Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics

Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics




DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2003.03.07
Rubric: THESAURUS

For citation:

Sartori G. Concept Misformation in Comparative Politics . – Polis. Political Studies. 2003. No. 3. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2003.03.07



Abstract

The article now presented to the Polis’ readers, of which the English-language version was published more than thirty years ago (see: The American Political Science Review, 1970, vol. 64, № 4), deals with problems of concept formation in comparative political science. According to the author’s conclusion, a major drawback of the comparative expansion of the discipline is that it has been conducive to indefiniteness, to undelimited and largely undefined conceptualizations: our gains in extensional coverage tend to be matched by losses in connotative precision. The issue discussed in the now published first part of the article is that of correlation and heuristic faculties of quantitative and qualitative analyses. The author argues that quantification enters the scene after, and only after, having formed the concept, and the “stuff” of quantification — the things underpinned by numbers — cannot be provided by quantification itself. Before we proceed to answering the question “how much”, it is to be determined, how much in what, in what conceptual container. In view of the above stated, the author concludes that the logic of quantitative analysis (either — or) cannot be replaced by the logic of more — and less. Actually the two logics are complementary, and each has a legitimate field of application.

 Full Text (электронная версия)

Content No. 3, 2003

See also:


Weber M.,
Russia's Transition to Pseudoconstitutionalism. – Polis. Political Studies. 2006. No2

Brinkman von A.,
Unauthoritative Laws (To the Psychology of Russian Executive Power) (Foreword by I.L. Belenky). – Polis. Political Studies. 2006. No1

Massing O.,
Domination. – Polis. Political Studies. 1991. No6

Aron R.,
An Essay on Liberties: A Universal and Unique Formula of Liberty Does Not Exist. – Polis. Political Studies. 1996. No1

Bruder W.,
Bureaucracy. – Polis. Political Studies. 1991. No5

 

   

Introducing an article



Polis. Political Studies
3 2003


Malinova O.Yu.
Researching the Phenomenon of Conservatism

 The article text (электронная версия)
 

Archive

   2024      2023      2022      2021   
   2020      2019      2018      2017      2016   
   2015      2014      2013      2012      2011   
   2010      2009      2008      2007      2006   
   2005      2004      2003      2002      2001   
   2000      1999      1998      1997      1996   
   1995      1994      1993      1992      1991