A Cross-Polity Survey


Book Description

In this unique adaptation of the "cross-cultural" method to comparative politics, a computer is used to compare all of the 115 independent governments in the world. The result is a body of readable two-way cross-classifications from which the major patterns of political phenomena can be perceived at a glance.




Cross-national Comparative Research


Book Description

Cross-National Comparative Research is concerned with observing social phenomena across countries, and with developing explanations for their similarities and differences. This Special Issue focuses on the use of Cross-National Comparative Research to study the effects of national and sub-national contexts on behaviors and attitudes of individual actors. Moreover, it is of interest how behaviors and attitudes at the individual level lead to national and sub-national outcomes at the meso and macro levels. How do immigration policies affect migrants’ well-being? Does the number of divorcees in a country influence individual divorce risks? Are human values universal, or do they vary from one country to another? Under which conditions is political protest triggered, and when does it lead to revolutionary changes within society? These and other questions are typical of cross-national comparative analyses that seek to ascertain how upper-level (macro, meso) contexts influence micro-level phenomena, and how outcomes at the individual level are once more reflected at the meso and macro levels. Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Andreß, Prof. Dr. Detlef Fetchenhauer and Prof. Dr. Heiner Meulemann teach sociology and social psychology at the University in Cologne, Germany.




Legitimacy and Urban Governance


Book Description

A fresh examination of the relationship between two key issues in the on-going debate on urban governance - leadership and community involvement. It explores the nature of the interaction between community involvement and political leadership in modern local governance by drawing on empirical data gathered from case-studies concerning cities in England, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, and Sweden. It presents both a country specific and cross-cutting analysis of the contributions that communities and leaders can make to more effective local governance. These country specific chapters are complemented by thematic, comparative chapters addressing alternative forms of community involvement, types and styles of leadership, multi-level governance, institutional restrictions and opportunities for leadership and involvement, institutional conditions underpinning leadership and involvement, and political culture in cities. This up-to-date survey of trends and developments in local governance moves the debate forward by analysing modern governance with reference to theories related to institutional theory, legitimation, and the way urban leadership and community involvement compliment one another. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of politics and urban governance, and to all those concerned with questions of local governance and democracy.




Cross-National Comparative Survey Research


Book Description

Cross-National Comparative Survey Research: Theory and Practice contains the proceedings of the Roundtable Conference on Cross-National Comparative Survey Research held in Budapest, Hungary, on July 25-29, 1972. The papers focus on the theory and practice of cross-national comparative survey research. The organization and execution of cross-national survey research products are discussed, along with analysis and interpretation in cross-national survey research and the role of theory in the research process. This book is comprised of 12 chapters and begins with a discussion on the strategy of cross-national survey research for the development of social theory. The objectives and implications of cross-national surveys are also considered. Subsequent chapters explore cross-national comparative survey research in areas such as juvenile delinquency and development; time-budget and industrialization; and values in politics. The process of cross-national survey research is outlined, together with analysis and inference in such studies and the role of theory in the research process. The final chapter looks at ways of extending the global reach of survey research. This monograph will be of interest to social scientists, sociologists, and social science researchers.




Methods for Testing and Evaluating Survey Questionnaires


Book Description

The definitive resource for survey questionnaire testing and evaluation Over the past two decades, methods for the development, evaluation, and testing of survey questionnaires have undergone radical change. Research has now begun to identify the strengths and weaknesses of various testing and evaluation methods, as well as to estimate the methods’ reliability and validity. Expanding and adding to the research presented at the International Conference on Questionnaire Development, Evaluation and Testing Methods, this title presents the most up-to-date knowledge in this burgeoning field. The only book dedicated to the evaluation and testing of survey questionnaires, this practical reference work brings together the expertise of over fifty leading, international researchers from a broad range of fields. The volume is divided into seven sections: Cognitive interviews Mode of administration Supplements to conventional pretests Special populations Experiments Multi-method applications Statistical modeling Comprehensive and carefully edited, this groundbreaking text offers researchers a solid foundation in the latest developments in testing and evaluating survey questionnaires, as well as a thorough introduction to emerging techniques and technologies.




Advances in Questionnaire Design, Development, Evaluation and Testing


Book Description

A new and updated definitive resource for survey questionnaire testing and evaluation Building on the success of the first Questionnaire Development, Evaluation, and Testing (QDET) conference in 2002, this book brings together leading papers from the Second International Conference on Questionnaire Design, Development, Evaluation, and Testing (QDET2) held in 2016. The volume assesses the current state of the art and science of QDET; examines the importance of methodological attention to the questionnaire in the present world of information collection; and ponders how the QDET field can anticipate new trends and directions as information needs and data collection methods continue to evolve. Featuring contributions from international experts in survey methodology, Advances in Questionnaire Design, Development, Evaluation and Testing includes latest insights on question characteristics, usability testing, web probing, and other pretesting approaches, as well as: Recent developments in the design and evaluation of digital and self-administered surveys Strategies for comparing and combining questionnaire evaluation methods Approaches for cross-cultural and cross-national questionnaire development New data sources and methodological innovations during the last 15 years Case studies and practical applications Advances in Questionnaire Design, Development, Evaluation and Testing serves as a forum to prepare researchers to meet the next generation of challenges, making it an excellent resource for researchers and practitioners in government, academia, and the private sector.




Measuring Attitudes Cross-Nationally


Book Description

Winner of the 2006 The Descartes Prize "for excellence in collaborative scientific research" With the expansion of the European Union and the development of supra-national governance worldwide, the volume of cross-national data and the importance of rigorous comparative analysis has grown rapidly. This book, written by members of the design and implementation team for the groundbreaking European Social Survey (ESS), reviews current best practice in the conduct of cross-national, cross-cultural quantitative research. The first eight chapters cover the background and rationale for the Survey and offer a detailed analysis of the methods and procedures used, as well as exploring ways to overcome the obstacles to successful cross-national research. The final chapter looks ahead to future comparative surveys and discusses the lessons that can be learned from the ESS. As well as examining methodological issues, Measuring Attitudes Cross-Nationally includes four substantive chapters on the findings of the ESS, including the emergence of hitherto unknown national differences in values regarding immigration and perceptions of citizenship. The ESS data is also considered in comparison with that from US General Social Survey. Measuring Attitudes Cross-Nationally offers a practical guide, firmly grounded in theory, for researchers across the social sciences who have an interest the design, planning or interpretation of cross-national social surveys.




Advances in Comparative Survey Methods


Book Description

Covers the latest methodologies and research on international comparative surveys with contributions from noted experts in the field Advances in Comparative Survey Methodology examines the most recent advances in methodology and operations as well as the technical developments in international survey research. With contributions from a panel of international experts, the text includes information on the use of Big Data in concert with survey data, collecting biomarkers, the human subject regulatory environment, innovations in data collection methodology and sampling techniques, use of paradata across the survey lifecycle, metadata standards for dissemination, and new analytical techniques. This important resource: Contains contributions from key experts in their respective fields of study from around the globe Highlights innovative approaches in resource poor settings, and innovative approaches to combining survey and other data Includes material that is organized within the total survey error framework Presents extensive and up-to-date references throughout the book Written for students and academic survey researchers and market researchers engaged in comparative projects, this text represents a unique collaboration that features the latest methodologies and research on global comparative surveys.







Inside Countries


Book Description

Offers a groundbreaking analysis of the distinctive substantive, theoretical and methodological contributions of subnational research in the field of comparative politics.