Comparative Politics and the Synthetic Control Method
Comparative Politics and the Synthetic Control Method
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DOI：
10.1111/ajps.12116
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发表时间：
2015-04-01
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
Hainmueller, Jens
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Abadie, Alberto;Diamond, Alexis;Hainmueller, Jens
近年来，在政治学实证研究中，建立定量和定性方法之间的桥梁的必要性已成为一个广泛的共识。在这篇文章中，我们讨论了综合控制方法的使用，作为一种方式来弥合定量/定性的比较政治学的鸿沟。综合控制方法提供了一个系统的方法来选择比较案例研究中的比较单位。这种系统化为在小样本比较研究中进行精确的定量推理打开了大门，而不排除定性方法的应用。借用西德尼·塔罗（Sidney Tarrow）的说法，综合控制方法使研究人员能够在数量的骨头上加上质量的肉。我们通过估计1990年德国统一对西德国的经济影响来说明综合控制方法背后的主要思想。
In recent years, a widespread consensus has emerged about the necessity of establishing bridges between quantitative and qualitative approaches to empirical research in political science. In this article, we discuss the use of the synthetic control method as a way to bridge the quantitative/qualitative divide in comparative politics. The synthetic control method provides a systematic way to choose comparison units in comparative case studies. This systematization opens the door to precise quantitative inference in small-sample comparative studies, without precluding the application of qualitative approaches. Borrowing the expression from Sidney Tarrow, the synthetic control method allows researchers to put qualitative flesh on quantitative bones. We illustrate the main ideas behind the synthetic control method by estimating the economic impact of the 1990 German reunification on West Germany.