Core Issues in Comparative Politics(PO233)

Module Director: Dr. Renske DoorenspleetAssociate Professor in Comparative Politics

director Centre for Studies in DemocratizationDepartment of Politics and International Studies

University of Warwick, UK

www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/staff/doorenspleet/www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/research/csd/

e-mail: renske.doorenspleet@warwick.ac.uk

Content Lecture week 3

(A) What are concepts and measurements?

(B) Adcock’s and Collier’s framework &the example of ‘democracy’

(C) Homework seminar week 3

Some ‘big questions’

• Why do people vote and why do they vote the way they do?

• Why do people support racist and xenophobic ideas?

• Why are some countries (or people) more corrupt than others?

• Does Islam have a negative impact on democracy?

(A)Concepts and measurements

from The Guardian (October 12th, 2006)

‘Security threat. Gaza sliding into civil war. Economic crisis worsens clashes between Hamas and Fatah’

(A)Concepts and measurements

ESSENTIAL part of research process

Theory

Research Questions

Concepts

New theory

Data analysis

Data collection

Case Selection

(A)Concepts and measurements

See Figure 1 in Adcock and Collier (2001)

Conceptualization Level 1: Background Concept

Level 2: Systematized Concept

Measurement Level 3: Indicators

Level 4: Scores for Cases

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Conceptualization Level 1: Background Concept

the broad constellations of meanings and understandings related to a given concept

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Different types of concepts• direct observables (colour of apple)

• indirect observables (historical events)

• constructs (IQ and Power)See Babbie’s book for more information

Measurement Level 2: Systematized concept

specific formulation of a concept that uses ideas of (group of) scholars, an explicit definition of the concept

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Measurement Level 3: Indicators

measures or operationalization

On level 3, your task is to develop – on the basis of the systematized concept –

one or two indicators which can be used to score or classify the cases

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

e.g. is water consumption an indicator of welfare or of sustainability? see also: www.sustainablemeasures.com

e.g. is number of children an indicator of poverty or of welfare? see also: www.worldbank.org/data

Context-specific: in rich countries, it is an indicator of welfare, while in poor countries it is an indicator of poverty

Measurement Level 4: Scores for cases

use the indicators to produce scores for the cases

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Level 1: Background Concept(see Adcock and Collier 2001: p. 531)

Democracy is a highly contested concept

Brainstorm: what is democracy in your opinion?

Meaning according to different surveys around the world

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Level 2: Systematized Concepts / Clear Definition (see Adcock and Collier 2001: p. 531)

Democracy is a political system with:

• Competition: competitive struggle for votes

• Inclusiveness: right to vote

(Dahl 1971)

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Level 3:Measurements / Operationalizations / Indicators

There are many different measurements of democracy (see Appendix 1 in Doorenspleet 2005)

Problems:• Limited to years/periods• Limited to developing countries

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Still… Two Interesting Measurements

• Freedom House– See data: www.freedomhouse.org

• Polity IV– See data: www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/polity

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Level 4:Scores for cases

Freedom House scale from 2 till 14

South Africa Zimbabwe

Argentina, India North Korea

See: www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2007

2 = most free 14 = not free

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

Polity IV Project scale from -10 till 10

China Mongolia

Libya Switzerland

See: www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/polity/report.htm

-10 = most autocratic 10 = most democratic

Problems of Polity IV scale

• Insufficient validity: definition is not same as measurement (focus on competition, but inclusiveness is ignored). So, level 1 and 2 = not level 3 and 4

• Insufficient reliability: who are the coders?

Movie.lnk

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

So, how to measure democracy?

1. Use Freedom House

2. Use Polity Project

3. Develop your own measurement which:- Uses the framework of A&C- Is related to concept (e.g. Dahl’s two dimensions)- Is worldwide in scope, and from 1800 until 2000

(see Doorenspleet 2005)

(B) A&C framework and Concept of Democracy

(C ) Homework seminar week 4

1. Preparation seminar: Choose two countries and describe their level of democracy or regime change. Discuss the concepts of democracy, and the measurements (including the validity and reliablity of the scales of the polity IV and Freedom House). Give a presentation (5 minutes) and time for Q&A (5 minutes)

2) read the required literature of week 3. 3) collect interesting statements on the basis of the required

literature of week 3. WRITE YOUR STATEMENTS DOWN!