Using Large N Longitudinal Comparison to Explain Political Recruitment in Changing Democracies
Research output: Working paper › Research communication reports › Research
Standard
SAGE Research Methods Cases (Politics & International Relations). ed. SAGE Publications Inc., 2019.
Research output: Working paper › Research communication reports › Research
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
T1 - Using Large N Longitudinal Comparison to Explain Political Recruitment in Changing Democracies
AU - Vercesi, Michelangelo
AU - Grimaldi, Selena
PY - 2019/3
Y1 - 2019/3
N2 - This case describes our use of longitudinal analysis to examine the career trajectories of Italian regional chief executives. Our research focused on regional chief executives, under the premise that they are neglected actors in comparative studies, despite their growing political relevance. We used Italy as a case study to test two expectations and provide insights for comparative conclusions. Empirical information was based on a unique dataset on Italian chief executives’ socio-demographic background and political experience from 1970 (when Italian regions were established) and 2015. Two hypotheses about the impact of institutional settings and state organization were derived from comparative literature. Italy was selected as a quasi-experimental case study, where there were variations of the conditions of interest within the same national context. The large-N dataset (242 chief executives’ terms in office were the units of analysis) provided aggregate percentages of individuals with specific career backgrounds, whose association with changing institutional conditions was tested through statistical analysis. We describe how we collected and organized data based on theoretical conjectures derived from the literature. Moreover, we show how findings about under-studied topics can be fruitfully understood to develop generalizable knowledge.
AB - This case describes our use of longitudinal analysis to examine the career trajectories of Italian regional chief executives. Our research focused on regional chief executives, under the premise that they are neglected actors in comparative studies, despite their growing political relevance. We used Italy as a case study to test two expectations and provide insights for comparative conclusions. Empirical information was based on a unique dataset on Italian chief executives’ socio-demographic background and political experience from 1970 (when Italian regions were established) and 2015. Two hypotheses about the impact of institutional settings and state organization were derived from comparative literature. Italy was selected as a quasi-experimental case study, where there were variations of the conditions of interest within the same national context. The large-N dataset (242 chief executives’ terms in office were the units of analysis) provided aggregate percentages of individuals with specific career backgrounds, whose association with changing institutional conditions was tested through statistical analysis. We describe how we collected and organized data based on theoretical conjectures derived from the literature. Moreover, we show how findings about under-studied topics can be fruitfully understood to develop generalizable knowledge.
KW - Politics
U2 - 10.4135/9781526492470
DO - 10.4135/9781526492470
M3 - Research communication reports
VL - Part 2
BT - Using Large N Longitudinal Comparison to Explain Political Recruitment in Changing Democracies
PB - SAGE Publications Inc.
ER -