Tale of Two Cultures

Gary Goertz is professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. His books include Social Science Concepts: A User's Guide (Princeton). James Mahoney is the Fitzgerald Professor of Economic History and professor of political science and sociology at Northwestern University. His books include Colonialism and Postcolonial Development: Spanish America in Comparative Perspective.

• Preface vii *1. Introduction 1 *2. Mathematical Prelude: A Selective Introduction to Logic and Set Theory for Social Scientists 16 I. CAUSAL MODELS AND INFERENCE *3. Causes-of-Effects versus Effects-of-Causes 41 *4. Causal Models 51 *5. Asymmetry 64 *6. Hume's Two Definitions of Cause 75 II. WITHIN-CASE ANALYSIS *7. Within-Case versus Cross-Case Causal Analysis 87 *8. Causal Mechanisms and Process Tracing 100 *9. Counterfactuals 115 III. CONCEPTS AND MEASUREMENT *10. Concepts: Definitions, Indicators, and Error 127 *11. Meaning and Measurement 139 *12. Semantics, Statistics, and Data Transformations 150 *13. Conceptual Opposites and Typologies 161 IV. RESEARCH DESIGN AND GENERALIZATION *14. Case Selection and Hypothesis Testing 177 *15. Generalizations 192 *16. Scope 205 *17. Conclusion 220 Appendix 227 Name Index 231 Subject Index 235

"A Tale of Two Cultures is an informative read for social scientists, especially those who find themselves specialized in one culture of research instead of the other (which of course) is most of us. If one is absent a background in either culture, Goertz and Mahoney provide clear examples to illustrate their arguments. Thus, those instructing research methods will find the book a particularly helpful teaching tool, even if some may take issue with the 'two culture' approach. After all, promoting appreciation and exchange of research methods through better understanding is indeed a worthy goal."--Maria Kuecken, LSE Review of Books "All in all the authors should be thanked for writing a very interesting and well-written book which will set the stage for a methodological debate that will enlighten us all."--Robert Klemmensen, Political Studies Review