{"id":1399,"date":"2026-08-09T19:11:51","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/examine-the-significance-of-the-comparative-method-in-political-upsc-psir-2019-2704\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T21:24:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T15:54:29","slug":"examine-the-significance-of-the-comparative-method-in-political-upsc-psir-2019-2704","status":"publish","type":"psir_pyq","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/examine-the-significance-of-the-comparative-method-in-political-upsc-psir-2019-2704\/","title":{"rendered":"Examine the significance of the comparative method in political analysis. Discuss its limitations."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pq-flow\">\n<div class=\"pq-flow-h\">Flow snapshot <em>\u2014 how the answer moves<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p1\"><span>Intro routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> method defines the sub-discipline, not its subject (<b class=\"pq-sc\">Lijphart<\/b>) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> comparison = political science\u2019s laboratory-substitute<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> the mind cannot proceed without comparison (<b class=\"pq-sc\">Tocqueville<\/b>) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> comparison-as-control is the discipline\u2019s core method<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p2\"><span>Body flow<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p><b class=\"pq-sc\">Sartori<\/b>: comparison works as control, the surrogate for the experiment social science cannot run <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> it tests theoretical propositions <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Durkheim<\/b>: keeps analysis from staying purely descriptive <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Landman<\/b>: four functions (description <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> classification <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> hypothesis-testing <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> prediction) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Bara<\/b>: a conviction and objectivity single-country study cannot claim<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p3\"><span>Counter-view<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p>the surrogate is imperfect because political life resists laboratory control <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Eckstein<\/b>: small N weakens rigour <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Sartori<\/b>: <i>conceptual stretching<\/i> + non-equivalence of concepts across contexts <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> selection bias, cultural\/historical specificity, patchy data<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p4\"><span>Conclusion routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> the flaws limit the method, they do not discredit it <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> corrective is care: operationalisation + guarded concepts <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> comparison stays indispensable<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> <b class=\"pq-sc\">Landman<\/b>\u2019s middle path \u2014 moderate universalism vs extreme relativism <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> used with awareness of its limits, comparison remains political analysis\u2019s central tool<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"pyq_year":[37],"pyq_marks":[31],"pyq_topic":[68],"pyq_paper":[69],"class_list":["post-1399","psir_pyq","type-psir_pyq","status-publish","hentry","pyq_year-37","pyq_marks-20-marks","pyq_topic-comparative-politics","pyq_paper-paper-2"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/psir_pyq"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4811,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1399\/revisions\/4811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"pyq_year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_year?post=1399"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_marks","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_marks?post=1399"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_topic?post=1399"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_paper","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_paper?post=1399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}