The comparative method
Samuels uses cross-national comparison to explain variation in outcomes like democratization, regime type, and development. Cases are compared to isolate causes.
Comparative politics
3 ideas
States, regimes, and governments distinguished
The book separates the durable state, the rules of a regime, and the transient government in office. Institutional analysis rests on holding these three levels apart.
Institutions shape political behavior
Electoral systems, executive-legislative structure, and federalism systematically shape incentives and outcomes. Design choices, not culture alone, explain differences across countries.