POL SCI 3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Time Series, Natural Experiment, Experiment
12 Sep 2016
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Phil shively: causal thinking and the design of research. 2 v are related if certain values of 1 v tend to coincide with certain values of the other variable. 2 v have a causal relationship if one v produces the values of the other v. Theory-oriented political research almost always concerned with causal relationships (theory consist of 3 things: iv, dv, and linking causal statement) Causal thinking is an interpretation of reality: the assertion of a causal relationship differs from the mere assertion of a relationship, a rather objective statement. When we think a 3rd v is causing the two other v to coincide accidentally hold constant the third variable to see if it has the 2 to resemble a causal relationship. Causation works forward in time (time order!: but for many important social variables in one"s life, it"s difficult to determine which one precedes the other. Basic problem in causal analysis: eliminating alternative causal interpretations.
