Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-279) and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1.The Importance of Comparison -- Forms of comparative analysis -- Types of comparative studies -- The content of comparisons -- Cross-time comparisons -- Conclusion -- 2.The Logic of Comparison -- Comparative research design -- Research design and case selection -- Levels of analysis -- Threats to validity in non-experimental research -- Conclusion -- 3.The Number of Cases and Which Ones? -- Strategies with different numbers of cases -- Small-N research in general -- Conclusion -- 4.Measurement and Bias -- The traveling problem -- Typologies -- Triangulation -- Nominal categories -- Ideal-type analysis and measurement -- Conclusion -- 5.The Role of Theory in Comparative Politics -- Levels of explanation -- Macro-level theories -- Meso-level theories -- Micro-level theories -- State and society -- Conclusion -- 6.The Case Study -- Improving case research -- Case studies -- Conducting case research -- Defining cases --

Contents note continued: The purposes of case research -- The case as process -- Issues in case study research -- The role of the case researcher -- Conclusion -- 7.Building on Case Analysis -- Meta-analysis -- Boolean algebra and cumulation -- Conclusion -- 8.Events Data and Change Over Time -- Events data -- The method -- Relationships with other methods -- Potential problems -- Conclusion -- 9.Statistical Analysis -- Statistical modes of explanation in comparative politics -- The question of time -- The problem of context -- Coping with a small N -- Secondary analysis -- Conclusion -- 10.The Future of Comparative Politics -- Territory or function: choices in comparison -- Theory and the restriction of perspective -- Methods and the restriction of vision -- The exceptional and the ordinary: what can we learn from each? -- Modesty, but hope -- The future of comparative politics.