This document discusses why politics is an important topic to study and introduces some key concepts in political science. It notes that politics deals with important social and political issues like education, taxation, and racial tensions. It defines politics and government, and discusses why states vary in their policies and approaches. It introduces quantitative and qualitative analysis, the idea of variables and units of analysis, and the concepts of correlation and causation. Key terms covered include concepts, operationalization, theories, hypotheses, and political culture.

1. POL 318
Spring 2020

6. Why is politics an important topic to study?

7.  Deal with various social and political issues:
 Education
 Taxation
 Racial Tensions
 How do we effectively deal with these issues?

9. POLITICS
 Process or activity through
which power and resources
are gained and lost
GOVERNMENT
 System or organization for
exercising authority over a
body of people

12.  How do states vary?
 Diversity leads to “Why?” questions
 Why do states choose to either place or not
place certain taxes on their citizens?
 Why do some states resist federal policies while
others embrace them?

13. GOV. MARTIN O’MALLEY
(D-MD)
GOV. DAVE HEINEMAN
(R-NE)

14.  Value in explaining differences
 Qualitative Analysis
 Historical or narrative accounts
 Quantitative Analysis
 Use of numbers, statistics, etc.

15.  What is variance?
 What are units of analysis?

17. INSTRUCTIONS:
(1) Read your given article silently, taking notes on the issues presented.
(2) Discuss your thoughts with someone in your same group, comparing
your thoughts by rank-ordering the issues by order of importance
(3) Discuss your group’s thoughts with someone with the other piece and
compare your ranks?

19.  #1: Description
 #2: Classification
 #3: HypothesisTesting
 #4: Prediction

20.  Idea of variables
 Change between cases
 Theory Development
 What is a theory?
 HypothesisTesting
 What is a hypothesis?

21. CORRELATION
 Association between two
variables
 Example:
 Illegal Immigration
 Border State
 How might these be
correlated 0r associated
with one another?
CAUSATION
 One variable causes another
 Example:
 Illegal Immigration
 Border State
 Do we have causation?

23.  What are concepts?
 Examples: 1) Social Mobility, 2) Quality of Life
 Features of Good Concepts:
 #1: Clarity and Coherence
 #2: Consistency
 #3: Usefulness

25.  Absence or presence of a concept
 How can we operationalize “social mobility”
and “quality of life?”

27.  Attitudes and beliefs broadly shared about the role
and responsibility of government.
 Historical styles and traditions in states’ politics.
 What people in a group or region:
 Generally believe about government and politics
 What they think government ought to do
 How people should act toward it

28. DANIEL ELAZAR

29.  Product of U.S. founding
 MainTypes of Political Culture:
 Moralistic
 Individualistic
 Traditionalistic