PSC 203 Lecture 13: TheoryandComparativePolitics
10 May 2017
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We all use one or more theories in order to understand the world around us (even if we are not aware of it) Theory is a simplified representation of reality" and a framework within which facts are not only selected but also interpreted, organized, and fitted together so that they can created a coherent whole (lim) The 5 key points of a theory: Theory necessarily simplified reality but is not separate from reality . Theory helps us to determine what facts are important, meaningful, and relevant; that is, theory helps us select facts . Theory guides our interpretation of the facts (what do the facts mean) . Theory tells us how to organize the facts . Theory allows us to develop whole" arguments, that is, arguments that stick together firmly from the beginning to the end . Transnational actors: non-state groups at the system level.
