Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics
Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics

Author: Gerardo L. Munck

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2007-07-02

Total Pages: 798

ISBN-13: 9780801884641

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In the first collection of interviews with the most prominent scholars in comparative politics since World War II, Gerardo L. Munck and Richard Snyder trace key developments in the field during the twentieth century. Organized around a broad set of themes—intellectual formation and training; major works and ideas; the craft and tools of research; colleagues, collaborators, and students; and the past and future of comparative politics—these in-depth interviews offer unique and candid reflections that bring the research process to life and shed light on the human dimension of scholarship. Giving voice to scholars who practice their craft in different ways yet share a passion for knowledge about global politics, Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics offers a wealth of insights into contemporary debates about the state of knowledge in comparative politics and the future of the field.

Inside Countries
Inside Countries

Author: Agustina Giraudy

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-06-13

Total Pages: 389

ISBN-13: 110849658X

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Offers a groundbreaking analysis of the distinctive substantive, theoretical and methodological contributions of subnational research in the field of comparative politics.

Perestroika!
Perestroika!

Author: Kristen Renwick Monroe

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2005-09-30

Total Pages: 612

ISBN-13: 9780300130201

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An examination of the movement that has turned the discipline of political science upside down This superb volume describes the events and ramifications of a revolt within the political science discipline that began in 2000 with a disgruntled e-mail message signed by one “Mr. Perestroika.” The message went to seventeen recipients who quickly forwarded it to others, and soon the Perestroika revolt became a major movement calling for change in the American political science community. What is the Perestroika movement? Why did it occur? What has it accomplished? What remains to be done? Most important, what does it tell us about the nature of political science, about methodological pluralism and diversity, about the process of publishing scholarly work, and about graduate education in the field? The contributors to the book—thoughtful political scientists who offer a variety of perspectives—set the Perestroika movement in historical and comparative contexts. They address many topics related to heart of the debate—a desire for tolerance of methodological diversity—and assess the changes that have come in the wake of Perestroika. For political scientists and their graduate students, and for those interested in the history or sociology of Social Sciences, this volume is essential reading.

Measuring Democracy
Measuring Democracy

Author: Gerardo L. Munck

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2009-04-15

Total Pages: 261

ISBN-13: 0801896509

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Although democracy is a widely held value, concrete measurement of it is elusive. Gerardo L. Munck’s constructive assessment of the methods used to measure democracies promises to bring order to the debate in academia and in practice. Drawing on his years of academic research on democracy and measurement and his practical experience evaluating democratic practices for the United Nations and the Organization of American States, Munck's discussion bridges the theories of academia with practical applications. In proposing a more open and collaborative relationship between theory and action, he makes the case for reassessing how democracy is measured and encourages fundamental changes in methodology. Munck’s field-tested framework for quantifying and qualifying democracy is built around two instruments he developed: the UN Development Programme’s Electoral Democracy Index and a case-by-case election monitoring tool used by the OAS. Measuring Democracy offers specific, real-world lessons that scholars and practitioners can use to improve the quality and utility of data about democracy.

Critical Junctures and Historical Legacies
Critical Junctures and Historical Legacies

Author: David Collier

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2022-02-28

Total Pages: 497

ISBN-13: 153816616X

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Over the past 50 years, scholars across the social sciences have employed critical juncture analysis to understand how social orders are created, become entrenched, and change. In this book, leading scholars from several disciplines offer the first coordinated effort to define this field of research, assess its theoretical and methodological foundations, and use a critical assessment of current practices as a basis for guiding its future. Contributors include stars in this field who have written some of the classic works on critical junctures, as well as the rising stars of the next generation who will continue to shape historical comparative analysis for years to come. Critical Junctures and Historical Legacies will be an indispensable resource for social science research methods scholars and students.

Comparative Politics
Comparative Politics

Author: J. Tyler Dickovick

Publisher:

Published: 2020-01-02

Total Pages: 608

ISBN-13: 9780199026548

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Integrating theories, methods, and country cases with an emphasis on application and analysis.Combining thematic organization and a variety of country-specific case studies, Comparative Politics Integrating Theories, Methods, and Cases is an engaging and accessible introduction to comparative politics. Methodological tools are introduced early in the text and integrated throughout to helpstudents develop a systematic way of doing their own analyses of concepts and issues. These tools include theories, the basics of the comparative method, and manageable case materials for practice, all in the context of the big questions in comparative politics today.

Comparative Area Studies
Comparative Area Studies

Author: Ariel Ira Ahram

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 0190846372

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In the post-World War II era, the emergence of 'area studies' marked a signal development in the social sciences. As the social sciences evolved methodologically, however, many dismissed area studies as favoring narrow description over general theory. Still, area studies continues to plays a key, if unacknowledged, role in bringing new data, new theories, and valuable policy-relevant insights to social sciences. In Comparative Area Studies, three leading figures in the field have gathered an international group of scholars in a volume that promises to be a landmark in a resurgent field. The book upholds two basic convictions: that intensive regional research remains indispensable to the social sciences and that this research needs to employ comparative referents from other regions to demonstrate its broader relevance. Comparative Area Studies (CAS) combines the context-specific insights from traditional area studies and the logic of cross- and inter-regional empirical research. This first book devoted to CAS explores methodological rationales and illustrative applications to demonstrate how area-based expertise can be fruitfully integrated with cutting-edge comparative analytical frameworks.

Democratic Transitions
Democratic Transitions

Author: Sergio Bitar

Publisher: JHU Press

Published: 2015-09-15

Total Pages: 487

ISBN-13: 142141760X

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Thirteen former presidents and prime ministers discuss how they helped their countries end authoritarian rule and achieve democracy. National leaders who played key roles in transitions to democratic governance reveal how these were accomplished in Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, and Spain. Commissioned by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), these interviews shed fascinating light on how repressive regimes were ended and democracy took hold. In probing conversations with Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Patricio Aylwin, Ricardo Lagos, John Kufuor, Jerry Rawlings, B. J. Habibie, Ernesto Zedillo, Fidel V. Ramos, Aleksander Kwasniewski, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, F. W. de Klerk, Thabo Mbeki, and Felipe González, editors Sergio Bitar and Abraham F. Lowenthal focused on each leader’s principal challenges and goals as well as their strategies to end authoritarian rule and construct democratic governance. Context-setting introductions by country experts highlight each nation’s unique experience as well as recurrent challenges all transitions faced. A chapter by Georgina Waylen analyzes the role of women leaders, often underestimated. A foreword by Tunisia’s former president, Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, underlines the book’s relevance in North Africa, West Asia, and beyond. The editors’ conclusion distills lessons about how democratic transitions have been and can be carried out in a changing world, emphasizing the importance of political leadership. This unique book should be valuable for political leaders, civil society activists, journalists, scholars, and all who want to support democratic transitions.

Cases in Comparative Government and Politics
Cases in Comparative Government and Politics

Author: John McCormick

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-09-20

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13: 1352007363

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Using 12 pivotal cases, this book brings comparative politics to life by highlighting the key differences in political systems around the world. Written by renowned textbook author John McCormick, the book opens with two context-setting chapters on the field of comparative politics and the varying nature of political systems. The cases that follow thereafter have been carefully chosen to illustrate a variety of political types, different levels of political development, and to ensure geographical and cultural diversity. The textbook is ideal for both undergraduate and postgraduate students who are taking introductory courses in comparative politics, introduction to politics and political science. Accompanying online resources for this title can be found at bloomsburyonlineresources.com/cases-in-comparative-government-and-politics. These resources are designed to support teaching and learning when using this textbook and are available at no extra cost.