Progress in the Social Sciences

Scientific Research and the Quest for Knowledge about Democracy

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

619 kr

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Progress in the Social Sciences examines the degree to which social scientists have made progress in their understanding of democracy and democratic transitions. It provides a framework to assess social science research and a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of the field of democracy studies from the late eighteenth century to the present. The book finds that sustained progress has been made by the social sciences and that progress has come through the development of concepts, theories, data, and empirical tests. Moreover, the book argues that advances in knowledge have been made via bold innovations rather than through many small incremental steps. Driven by a desire to better understand whether the social sciences contribute to knowledge about societies and their problems, Progress in the Social Sciences is an ambitious and innovative work that counters the pessimistic views about accomplishments in the social sciences. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2026-11-30
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor380
FörlagCambridge University Press
ISBN9781009860505

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Gerardo L. Munck is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Passion, Craft, and Method in Comparative Politics (2007), Measuring Democracy (2009), A Middle-Quality Institutional Trap: Democracy and State Capacity in Latin America (2020), Latin American Politics and Society (2022), and Critical Junctures and Historical Legacies (2022).

List of Figures; List of Tables; Preface; Acknowledgements; Introduction: The Social Sciences under Scrutiny; Part I. A Philosophical Approach to the Social Sciences: 1. The Evaluation of Social Science Research: A Framework; Part II. The Case of Democracy Studies: 2. The Nature and Origins of Modern Democracy: Setting the Terms of the Debate; 3. The Concept of Democracy: Defining and Delimiting the Meaning of Democracy; 4. Modernization Theory and Power Structure Theory: Exploring the Impact of Macro-Structural Change; 5. Political Economy Theory and Political Institutional Theory: Bringing in Government Policy and Political Choice; 6. Quality and Quantity in Empirical Research on Democracy: Generating Data and Testing Theories; Part III. Lessons for the Social Sciences: 7. Progress in the Quest for Knowledge: Dispelling Misconceptions, Expanding Horizons; References; Index.