On the whole Tom Ricks issue 1) If you think large-n analysis is not factual, your are an idiot. 2) The reason policymakers do not like quantitative political science is not because it is uselss. It is because they are statistically illiterate (and yes that is an attack on undergraduate political education) . As the old Aesop tale goes, the fox that cannot reach the grapes, declares them sour. 3) Instead, being statistically illiterare and also frankly qualitatevly illiterte (how many of those actually understand what a comprative case study analysis is) they prefer the old way of studying politics a) Anecdotal evidence b) Expert analysis, i.e Arguments by Authority (did I mention they are also really really bad at logic, philosophy, and epistimology) c) Bad History which really is Anecdotal Evidence d) Bad Analogies which is really Anecdotal evidence. e) The word ecological falacy is unknow to them. And who are my friends the main purveyors of anecdotal evidene and expert analysis in the world? Why journalists like Thomas Rick! Who have every incentive to present themselves as usefull and their work as usefull. 4) We cannot win this popularity contest ladies and gentlemen. It is impossible to win because the people judging it simply cannot read what we produce and are not willing to spend the semester or two to gain basic statistical literacy. It is like asking them what do they think is more usefull a refrigarator manual in Sawahili or one in English? We only win by not taking part, and making sure we push for statistical literacy (and a good knowledge of qualitative scientific methods) among our students. But we have failed there, and in our push to retain studetns we have treated them with kids gloves, since most IR and PolSci undergrdas come to our classes wishing to emualte Mr. Ricks rather than learn sophisticated analysis. That is one failure. Our other failure is that we have not worked harder to gain accaptance by the segments of the popualtion that actually can read a statistical table, i.e other scientists. If ISQ, JPR,JCR become FP (a terrible plublication) in order to win a popularity contests with willful illiterates, we might as well burn our PhDs and start writing foolish things to please the ear of Princes and Princesses.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 08:31:59 +0000
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