Types and levels of comparative analysis in political science

most similar systems (Most Similar Systems Design, MSSD). Comparison of

the most different systems (Most Different Systems Design, MDSD).
Levels of variables in comparative political science: aggregative, behavioral, role or socio-structural, cultural-structural. 

study of a single case for the purpose of understanding

a larger class of cases (a population). Case study research may incorporate several cases. However, at a certain point it will no longer be possible to investigate those cases intensively.
At the point where the emphasis of a study shifts from the individual case to a sample of cases we shall say that a study is cross‐case.

on statistical analyses of strictly comparable evidence about them
Can be

used to:
develop or test broad generalisations across a wide variety of different conditions;
identify unexpected or deviant cases that are exceptions to the general rule;
Min for a large-n study: 20-30 countries

quantified and standardized;
Large-n comparisons are often called statistical comparisons because

information is analysed with statistical techniques;
Large-n comparisons are best carried out on large, standardised data-sets.

based on systematic, in-depth analysis and detailed knowledge of them
Allows

to understand the complexity of relations
Average number of countries: 5-6

and methods;
The small-n approach can be characterised as heuristic;
Small-n studies

can handle a mass of country-specific information of a qualitative nature without any need to standardise

singling out from among the circumstances which precede or follow

a phenomenon, those with which it is really connected by an invariable law, are two in number. One is, by comparing together different instances in which the phenomenon occurs. The other is by comparing instances in which the phenomenon does occur, with instances in other respects similar in which it does not. These two methods may be respectively denominated, the Method of Agreement, and the Method of Difference.
John Stuart Mill. A System of Logic.

situations then the explanation for the phenomenon must lie in

the common features of those situations.

the phenomenon exists in only one of them, its cause

must be related to the different features of its situation

allow the use of statistics (should be at least 2

cases)
Can manipulate experimental variables only indirectly through the careful selection/sampling of cases
The number of common characteristics sought is as few as possible
Problem of “many variables, small N’s” (small-n/large-V problem)

(n) required for comparisons grows exponentially. Therefore, only a few

explanatory variables are often too many for the relatively small number of cases available, in which case an empirical test is not possible.

Many Variables, Small N’s (Small-N/Large-V problem)

analysis
Falsification as a goal
Searches for independent variables within each system

which are related in an identical way to the dependent variable in all systems

"background")
Cultural-structural

power for the physical things people do to each other

psychical things (thoughts and feelings) that people communicate to each

other.
Consensus (accompanying functionalism), complementarity (accompanying exchange), and dissensus (accompanying conflict).