Theory and Credibility: Integrating Theoretical and Empirical Social Science

Scott Ashworth; Christopher R. Berry; Ethan Bueno de Mesquita

Published by Princeton University Press 2021

Theory and Credibility

Integrating Theoretical and Empirical Social Science

Scott Ashworth , Christopher R. Berry and Ethan Bueno de Mesquita

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691215006

Overview
Contents

About this book

A clear and comprehensive framework for bridging the widening gap between theorists and empiricists in social science

The credibility revolution, with its emphasis on empirical methods for causal inference, has led to concerns among scholars that the canonical questions about politics and society are being neglected because they are no longer deemed answerable. Theory and Credibility stakes out an opposing view—presenting a new vision of how, working together, the credibility revolution and formal theory can advance social scientific inquiry.

This authoritative book covers the conceptual foundations and practicalities of both model building and research design, providing a new framework to link theory and empirics. Drawing on diverse examples from political science, it presents a typology of the rich set of interactions that are possible between theory and empirics. This typology opens up new ways for scholars to make progress on substantive questions, and enables researchers from disparate traditions to gain a deeper appreciation for each other's work and why it matters.

Theory and Credibility shows theorists how to create models that are genuinely useful to empirical inquiry, and helps empiricists better understand how to structure their research in ways that speak to theoretically meaningful questions.

Author / Editor information

Scott Ashworth is professor at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. Twitter @soashworth Christopher R. Berry is the William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor at Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. He is the author of Imperfect Union. Ethan Bueno de Mesquita is the Sydney Stein Professor and deputy dean at Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy. He is the author of Political Economy for Public Policy (Princeton). Twitter @ethanbdm

Reviews

"Impressive and important. Theory and Credibility highlights the crucial role of theory in interpreting empirical work in political science."—Nolan McCarty, coauthor of Political Bubbles: Financial Crises and the Failure of American Democracy

"Theory and Credibility bridges the theorist-empiricist divide while offering a blueprint for thinking about how to collaboratively learn more. This is a book that can move social science—particularly political science—in a more productive direction."—Corrine M. McConnaughy, author of The Woman Suffrage Movement in America

"An original approach that offers a rational foundation for marrying two trends in social science: the trend toward formality in theoretical work and the focus on causal identification in empirical work."—Cyrus Samii, New York University

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
CONTENTS Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
1 Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
PART I . FOUNDATIONS
2 The Framework Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	11
3 All Else Equal Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	34
4 Models Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	45
5 Research Design Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	69
Interlude Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	133
PART II. INTER ACTIONS
6 Reinterpreting Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	137
7 Elaborating Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	151
8 Distinguishing Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	182
9 Disentangling Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	198
10 Modeling the Research Design Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	216
11 Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	234
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	235
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	249