17.801
Political Science Scope and Methods
Introduces principles of empirical and theoretical analysis in political science through research projects currently conducted in the department. Different department faculty lead modules that introduce students to major research questions and different ways of examining those questions. Emphasizes how this research in progress relates to larger themes, and how researchers confront obstacles to inference in political science. Includes substantial instruction and practice in writing (with revision) and oral presentations. Intended primarily for majors and minors.
Fall 2017
Topics
- Student Presentations of Experimental Findings
Readings
- [S] = Shively, W. Phillips. The Craft of Political Research . 6th edition. Routledge, 2004. ISBN: 9780131174405.
- WEEK #: 1 · TOPICS: The Scientific Method as Applied to Political Outcomes · READINGS: No readings assigned
- [S] Chapter 1: Doing Research, pp. 1–4.
- [S] Chapter 2: Political Theories and Research Topics, pp. 14–27.
- [S] Chapter 6: Causal Thinking and Design of Research, pp. 75–95.
- [S] Chapter 11: Where Do Theories Come From?
- Freedman, David A. “On Types of Scientific Inquiry: The Role of Qualitative Reasoning.” Chapter 12 in The Oxford Handbook of Political Methodology. Edited by Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Henry E. Brady, and David Collier. Oxford University Press, 2010. ISBN: 9780199585564.
- Gerring, John. “Methods.” Chapter 9 in Social Science Methodology: A Criterial Framework . Cambridge University Press, 2001. ISBN: 9780521805131.
- Dunning, Thad. “Standard Natural Experiments.” Chapter 2 in Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences: A Design-Based Approach . Cambridge University Press, 2012. ISBN: 9781107698000.
- [S] Chapter 4: Problems of Measurement: Accuracy.
- [S] Chapter 5: Problems of Measurement: Precision.
- [S] Chapter 7: Selection of Observations for Study.
- Brady, Henry E. “Data-Set Observations versus Causal-Process Observations: The 2000 U.S. Presidential Election.” Chapter 12 in Rethinking Social Inquiry: Diverse Tools, Shared Standards . 2nd edition. Edited by Henry E. Brady and David Collier. Rowman and Littlefield, 2010. ISBN: 9781442203440.
- Axelrod, Robert. “The Live-and-Let-Live System in Trench Warfare in World War I”. Chapter 4 in The Evolution of Cooperation. Basic Books, 2006. ISBN: 9780465005642.
- WEEK #: 9 · TOPICS: Conducting an Experiment (or Generating Quantitative Observational Data), Part II · READINGS: No readings assigned
- Wood, Elisabeth Jean. “Field Research.” Chapter 5 in The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics . Edited by Carles Boix and Susan C. Stokes. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780199566020.
- ———. “Doing Participation Observation: Becoming an Observer.” Chapter 4 in Participant Observation: A Guide for Fieldworkers . 2nd edition. Alta Mira Press, 2001. ASIN: B01A65KPQC.
- WEEK #: 12 · TOPICS: Student Presentations of Experimental Findings · READINGS: No readings assigned
- Consult the following resources on police shootings in the United States:
- FBI logs on active shootings by police
- [S] Chapter 2: Political Theories and Research Topics, pp. 27–31.
- Shively, W. Phillips. The Craft of Political Research . 6th edition. Routledge, 2004. ISBN: 9780131174405.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Fall) 3-0-9 units. HASS-S
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Fall 2017
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.