Many cases, a few cases,
single case studies?
(Landman)
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)
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
A few Cases
(or Focused Comparisons)
•
•
•
•
Need of carefully selecting the cases.
Intensive, less variable-oriented.
Good for theory building
Area studies
Disadvantages:
• Less secure inferences
• Risks of selection bias
• Need of carrying out fieldwork
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.
MSSD
MDSD
C1 C2
C3
C1
C2
C3
a
a
a
a
d
g
b
b
b
b
e
h
c
c
c
c
f
i
Key explanatory
factor
x
x
x
x
x
Outcome to be
explained
y
y
Not
x
Not
y
y
y
y
Features
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.
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.
Disadvantages
• Insecure inferences
• Selection bias
• Need of carrying out fieldwork
What would you try?
Qualitative or quantitative? Why?
In what circumstances would you
choose many cases, a few cases, or
single case studies?
Why?
Policy and Politics in Six
Nations
Stella Theodoulou
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.
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
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)
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)