Many%20cases,%20a%20few%20cases,%20single%20case%20studies?%20(Landman)

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Many cases, a few cases, single case
studies?(Landman)
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Many Cases

• The majority of studies that compare many
  countries use quantitative methods.
• Variable-oriented examine the relationship
  between variables at a global level of analysis.
• The more the cases, the stronger the inferences
  (the more experimental)
• Helps to identify deviant cases.
• The qualitative study of many cases is difficult
  (generally historical, requires a lot of data,
  and making inferences is more difficult)

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Disadvantages

• Availability of data (aggregate data is not very
  useful... Also, incomplete series)
• Validity of measures (problematic
  operationalization of concepts/Too abstract)
• Skills needed to analyze data

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A few Cases (or Focused Comparisons)

• Need of carefully selecting the cases.
• Intensive, less variable-oriented.
• Good for theory building
• Area studies

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Disadvantages

• Less secure inferences
• Risks of selection bias
• Need of carrying out fieldwork

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2 main approaches (drawn from John Stuart Mill)

• Most similar systems design (MSSD) seeks to
  identify key features that are different among
  similar countries, which account for the observed
  political outcome. Suited for Area Studies.
• Most different systems design (MDSD) comparison
  of cases that only share a certain political
  outcome to be explained, and one or two
  explanatory factors considered crucial to
  generate the outcome. Comparisons accross
  different regions.

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MSSD MSSD MSSD MDSD MDSD MDSD
C1 C2 C3 C1 C2 C3
Features a a a a d g
b b b b e h
c c c c f i
Key explanatory factor x x Not x x x x
Outcome to be explained y y Not y y y y
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Some comparativists combine both...

• Example in Problems of Democratic Transition and
  Consolidation, Linz Stepan use MSSD to examine
  democratic consolidation within regions (South
  America, Southern Europe, and Eastern Europe),
  and then use MDSD to compare democratic
  consolidation across regions.

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Single Case Studies

• The study of a single case is considered
  comparative if it uses or develops concepts
  applicable to other cases, and/or seeks to make
  larger inferences.
• Contextual description clinical studies in
  medicine.
• Ideal to examine deviant cases, to generate
  hypotheses, to develop new classifications.
• Inferences based upon one case are less secure.

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Disadvantages

• Insecure inferences
• Selection bias
• Need of carrying out fieldwork

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What would you try?
Qualitative or quantitative? Why? In what
circumstances would you choose many cases, a few
cases, or single case studies? Why?
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Policy and Politics in Six Nations

• Stella Theodoulou

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How, why, and to what extent do different nations
pursue particular policies?

• Comparative public policy is the study of why two
  or more political systems or governing bodies
  adopt the public policies they do.
• Provides models that can be used in different
  settings (transfering learning?).
• How similar institutions operate in different
  settings.
• Goal of the book to expose readers to different
  political systems and the context in which public
  policy is made.

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Globalization

• Makes problems cross over physical borders
• Shared or similar problems
• Need of judging which policies are possible to
  adapt from one to another setting

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The Approaches

• The Cultural Values Approach
• The Neo-Corporatist Approach (institutionalized
  bargaining)
• The Institutional Approach (State structure)
• The Socioeconomic Approach
• The Politics Matters Approach (political choices)

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What Nations and What Policies to Study?

• The United States, Great Britain, Sweden, Brazil,
  Japan, and Germany are compared across four areas
  of social policy.
• Why Brazil? I am interested in seeing if
  differences occur between durable market
  democracies and transitional market democracies.
  (12)