Study Questions for Little, Chapter 2

  1. What is the author's main point?
  2. What does it mean to say something causes something else?
  3. What is a causal mechanism?
  4. What are some examples of causal mechanisms in (American) politics?
  5. What is a lawlike regularity? Why not just "laws"?
  6. How do inductive regularites contribute to explanations? What is lacking? What errors are made when this (these) is (are) not included?
  7. What are some examples of lawlike regularities in (American) politics?
  8. What is the difference between necessary and sufficient conditions?
  9. What are some examples of INUS conditions in (American) politics?
  10. How do conditions contribute to explanations? What is lacking?
  11. How does one construct a causal story through a case study? The comparative method? Mill's methods?
  12. Why does any of this matter to political scientists?

Things to look for/keep in mind for future readings:

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