Many cases, a few cases,

single case studies?

(Landman)
 Many Cases
The majority of studies that compare many
countries use quantitative methods.
– “Variable-oriented”: examine the
relationship between variables at a global
level of analysis.
– The more the cases, the stronger the
inferences (the more “experimental”)
– Helps to identify “deviant” cases.
– The qualitative study of many cases is
difficult (generally historical, requires a lot
of data, and making inferences is more
difficult)
 Disadvantages
• Availability of data (aggregate data is
not very useful... Also, incomplete
series)
• Validity of measures (problematic
operationalization of concepts/Too
abstract)
• Skills needed to analyze data
 A few Cases
(or Focused Comparisons)

• Need of carefully selecting the cases.

• Intensive, less variable-oriented.
• Good for theory building
• Area studies
 Disadvantages:
• Less secure inferences
• Risks of selection bias
• Need of carrying out fieldwork
2 main approaches (drawn from
John Stuart Mill)
– Most similar systems design (MSSD):
seeks to identify key features that are
different among similar countries, which
account for the observed political
outcome. Suited for Area Studies.
– Most different systems design (MDSD):
comparison of cases that only share a
certain political outcome to be
explained, and one or two explanatory
factors considered crucial to generate
the outcome. Comparisons accross
different regions.
 MSSD MDSD

C1 C2 C3 C1 C2 C3
Features a a a a d g

b b b b e h

c c c c f i
Key explanatory x x Not x x x
factor
x
Outcome to be y y Not y y y
explained
y
Some comparativists combine
both...
• Example: in Problems of Democratic
Transition and Consolidation, Linz &
Stepan use MSSD to examine
democratic consolidation within
regions (South America, Southern
Europe, and Eastern Europe), and
then use MDSD to compare
democratic consolidation across
regions.
 Single Case Studies
• The study of a single case is considered
comparative if it uses or develops concepts
applicable to other cases, and/or seeks to make
larger inferences.
• Contextual description = clinical studies in
medicine.
• Ideal to examine “deviant cases,” to generate
hypotheses, to develop new classifications.
• Inferences based upon one case are less secure.
 Disadvantages
• Insecure inferences
• Selection bias
• Need of carrying out fieldwork
 What would you try?
Qualitative or quantitative? Why?

In what circumstances would you

choose many cases, a few cases, or
single case studies?

Why?
Policy and Politics in Six
Nations

Stella Theodoulou
 How, why, and to what extent
do different nations pursue
particular policies?
• Comparative public policy is the study of why
two or more political systems or governing
bodies adopt the public policies they do.
• Provides models that can be used in different
settings (transfering learning?).
• How similar institutions operate in different
settings.
• Goal of the book: to expose readers to
different political systems and the context in
which public policy is made.
 Globalization
• Makes problems cross over physical
borders
• “Shared” or similar problems
• Need of judging which policies are
possible to adapt from one to
another setting
 The Approaches

• The Cultural Values Approach

• The Neo-Corporatist Approach
(institutionalized bargaining)
• The Institutional Approach (State
structure)
• The Socioeconomic Approach
• The Politics Matters Approach
(political choices)
 What Nations and What
Policies to Study?

• The United States, Great Britain,

Sweden, Brazil, Japan, and Germany
are compared across four areas of
social policy.
• Why Brazil? “I am interested in
seeing if differences occur between
durable market democracies and
transitional market democracies.”
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