Simple and Formal Models in Comparative Politics

Abstract

In this essay, we review the current state of formal theory in comparative politics. Although formal theoretical work has had an important impact of the development of political science, we demonstrate that formal theory remains a relatively small part of the subdiscipline of comparative politics. We then discuss the role of simplification in theory building more generally, arguing that the simplification that formal theory requires is particularly useful when confronting the complexity of the social and political world. We recommend that comparativists explore ways that formal theorists can work together with statistical, historical, and ethnographic scholars as our subdiscipline matures.