Ferrets?

Here are some clips from a new "Best In Show" type documentary on PBS.

from the Monkey Cage:
"...A DVD version is available for purchase. As a prudent consumer, you may prefer to try it before you buy it. Here and here and here and here, then, are some snippets for your consideration. Try this movie and you’ll be charmed by the sheer looniness of it all."

Notes on democratic peace

Here are the notes for Thursday, 1/24.

Here are the notes for Tuesday, 1/29.

And here are the notes for Thursday, 1/31.

Rambo-like Inflation

Number of people killed per minute in the Rambo series.

• Rambo: First Blood (1982): 0.01

• Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985): 0.72

• Rambo III (1988): 1.30

• Rambo IV (2008): 2.59

(Thanks to Peter Gordon via the Marginal Revolution.)

Notes for today's class

Here are the notes on evaluating theories.

Here are the notes on neorealism.

For Thursday, remember to read well into the Russett and Oneal book.

Interesting Map

Here is an interesting map of the United States based on the GDP of developing countries.

Short Introduction to Political Analysis

Here's a quick outline with links that should hopefully get you up to speed for the material in this course (originally posted, 8/25/06):

Scientific Method

A. Theory

B. Hypotheses

- Independent and Dependent Variables

C. Operationalization and Measurement

D. Testing (case studies versus quantitative methods)

- Correlation (also here) and types of relationships (negative, positive, no relationship, and spurious relationship)

E. Other issues:

1.) Because we don’t always have a random sample, there will usually be a problem of selection bias

2.) Many issues we will deal with also will have complicated causal logics, even perhaps including some endogeneity

Syllabus for PSC442 International Conflict

Follow this link to a copy of the syllabus for PSC442 International Conflict.