Theory and credibility : integrating theoretical and empirical social science / Scott Ashworth, Christopher R. Berry, and Ethan Bueno de Mesquita.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ashworth, Scott, 1972- author.

Berry, Christopher R., author.

Bueno de Mesquita, Ethan, 1974- author.

Series:

Princeton scholarship online.

Princeton scholarship online

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Social sciences--Research--Philosophy.

Social sciences.

Quantitative research.

Mathematical models.

Empiricism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (279 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, [2021]

Summary:

The credibility revolution, with its emphasis on empirical methods for causal inference, has led to concerns among scholars that the canonical questions about politics and society are being neglected because they are no longer deemed answerable. 'Theory and Credibility' stakes out an opposing view - presenting a new vision of how, working together, the credibility revolution and formal theory can advance social scientific inquiry. This authoritative book covers the conceptual foundations and practicalities of both model building and research design, providing a new framework to link theory and empirics.

Contents:

Cover

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

Part I. Foundations

2. The Framework

2.1 The View from Thirty Thousand Feet

2.2 Learning from Agreement or Disagreement

2.3 Women's Underrepresentation in Electoral Politics

2.4 A Comparison to Other Approaches

2.5 Extrapolation

2.6 Conclusion

3. All Else Equal

3.1 All Else Equal in Theory

3.2 All Else Equal in Empirics

3.3 Commensurability and All Else Equal

3.4 Theoretical Assumptions, Empirical Challenges

3.5 All Else Equal Need Not Be Causal

3.6 Conclusion

4. Models

4.1 Models

4.2 Mechanisms

4.3 Intentionality and Understanding

4.4 Some Guidance onWhat Makes a Good Model

4.5 Conclusion

5. Research Design

5.1 Elements of a Research Design

5.2 Potential Outcomes and the Challenge of All Else Equal

5.3 TheMajor Research Designs

5.4 Putting the ERD to Work

5.5 Sensitivity Analysis

5.6 Conclusion

Interlude

Part II. Interactions

6. Reinterpreting

6.1 Party Effects in Congress

6.2 Who Becomes a Terrorist?

6.3 Elections and Natural Disasters

6.4 Gleanings

7. Elaborating

7.1 Partisan Bias in Federal Prosecutions

7.2 Accountability and Information

7.3 Elections and Consumption

7.4 Who Becomes a Terrorist?

7.5 Football and Accountability

7.6 Deforestation and Corruption

7.7 Gleanings

8. Distinguishing

8.1 Accountability and Term Limits

8.2 Party Effects in Congress

8.3 Social Pressure and Political Behavior

8.4 Gleanings

9. Disentangling

9.1 Accountability and Competence in Elections

9.2 Economic Shocks and Violence

9.3 Sources of Incumbent Success

9.4 Gleanings

10. Modeling the Research Design

10.1 Close Elections and the Incumbency Advantage

10.2 The Efficacy of Protests

10.3 Gleanings

11. Conclusion.

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Also issued in print: 2021.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from home page (viewed on May 7, 2022).

ISBN:

9780691213828

0691213828

9780691215006

0691215006

OCLC:

1240825797