Theory and Methods in Political Science PDF
Preview Theory and Methods in Political Science
Political Analysis 4th Edition EDITED BY VIVIEN LOWNDES, DAVID MARSH, & GERRY STOKER Series Editors: B. Guy Peters, Jon Pierre and Gerry Stoker Political science today is a dynamic discipline. Its substance, theory and methods have all changed radically in recent decades. It is much expanded in range and scope and in the variety of new perspectives – and new variants of old ones – that it encompasses. The sheer volume of work being published, and the increasing degree of its specialization, however, make it difficult for political scientists to maintain a clear grasp of the state of debate beyond their own particular subdisciplines. The Political Analysis series is intended to provide a channel for different parts of the discipline to talk to one another and to new generations of students. Our aim is to publish books that provide introductions to, and exemplars of, the best work in various areas of the discipline. Written in an accessible style, they provide a ‘launching-pad’ for students and others seeking a clear grasp of the key meth- odological, theoretical and empirical issues, and the main areas of debate, in the complex and fragmented world of political science. A particular priority is to facilitate intellectual exchange between academic communities in different parts of the world. Although frequently addressing the same intellectual issues, research agendas and literatures in North America, Europe and elsewhere have often tended to develop in relative isolation from one another. This series is designed to provide a framework for dialogue and debate which, rather than advocacy of one regional approach or another, is the key to progress. The series reflects our view that the core values of political science should be coherent and logically constructed theory, matched by carefully constructed and exhaustive empirical investigation. The key challenge is to ensure quality and integrity in what is produced rather than to constrain diversity in methods and approaches. The series is intended as a showcase for the best of political science in all its variety, and demonstrates how nurturing that variety can further improve the discipline. Series Editors: B. Guy Peters, Jon Pierre and Gerry Stoker Editorial Advisory Group: Frank R. Baumgartner, Donatella Della Porta, Scott Fritzen, Robert E. Goodin, Colin Hay, Alan M. Jacobs, Eliza W. Y. Lee, Jonathon W. Moses, Craig Parsons, Mitchell A. Seligson and Margit Tavits. Published David Beetham The Legitimation of Power Ioannis Papadopoulos (2nd edition) Democracy in Crisis? Politics, Governance Peter Burnham, Karin Gilland Lutz, and Policy Wyn Grant and Zig Layton-Henry B. Guy Peters Research Methods in Politics Strategies for Comparative Research in (2nd edition) Political Science Lina Eriksson Jon Pierre and B. Guy Peters Rational Choice Theory: Potential Governance, Politics and the State and Limits Heather Savigny and Lee Marsden Jean Grugel and Matthew Louis Bishop Doing Political Science and International Democratization: A Critical Relations Introduction (2nd edition) Rudra Sil and Peter J. Katzenstein Colin Hay Beyond Paradigms: Analytic Eclecticism Political Analysis in the Study of World Politics Colin Hay, Michael Lister and David Martin J. Smith Marsh (eds) Power and the State The State: Theories and Issues Gerry Stoker, B. Guy Peters and Andrew Hindmoor and Brad Taylor Jon Pierre (eds) Rational Choice (2nd edition) The Relevance of Political Science Johanna Kantola and Emanuela Cees van der Eijk and Mark Franklin Lombardo Elections and Voters Gender and Political Analysis Keith Dowding Vivien Lowndes and Mark Roberts The Philosophy and Methods of Political Why Institutions Matter Science Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Dimiter Toshkov Gerry Stoker (eds) Research Design in Political Science Theory and Methods in Political Science (4th edition) Theory and Methods in Political Science Fourth edition Edited by Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Gerry Stoker © Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Gerry Stoker 2018 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First edition published 1995 Second edition published 2002 Third edition published 2010 Fourth edition published 2018 by PALGRAVE Palgrave in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978–1–137–60352–4 hardback ISBN 978–1–137–60351–7 paperback This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Contents Lists of Figures, Tables and Boxes xiii Preface to the Fourth Edition xv Notes on Contributors xvi 1 Introduction 1 Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Gerry Stoker What is politics? What is it that political scientists study? 7 What is a scientific approach to politics? 9 The discipline of political science: a celebration of diversity? 11 PART 1 THEORY AND APPROACHES Introduction to Part 1 17 Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Gerry Stoker 2 Behavioural Analysis 20 David Sanders T he rise of the behavioural movement and its core characteristics 21 Criticisms of the behavioural approach 25 Objections to the positivist claim that statements which are neither definitions (useful tautologies) nor empirical are meaningless 25 The tendency towards mindless empiricism 26 The assumed independence of theory and observation 28 The strengths of the behavioural approach: an example 30 Conclusion: the behavioural legacy in the twenty- first century 37 Further reading 38 3 Rational Choice 39 Andrew Hindmoor and Brad Taylor Introduction 39 The methods of economics (and rational choice) 40 The logic of collective action 43 Collective action and the environment 46 What’s wrong with rational choice theory? 48 From imperialism to peaceful co-existence 52 Conclusion 52 Further reading 53 v vi Contents 4 Institutionalism 54 Vivien Lowndes The ‘traditional’ institutional approach 55 The emergence of the ‘new institutionalism’ 57 The ‘three new institutionalisms’ 58 Core features of new institutionalism 59 Institutions as rules not organisations 60 Institutions as informal as well as formal 61 Institutions as dynamic as well as stabilising 62 Institutions as embodying values and power 62 Institutions as contextually embedded 63 New institutionalist dilemmas 64 What is an institution anyway? 64 Where do institutions come from, and how do they change? 67 Are the normative and rational choice approaches compatible? 70 Conclusion 73 Further reading 74 5 Constructivism and Interpretive theory 75 Craig Parsons Origins of constructivism 76 What is and isn’t distinctive about constructivism? 78 Variations within constructivism 83 Epistemological variations 83 Different mechanisms and different social constructs 85 Different methods 87 Conclusion 90 Further reading 91 6 Feminist and Gendered Approaches 92 Meryl Kenny and Fiona Mackay What is feminism? 92 Political science: gendered foundations 93 Women in political science 96 Gender and political science 97 Political representation 102 Feminising political parties 103 Gendering the state and state feminism 104 Dilemmas and challenges 105 Conclusion 107 Further reading 107 Contents vii 7 Marxism: A Global Perspective 109 Ray Kiely M arxism and capitalism: structuralist economism or agency-led contingency? 110 Marxist economism and base and superstructure 110 Marx and capitalism 112 Marxism, capitalism and nationalism 114 M arxism and globalisation: economistic unilinearity or contingent uneven development? 115 Marxist economism and capitalist diffusion 115 Marx and the unequal international order 116 M arxism, imperialism and uneven development as dependency 118 M arxism and hegemony: the significance of Gramsci 119 Debating globalisation in the twenty-first century 120 Contemporary globalisation defined 120 T he continued relevance of Marxist ideas I: globalisation as uneven and combined development 121 T he continued relevance of Marxist ideas II: hegemony and the international order 122 Conclusion 123 Further reading 124 8 Poststructuralism 125 Mark Wenman French structuralism 127 From structuralism to poststructuralism 129 Poststructuralism in politics and international relations 130 T he ontological and epistemological assumptions of poststructuralism 133 Criticism and evaluation 137 Conclusion 140 Further reading 141 9 Political Psychology 142 Frank Mols and Paul ‘t Hart An interdisciplinary enterprise 142 Political conflict and contention 144 Political leadership and followership 146 Who leads matters 147 H ow groups create leaders, and leaders gain followers 147 Political beliefs and voter attitudes 151 Perceiving the political world 151 viii Contents Causes and consequences of political attitudes 152 Radicalisation and extremism: pathology or politics? 152 Understanding political decision-making 154 From homo economicus to homo psychologicus 154 Groups as asset or problem in policy decision-making? 155 Methods and prospects of the field 155 Further reading 157 10 normative Political theory 158 Chris Armstrong Introduction 158 Methods in normative political theory 159 Rawls on reflective equilibrium 159 Cohen on facts and values 162 Normative theory and global justice 164 Political ideals and feasibility 166 Further reading 170 PART 2 METHODS AND RESEARCH DESIGN Introduction to Part 2 173 Vivien Lowndes, David Marsh and Gerry Stoker 11 A skin not a sweater : ontology and epistemology in Political science 177 David Marsh, Selen A. Ercan and Paul Furlong Ontology and epistemology introduced 178 The meaning of ontology and epistemology (and methodology) 178 The relationship between ontology and epistemology 179 Distinguishing ontological and epistemological positions 181 Distinguishing broad ontological positions 182 Distinguishing broad epistemological positions 183 Interrogating different approaches to ontology and epistemology 185 Positivism 186 Interpretivism 189 Critical realism 193 Ontology and epistemology in empirical research 194 Empirical research on deliberative democracy – positivism versus interpretivism 195 Conclusion 197 Further reading 198 Contents ix 12 Meta-theoretical Issues 199 David Marsh Conceptualising structure, agency and the ideational realm 200 Structure 201 Agency 202 The ideational realm 204 Dialectical approaches to the relationships between structure and agency and the material and the ideational 204 Structure and agency: the dialectical approaches 204 Structuration theory 205 The Morphogenetic approach 205 The strategic-relational approach 206 Bourdieu and habitus 208 The material and the ideational: thin and thick constructivism 209 Stability and change 211 Hay: a linear conception of time 212 Tonkiss: a non-linear conception of time 212 A flexi-time model: a circadian conception of time 213 More on punctuated evolution 213 Conclusion 217 Further reading 218 13 Research Design 219 Dimiter Toshkov What is research design? 219 The research process 220 The elements of research design 222 Research questions and research goals 222 Theory and empirical research 225 Conceptualisation and operationalisation 227 Types of research methodologies 228 Case and variable selection for different types of research 230 Experimental research 230 Large-N observational research 232 Comparative research 233 Single-case studies and within-case analysis 234 Conclusion: the power and promise of research design 235 Further reading 236 14 Qualitative Methods 237 Ariadne Vromen Debates on qualitative methods: the rediscovery of qualitative analysis 237 What is distinctive about qualitative methods and analysis? 243
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