Table Of ContentPolitical Science
Research Methods
Eighth Edition
Janet ButtolphJohnson
H. T. Reynolds
Jason D. Mycoff
University of Delaware
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----• Brief Contents
Tables, Figures, and Features xi
Prefa ce xvii
About the Authors xxiii
Chapter 1 • Introduction 1
Chapter 2 • ·The Empirical Approach to Political Science 46
Chapter 3 • Beginning the Research Process: Identifying a
Research Topic, Developing Research Questions, and
Reviewing the Literature 7 4
Chapter 4 • The Building Blocks of Social
Scientific Research: Hypotheses, Concepts, and Variables 104
Chapter 5 • The Building Blocks of Social Scientific
Research: Measurement 128
Chapter 6 • Research Design: Making Causal Inferences 166
Chapter 7 • Sampling 212
Chapter 8 • Making Empirical Observations:
Firsthand Observation 244
Chapter 9 • Document Analysis: Using the Written Record 268
Chapter 10 • Survey Research and Interviewing 294
Chapter 11 • Making Sense of Data: First Steps 348
Chapter 12 • Statistical Inference 388
Chapter 13 • Investigating Relationships between Two Variables 412
Chapter 14 • Multivariate Analysis 516
Chapter 15 • The Research Report: An Annotated Example 584
Appendixes 605
Glossary 617
Index 625
----• Detailed Contents
Tables,F igures,a nd Features xi Self-Reflection and Individuality 61
Preface xvii Is Political Science Trivial or Irrelevant? 63
Aboutt he Authors xxiii Competing Points of View 64
Interpretation 65
Chapter 1 • Introduction 1 Constructionism and Critical Theory 67
Conclusion 71
Researcho n Inequality 6
Terms Introduced 71
Who Votes?W ho Doesn't? 14
SuggestedR eadings 72
Politics and the Gender Gap 18
Repressiono f Human Rights 22
Chapter 3 • Beginning the
A Look into Judicial Decision
Research Process: Identifying
Making and Its Effects 25
a Research Topic, Developing
Influencing Bureaucracies 31
Research Questions, and
Effects of CampaignA dvertising
Reviewing the Literature 74
on Voters 36
Researcho n Public Support for Specifying the ResearchQ uestion 74
US Foreign Involvement 40 Sourceso f Ideas for ResearchT opics 78
Conclusion 44 Why Conduct a Literature Review? 82
Terms Introduced 45 CollectingS ourcesf or a LiteratureR eview8 4
Identifying the Relevant Scholarly
Chapter 2 • The Empirical Literature 85
Approach to Political Science 46 Managing Citations 91
Identifying Useful Popular Sources 91
Elementso f Empiricism 48
Reading the Literature 93
The Importanceo f Theory 54
Writing a Literature Review 94
An Example: Proximity ·Theory of Anatomyo f a Literature Review 97
Voting 54
Conclusion 101
The Explanatory Range of Theories 58
Terms Introduced 102
A Brief Overviewo f the Empirical
SuggestedR eadings 102
ResearchP rocess 58
Development of an Idea to Investigate Chapter 4 • The Building Blocks
or a Problem to Solve 59 of Social Scientific Research:
Hypothesis Formation 59
Hypotheses, Concepts, and
"Data" Collection 59
Variables 104
Interpretation and Decision 60
Modification and Extension 60 ProposingE xplanations 104
Reactionst o the Empirical Approach: Formulating Hypothes~s 109
Practical Objections 60 Characteristics of Good Hypotheses 111
Specifying Units of Analysis 116 Multiple-Group Design 182
Cross-Level Analysis: Ecological Randomized Field Experiments 183
Inference and Ecological Fallacy 117 NonrandomizedD esigns:
Defining Concepts 121 Quasi-Experiments 185
Conclusion 126 Natural Experiments 188
Terms Introduced 126 Intervention Analysis 191
Suggested Readings 127 ObservationalS tudies 195
Small-N Designs 196
Chapter 5 • The Building
Cross-Sectional Designs:
Blocks of Social Scientific Surveys and Aggregate Analysis 203
Research: Measurement 128 Longitudinal (Time Series) Designs 206
Devising MeasurementS trategies 130 Conclusion 209
Terms Introduced 210
Exampleso f Political Measurements:
Getting to Operationalization 132 SuggestedR eadings 211
The Accuracy of Measurements 135
Chapter 7 • SampliQg 212
Reliability 135
Validity 138 The Basics of Sampling 213
Problems with Reliability and Validity Population or Sample? 215
in Political Science Measurement 143 Fundamental Con.cepts 216
The Precision of Measurements 146 Typeso f Samples 219
Levels of Measurement 146 Simple Random Samples 220
Working with Precision: i:oo Little or Systematic Samples 221
Too Much 150 Stratified Samples 223
Multi-Item Measures 151 Cluster Samples 225
Indexes 151 Nonprobability Samples 228
Scales 155 What Can Be Learned from a
Conclusion 162 Sample of a Population 230
Terms Introduced 163 Expected Values 232
Suggested Readings 164 Measuring the Variability of the
Estimates: Standard Errors 234
Chapter 6 • Research Design: Sample Size 237
Making Causal Inferences 166 Conclusion 240
Terms Introduced 241
Verifying Causal Assertions 167
SuggestedR eadings 242
Causal versus Spurious Relationships 167 ' .
The Classical Randomized Chapter 8 • Making Empirical
Experiment 171 Observations: Firsthand
The Power of Random Assignment 176
Observation 244
Internal Validity 176
External Validity 179 Typeso f Data and Collection /
Other Randomized Experiments 179 Techniques. 244
Posttest Design 180 Choosing among Data·Collection
Repeated-Measurement Design 181 Methods 245
Firsthand, Direct Obsen(ation 248 Characteristics of Surveys 304·
Direct Observation in a Natural Setting 249 Response Quality 316
Structured and Unstructured Observation 254 Survey Type and Response Quality 320
Covert and Overt Observation 256 Interlude: The Health Care Debate and
Note-Taking as Data Collection 257 Why Question Wording Matters 322
Direct Observation in a Laboratory Question Wording 327
Setting 258 Question Type 330
Firsthand, Indirect Observation 259 Question Order 334
Physical Trace Measures 260 Questionnaire Design 336
Validity Problems with Indirect Using Archived Surveys 337
Observation 261 Advantages of Using Archived
Ethical Issues in Observation 262 Surveys 337
Conclusion 265 Interviewing 338
Terms Introduced 266 The Ins and Outs of Interviewing 340
Suggested Readings 267 Conclusion 344
Terms Introduced 345
Chapter 9 • Document Analysis: Suggested Readings 345
Using the Written Record 268
Chapter 11 • Making Sense
Content Analysis 270 of Data: First Steps 348
Content Analysis Procedures 270
The Data Matrix 349
A Simple Computer Content Analysis 275
Data Description and Exploration 351
Types of Written Records 275
Frequency Distributions, Proportions,
The Running Record 275
and Percentages 352
The Episodic Record 279
Descriptive Statistics 355
The Running Record and Episodic
Measures of Central Tendency 356
Record Compared 284
Measures of Variability or
Presidential Job Approval 286
Dispersion 361
Advantages and Disadvantages of the
Graphs for Presentation and
Written Record 287
Exploration 369
Conclusion 292
Designing and Drawing Graphs 371
Terms Introduced 293
Bar Charts 375
Suggested Readings 293 '
Exploratory Graphs 375
What's Next? 384
Chapter 10 • Survey Research
Terms Introduced 385
and Interviewing 294 Suggested Readings 386
Fundamentals: Ensuring Validity and
Chapter 12 • Statistical Inference 388
Reliability 296
Survey Research 299 Two Kinds of Inferential Activities 389
Types of Surveys 299 Hypothesis Testing 389
American Association for Public Opinion Steps for Hypothesis Testing 391
Research's Transparency Initiative 300 Significance Tests of a Mean 393
Testing Hypotheses about Proportions 401 Inference for Regression Parameters:
Confidence Intervals and Confidence Tests and Confidence Intervals 499
Levels 405 Case Studies in Two-Variable
Conclusion 409 Regression 502
Terms Introduced 410 Conclusion 511
SuggestedR eadings 410 Terms Introduced 513
SuggestedR eadings 515
Chapter 13 • Investigating
Chapter 14 • Multivariate Analysis 516
Relationships between
Two Variables 412 Holding a Variable Constant 518
Multivariate Analysis of Categorical
The Basics of Identifying and
Measuring Relationships 415 Data 518
Level of Measurement 415 Linear Models 528
Types of Relationships 416 Multiple Regression Analysis 528
Strength of Relationship 418 Interpretation of Parameters 531
Numerical and Graphical Examining Residuals 533
Procedures 419 Statistical Tests 534
Table Summaries of Categorical CategoricaVl ariablesa nd Linear Models 541
Variable Associations 420 Does a Model Fit? ANOVA and
Dummy Variable Regression 547
MeasuringS trength of Relationships
Models with Quantitative and Categorical
in Tables 426
Variables: Interaction and
Direction of a Relationship 428
Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) 548
Coefficients for Ordinal Variables 431
Interaction 550
A Coefficient for Nominal Data 438
Standardized Regression Coefficients 553
Testing a Cross-Tabulation for
Measuring the Goodness of Fit, R2 558
Statistical Significance 441
Logistic Regression 559
The Relationship between a
Ways of Thinking about Dichotomous
Categorical DependentV ariable
Dependent Variables 563
and a Quantitative Variable 449
Estimating the Model's Coefficients 568
Difference of Means and Measures of Fit 570
Effect Sizes 450 Significance Tests 571
Difference of Proportions 465
An Alternative Interpretation of Logistic
Analysis of Variance CANOVA) 467 Regression Coefficients 575
RegressionA nalysis 478 Logits 581
Basic Assumptions 479 Conclusion 581
Scatterplots 481 Terms Introduced 582
The Linear Regression Model 483
SuggestedR eadings 582
Regression Basics 484
Measuring the Fit of a Regression
Chapter 15 • The Research
Line: R2 490
Report: An Annotated Example 584
The Correlation Coefficient 492
Standardized Regression Coefficients 496 Annotated ResearchR eport Example 584
.
.
Appendixes 605 Appendix D: F Distribution 611
Appendix A: Normal Curve Tail
Glossary 617
Probabilities 605
Index 625
Appendix B: Critical Values from
t Distribution 607
Appendix C: Chi-Squared Distribution
Values for Various Right-Tail
Probabilities 609
----• Tables, Figures,
and Features
Tables 6-5 Mail Survey Incentive Experiment 183
6-6 Results from Hypothetical Quasi-
1-1 Independent Expenditures, 2000-2014 39
Experiment 188
1-2 Casualty Sensitivity by Mission
6-7 Haiti and Dominican Republic
Type and Inequality Cue 43
Compared 190
6-8 Natural Experiment "Results" 191
2-1 Methodological Perspectives in
6-9 Randomized and Quasi-Experiments
Political Science 70
Compared 195
4-1 Voting by Democrats, Republicans, 6-10 Some Observational and Statistical
and Others for a Sales Tax Increase 120 Designs 197
4-2 Concept Development: The 6-11 Mills Method of Difference 201
Relationship between Economic
Development and Democracy 124 7-1 Fifty Random Numbers 221
7-2 An Abbreviated List of Supreme Court
5-1 Correlations of Leadership Power
Nominees, 1787-2011 222
Measures 142
7-3 Stratified Sample of Student Majors 226
5-2 Interitem Association Validity Test
7-4 Properties of Samples of Different Sizes 239
of a Measure of Liberalism 143
5-3 Hypothetical Index for Measuring
9-1 Policy Agendas Project Policy Topics 280
Freedom in Countries 152
9-2 Policy Agendas Project Datasets 281
5-4 Provisional Likert Scale to Measure
9-3 Presidential Personality Types 284
Concept of Liberalism 156
5-5 Guttman Scale of Attitudes toward
Abortion 158 10-1 Types and Characteristics of Surveys 302
5-6 Items Measuring Landowner Attitudes
toward Riparian Buffers on Their 11-1 Inequality and Socioeconomic Measures
Streamside Property, Sorted into for Twenty-One Developed Democracies 350
Dimensions Using Factor Analysis 161 11-2 Frequency Distribution: Beliefs about
Power in the United States 352
6-1 Voting Intention by Ad Exposure 169 11-3 The Effect of Missing Data on
6-2 Results of Hypothetical Media Percentages 354
Experiment 175 11-4 The Effect of Missing Data on
6-3 Pre- and Posttest Scores in Non- Percentages: Large Effect 355
Repeated-Measurement Experiment 181 11-5 Hypothetical Incomes in Two
6-4 Pre- and Posttest Scores in Repeated- Communities 357
Measurement Experiment 182 11-6 Calculation. of the Median 359
xi
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xii POLITICALS CIENCER ESEARCHM ETHODS
11-7 Deviations from the Mean 364 13-13 2008 Presidential Vote by Party 436
11-8 Calculation of the Variation and 13-14 Gays in the Military: A Gender Gap? 437
Standard Deviation for Three 13-15 Voter Turnout by Gender 443
Hypothetical Sample Populations 365 13-16 Voter Turnout by Social Class 443
11-9 Summary of Descriptive Statistjcs 368 13-17 Opinion on Civil Liberties:
11-10 Typical Presentation and Tolerance of Dissent 444
Exploratory Graphs 384 13-18 Observed and Expected Values
under Hypothesis of Independence 446
12-1 Types of Inferential Errors 391 13-19 Relationship between X and Y Based
12-2 Large-Sample 2-Tailed Test of a Mean 398 · on Sample of 300 447
12-3 Large-Sample Test of a Proportion 403 13-20 Relationship between X and Y Based
12-4 Confidence Intervals Calculated for on Sample of 3,000 448
Four Different Confidence Levels 408 13-21 Large-Sample Difference-of-Means
12-5 Confidence Intervals for Various Test (Gender by Attitudes toward
Sample Sizes at 95 Percent Level the Military) 456
of Confidence 408 13-22 Small-Sample Difference-of-Means
Test 460
13-1 Levels of Measurement and Statistical . 13-23 Difference of Proportions Test
Procedures: A Summary 416 ( Gender by Attitudes toward
13-2 Level of Partisanship: Donating "Feminists") 466
Money 421 13-24 Measurements on Y within
13-3 Level of Partisanship: Finding Three Categories of X 469
Compromise versus Sticking to 13-25 Typical ANOVAT able Format 472
Your Convictions 424 13-26 ANOVA Results 473
13-4 Cross-Tabulation of Gender by 13-27 ANOVAT able and F-Test 477
Party Identification 425 13-28 Predicted Gini Scores 489
13-5 Row Percentages Are Not the 13-29 Regression Sums of Square and
Same as Column.Percentages 426 R-Squared and r 492
13-6 Example of a Nil Relationship 13-30 Raw and Standardized Union Density
between Region and Opinions about Scores 498
Comprehensive Immigration Reform 427 13-31 Example of Raw Scores Converted
13-7 Example of a Perfect Relationship to Standardized Values 499
between Region and Comprehensive 13-32 Regression of Gini on Union Density 501
Immigration Reform 428 13-33 Summary Statistics for GDP and
13-8 Attitudes toward Gun Control by Literacy in Ninety-Seven Countries 503
Liberalism 429 13-34 Regression Results: Literacy on Income 505
13-9 Table with Concordant, Discordant, 13-35 Regression Estimates for Two Groups 507
and Tied Pairs 432 13-36 Supreme Court Justices 512
13-10 Perfect Positive and Negative 13-37 The Effects of Case Deletion 513
Relationships 434
13-11 Perfect Monotonic Relationship 435 14-1 Relationship between Attitudes
13-12 Perfect bul Not Monotonic toward Government Spending and
Relationship 435 Presidential Vote 520
