductive and Deductive Theory Building

• Babbie - Chapter 2
• Chalmers, Chapters 1-7.

Recommended Additional Readings:

• George, Alexander and Richard Smoke. 1974. Deterrence and American Foreign Policy. (New York: Columbia University Press). Chapters 17-18.
• Achen, Christopher and Duncan Snidal. 1989. "The Rational Deterrence Debate: A Symposium Rational Deterrence Theory and Comparative Case Studies." World Politics 41( 2): 143-169.

September 19 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Goemans

Session 1 - Identifying Causal Mechanisms

• Elster - Parts I and II

Session 2 -Rational Choice in Political Science

• Elster - Part III
• Green, Donald, and Iain Shapiro. 1994. Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory. (New Haven: Yale University Press). Chapter 3.
• Elster - Introduction to Rational Choice, Introduction and Chapters 2 &3.

Recommended Additional Readings:

• Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, "The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice," in Elster - Introduction to Rational Choice, Chapter 5
• Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, "Rational choice and the Framing of Decisions," in The Journal of Business, Vo. 59, No.4 Pt2 (October 1986)
• Richard H. Thaler, "The Psychology of choice and the Assumptions of Economics," in Alvin Roth, (ed.), Laboratory Experiments in Economics: Six Points of View, New York: Cambridge University Pres, 1987

September 26 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Gelpi

Session 1 - Formal Theory and Computational Models

• DeMarchi, Scott. 1999. "Adaptive Models and Electoral Instability." Journal of Theoretical Politics 11( 3): 393-419. (In Ingenta) - Discussant: Chris Gelpi
• Bueno de Mesquita, Bruce, James Morrow, Randolph Siverson, and Alastair Smith. 1999. "An Institutional Explanation of the Democratic Peace. American Political Science Review. 93 (4):791 (in ProQuest) - Discussant: Nino Partskhaladze

Session 2 - Structuring Inquiry: The Elements of Research Design

• Babbie, pp.89-112.
• Van Evera, Stephen. 1997. Guide to Methods for Students of Political Science. (Ithaca: Cornell University Press). Chapters 3-4.
• Notes on Elements of Research Design

October 3 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Gelpi

Session 1 - Experiments

• Babbie - Chapter 8
• Lavine, et. al. 1999. "Threat, Authoritarianism, and Voting: An Investigation into Personality and Persuasion." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 25(3):337-347. - Discussant: Lorena Becerra
• Lupia, Arthur. 1994. "The Effect of Information on Voting Behavior and Electoral Outcomes: An Experimental Study of Direct Legislation." Public Choice. - Discussant: Holger Doering

Session 2 - Case Selection & Threats to Inference in Non-Experimental Design

• KKV - Chapter 4, Chapter 5.2-5.7
• Hopf, Ted. 1991. "Polarity, The Offense Defense Balance, and War." The American Political Science Review, 85(2): 475-493. - Discussant: Marko Nilsson

October 10 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Goemans

Session 1 - Comparative Case Studies (Part I) - The Comparative Method

• KKV - Chapter 6
• Babbie - Chapter 13
• Mill, John Stuart. System of Logic. Chapter VIII, in John Stuart Mill, System of Logic, Ratiocinative and Inductive, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1850.

Recommended additional reading:

• Harry Eckstein, "Case Study and theory in Political Science," Chapter 3 in ???
• Charles Ragin and David Zaret, "Theory and Method in Comparative Research: Two Strategies," in Social Forces, Vol. 61: 3, March 1983
• Alexander George, "Case Studies and Theory Development: The Method of Structured, Focused Comparison."
• McKeown, Timothy. 1999. Case Studies and the Statistical World View." International Organization. 53(1):161-190. (In CatchWord)

Session 2 - Comparative Case Studies (Part II) - Qualitative Measurement

• Johnston, Iain. 1995. Cultural Realism. (Ithaca: Cornell University Press). Chapter 2. - Discussant: Erika Seeler
• Oren, Ido. 1995. "The Subjectivity of the 'Democratic' Peace: Changing U.S. Perceptions of Imperial Germany." International Security. 20(2):147-184. - Discussant: Sinziana Popa
• Collier, David and Robert Adcock. 1999. "Democracy and Dichotomies: A Pragmatic Approach to Choices about Concepts." Annual Review of Political Science. Vol. 2: 537-565.

October 17 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Goemans

Session 1 - Comparative Case Studies (Part III) - Applications

• Goemans, Hein. 2001. War and Punishment. (Princeton: Princeton University Press). Chapters 2,4,&8

Session 2 - Comparative Case Studies (Part IV) - More Applications

• Gamm, Gerald. 2001. Urban Exodus. (Cambridge: Harvard University Press). Part II Parish and Congregation. - Discussant: Sonia Doloutskaia

October 24 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Gelpi

Session 1 - Participant Observation and Field Research

• Babbie - Chapter 10
• Geertz, Clifford. 1973. "Notes on a Balinese Cockfight." in The Interpretation of Cultures. (New York: Basic Books). - Discussant: Rachel Gelder
• Murillo, M. Victoria. 2000 "From Populism to Neoliberalism: Labor Unions and Market Reforms in Latin America." World Politics, 52(2):135-174. - Discussant: Ines Valdez

Session 2 - Surveys & Sampling (Part I)

• Babbie - Chapters 7 & 9
• Notes on Surveys and Sampling

October 31 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Gelpi

Session 1 - Surveys & Sampling (Part II)

• McClain, Paula and Harold Rose. 1981. Black Homocide and the Urban Environment. (Washington DC: National Institute of Mental Health). Chapter 1.
• Feaver, Peter D., Richard Kohn and Lindsay Cohn. 2001. "Introduction." Soliders and Civilians. (Cambridge: MIT Press).
• Gronke, Paul and Peter D. Feaver. 2001. Soldiers and Civilians (Cambridge: MIT Press). Chapter 3.

Session 2 - Quantitative Measurement (Part I)

• Babbie - Chapters 5-6
• KKV - Chapter 5.1

November 7 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Gelpi

Session 1 - Quantitative Measurement (Part II)

• Sullivan, John L., James Piereson, George E. Marcus. 1979. "An Alternative Conceptualization of Political Tolerance: Illusory Increases 1950s-1970s." The American Political Science Review, 73(3): 781-794 - Discussant: Marco Fernandez
• Collier, David and Robert Adcock. 2001. "Measurement Validity: A Shared Standard for Qualitative and Quantitative Research" American Political Science Review 95( 3 ): 529-46.

Recommended Additional Reading:

• Fred N. Kerlinger, Foundations of Behavioral Research, 2nd ed. Hew York: Holt, Rhinehart and Winston, 1973 [Or 3rd edition, 1986[, Chapter 25, "Foundations of Measurement."

Session 2 - Large-N Aggregate Data (Part I)

• Babbie - Chapters 11 & 14

November 14 - Discussion Leader: Prof. Gelpi

Session 1 - Large-N Aggregate Data (Part II)

• William Easterly and Ross Levine. 1997. "Africa's Growth Tragedy: Policies and Ethnic Divisions." Quarterly Journal of Economics 112(4):1203-1248. (In Catch Word) - Discussant: Betsy Albright
• Gelpi, Christopher and Peter D. Feaver. 2002. "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick? Veterans in the Policy Elite and the American Use of Force." The American Political Science Review 96(4).

Recommended Additional Reading:

• Smith, Alastair. 1999. Testing Theories of Strategic Choice. American Journal of Political Science, 43(4).
• Signorino, Curt. 1999. Strategic interaction and the statistical analysis of international conflict. American Political Science Review 93(2).

Session 2 - Presenting Your Research (a.k.a How to Speak Political Science)

• Babbie - Appendix B

November 21

Session 1 - Ethical Obligations in Political Science Research

• Babbie - Chapter 3
• APSA. 1998. A Guide to Professional Ethics in Political Science.

Session 2 - Student Presentations

November 28-December 1 - Thanksgiving Break

December 5 (or TBA) - Student Presentations

December 9 - Final Papers Due