The Philosophy and Methods of Political Science (Political Analysis, 47)

A short, lively and innovative text, this book addresses the question of what constitutes good practice in a variety of political science methods and examines the philosophy that underpins them. It argues for a pluralistic approach that will deliver effective analysis and an in-depth understanding of political events. This original account of the role of philosophy and methodology in political science gets back to the basics of studying politics. Cutting through long-standing controversies across different theoretical camps within the discipline, Dowding provides an innovative and pluralistic argument for the benefits and drawbacks of different approaches. He offers an analysis of, and a counterbalance to, debates over causal explanation, defending a scientific realist perspective that is open to entirely different methods. Following an introduction to the major 'isms' of modern political science and international relations, the book takes an incisive look at the nature of explanations and generalizations, theory testing, mechanisms, causation, process tracing, interpretation and conceptual analysis. It enables students of political science methodologies and related disciplines to apply sharp analysis and in-depth philosophical understanding to their study of political events and structures. Concluding with chapters on normative political philosophy and the vocation of the political scientist, this is a thought-provoking and wide-ranging text that will make essential reading and will undoubtedly shape the field Cover Contents List of Illustrative Materials Preface and Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 2 Isms 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Realism and anti-realism 2.3 Nominalism, idealism 2.4 Empiricism and positivism 2.5 Instrumentalism, conventionalism, pragmatism 2.6 Essentialism, objectivism 2.7 Critical theory 2.8 Postmodernism 2.9 Interpretivism 2.10 Critical realism 2.11 Naturalism 2.12 Constructivism 2.13 Realism and relativism in ethics 2.14 A few isms not in Figure 2.1 3 What Is an Explanation? 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Language and the world 3.3 The attempt to produce a model of explanation 3.4 Proximate and ultimate; type and token 3.5 Description, causation and understanding 3.6 Generalizations, laws and mechanisms 3.7 Conclusion 4 What Is a Theory? 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Organizing perspectives 4.3 Explanatory theories or models 4.4 Explanatory theory: non-formal models 4.5 Mechanisms and constraints 4.6 Cumulative and non-cumulative research 4.7 Conclusion 5 Hypotheses and Theory Testing 5.1 Introduction 5.2 How evidence bears on theories: preliminaries 5.3 Confirmation, induction and theory 5.4 Hempel’s paradox and Popper’s falsifiability 5.5 Concepts are theory-laden 5.6 Conclusion 6 Narratives, Mechanisms and Causation 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Causation as narrative 6.3 Dichotomies in causal accounts 6.4 Case studies and causation: process tracing 6.5 Conclusion 7 Methods and Methodologies 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Qualitative and quantitative research 7.3 Data access and research transparency 7.4 Policy-oriented research 7.5 Different methods: institutional-structural 7.6 Different methods: behavioural 7.7 Different methods: interpretative 7.8 Conclusion 8 Concepts and Conceptual Analysis 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Principles of conceptual analysis 8.3 The existence of concepts 8.4 Natural kinds 8.5 Measurement 8.6 Some principles of classification 8.7 Contests and contestability of concepts 9 Analytic Political Philosophy 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Interpreting the work of dead people 9.3 Moral problems and grand theory 9.4 Conceptual analysis, thought experiments and intuition pumps 9.5 Conclusion 10 Political Science as a Vocation 10.1 Political science 10.2 Belief and opinion 10.3 Surface and structure 10.4 The profession References Index "The term "governance" has become one of the most widely used in debates in political science, public policy and international relations - often to mean very different things. Written by two leading political scientists, Governance, Politics and the State is the first systematic introduction to its nature, meaning, and significance." "The capacity of governments to manage their economy and society is threatened, on the one hand, by the dispersion of powers to international markets and institutions and, on the other, by subnational actors and institutions. Politics today involves much broader networks of governance than in the past." "The authors argue, however, that the steering of societies from the center by the state remains crucially important for several reasons. First, the loss of control by government is often exaggerated, and there is still a substantial capacity for the public sector to shape social and economic life. Second, taking the centralized conception of "steering" as a starting-point for analysis provides a standard against which to judge any loss of governance capacity by national states. Finally, if there is any loss of that capacity to govern by the public sector it appears to be occurring at different rates and in different ways in different countries."--Jacket A Short, Lively And Innovative Text, This Book Addresses The Question Of What Constitutes Good Practice In A Variety Of Political Science Methods And Examines The Philosophy That Underpins Them. It Argues For A Pluralistic Approach That Will Deliver Effective Analysis And An In-depth Understanding Of Political Events-- 1. Introduction -- 2. Isms -- 3. What Is An Explanation? -- 4. What Is A Theory? -- 5. Hypotheses And Theory Testing -- 6. Narratives, Mechanisms And Causation -- 7. Methods And Methodologies -- 8. Concepts And Conceptual Analysis -- 9. Analytic Political Philosophy -- 10. Political Science As A Vocation. Keith Dowding. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 253-274) And Index. The new edition of this classic text provides a comprehensive introduction to the concept of legitimacy as applied to political systems. Now addressing the issue of legitimacy beyond the state, the book also includes a new introduction and two major additional chapters which update the argument in the light of developments and debates This Important New Text Provides A Broad-ranging Introduction To The 'new' Institutional Theories Which Have Become Increasingly Influential In Recent Years And Gives An Assessment Of Their Application And Utility In Political Analysis. Examines the conceptual and theoretical problems in understanding governance