POL222H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Clientelism, Confounding
Document Summary
Laboratory experiments: randomized controlled experiments, validity of laboratory experiments. Obstacles to establishing causality: reverse causality, confounding variables. Degree of confidence in the causal conclusion drawn from empirical study. Question about causal validity of a relationship. How much we can generalize our findings in our research to the general population. Realistic setup: set up a living room to make it like real-life. Experimental advertisements were inserted during the commercials experimental stimulus was un-intrusive: hides real purpose to get cleaner results. Important to hide the true intention of the experiment. Transactions between politicians and citizens whereby material favors are offered in return for political support at the polls: elections in emerging democracies may be dominated by clientelism.
