Political Science in Motion_Political Science in Motion 16/11/15 10:52 Page1 This book examines recent developments in political science research. What n EDITIONS DE L’UNIVERSITE DE BRUXELLES o are the new influences to which the discipline opens itself up? Is political i t science research converging towards a single model or splitting into different N N o st I streams? What are the new challenges at the beginning of the 21 century? By A R M M addressing these questions, this collection of essays discusses three O O M C n interrelated topics: the relationship between political science and the C i A I problems of politics, the relationship between political science and other N R e E fields of research, and the transformation of the profession. In so doing, this O D c M E volume traces the major trends in contemporary political science research A n R R F e - since the end of the Cold War. Y i N B A c D E J E S As part of this approach, the authors rely on the academic journals as a field T D I l of investigation. Each of the eight chapters focuses on a different journal, N D Political Science a A E c including the American Political Science Review , West European Politics, the i t British Political Science Review , Security Dialogue , the Journal of Common i l Market Studies , International Security , Electoral Studies and the Revue o in Motion française de science politique . n P o i The book is intended to scholars with an interest in the historiography of t political science, the epistemology of knowledge, the sociology of the o M EDITED BY profession as well as the evolution of the field in terms of research agendas, theoretical approaches and methodological debates. n i RAMONA COMAN AND JEAN-FREDERIC MORIN e c n e i c S l a c i t i l o P s r e n t r a p www.editions-universite-bruxelles.be & s n e k y u s , k c u l e g e r u t r SCIENCE PO LITIQUE O P E C N E I C S E U Q I T I e L v u o c Political Science in Motion_pages int_Mise en page 1 16/11/15 10:53 Page1 Political Science in Motion_pages int_Mise en page 1 16/11/15 10:53 Page2 Political Science in Motion_pages int_Mise en page 1 16/11/15 10:53 Page3 Political Science in Motion EDITED BY RAMONA COMAN AND JEAN-FREDERIC MORIN Political Science in Motion_pages int_Mise en page 1 16/11/15 10:53 Page4 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE SERIES « SCIENCE POLITIQUE » Pascal Delwit IN THE SAME SERIES Adhérer à un parti. Aux sources de la participation politique , Emilie van Haute, 2009 L’islam à Bruxelles , Corinne Torrekens, 2009 Les voix du peuple. Le comportement électoral au scrutin du 10 juin 2009 , édité par Kris Deschouwer, Pascal Delwit, Marc Hooghe et Stefaan Walgrave, 2010 Ordres et désordres au Caucase , édité par Aude Merlin et Silvia Serrano, 2010 La biodiversité sous influence? Les lobbies industriels face aux politiques internationales d’environnement , Amandine Orsini, 2010 Revendiquer le « mariage gay ». Belgique, France, Espagne , David Paternotte, 2011 Clivages et familles politiques en Europe , Daniel-Louis Seiler, 2011 Party Membership in Europe: Exploration into the anthills of party politics , edited by Emilie van Haute, 2011 Les partis politiques en Belgique , édité par Pascal Delwit, Jean-Benoit Pilet, Emilie van Haute, 2011 Le Front national. Mutations de l’extrême droite française , édité par Pascal Delwit, 2012 L’état de la démocratie en Italie , édité par Mario Telò, Giulia Sandri et Luca Tomini, 2013 Culture et eurorégions. La coopération culturelle entre régions européennes , Thomas Perrin, 2013 Les entités fédérées belges et l’intégration des immigrés. Politiques publiques comparées , Ilke Adam, 2013 Le cumul des mandats en France: causes et conséquences , édité par Abel François et Julien Navarro, 2013 Les partis politiques en France , édité par Pascal Delwit, 2014 L’électeur local. Le comportement électoral au scrutin communal de 2012 , édité par Jean-Benoit Pilet, Ruth Dassonneville, Marc Hooghe et Sofie Marien, 2014 Nationalisme et pouvoir en République de Moldavie , Julien Danero Iglesias, 2014 Qu’est-ce que l’Europe? Essais sur la sociologie historique de Stein Rokkan , Daniel-Louis Seiler, 2014 Introduction à la science politique , Pascal Delwit, 2015, 2 e édition Political Science in Motion_pages int_Mise en page 1 16/11/15 10:53 Page5 EDITIONS DE L’UNIVERSITE DE BRUXELLES Political Science in Motion EDITED BY RAMONA COMAN AND JEAN-FREDERIC MORIN SCIENCE PO LITIQUE O P E C N E I C S E U Q I T I L Political Science in Motion_pages int_Mise en page 1 16/11/15 10:53 Page6 ISBN 978-2-8004-1598-7 D/2016/0171/3 © 2016 by Editions de l’Université de Bruxelles Avenue Paul Héger 26 - 1000 Bruxelles (Belgique) [email protected] www.editions-universite-bruxelles.be Printed in Belgium Table of contents List of tables and figures ......................................................................................... 11 List of acronyms ..................................................................................................... 15 INTRODUCTION . – Toward a More Eclectic, Pluralist and Cosmopolitan Political Science? Ramona COMAN and Jean-Frédéric MORIN ....................................................... 17 1. Politics, pluridisciplinarity and professionalization ..................................... 18 1.1. Three challenges over the history of political science ........................ 19 1.2. Towards eclecticism, pluralism and cosmopolitanism? ...................... 22 2. Investigating scholarly journals ................................................................... 24 2.1. The benefits of exploring a discipline through its journals .................. 24 2.2. Limitations in the study of scholarly journals ...................................... 25 3. Content and orientation of this book ........................................................... 27 CHAPTER 1. – 30 Years of West European Politics: And The Winner Is… Clément JADOT .................................................................................................. 31 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 31 1. Unlocking comparative politics through the use of keywords ..................... 33 2. Issues that count: West European Politics through the prism of content analysis ........................................................................................ 36 2.1. 1978-1987: WEP’s positioning between the one and the many ........... 36 2.2. 1988-1997: WEP’s tardy look at the EU .............................................. 38 2.3. 1998-2007: Forging ahead ................................................................... 40 2.4. 1978-2008: West European Politics, from “splendide isolement” to ongoing internationalization ............................................................ 42 8 POLITICAL SCIENCE IN MOTION 3. From content to challenges: questioning the core values of European comparative politics ..................................................................................... 43 3.1. Political parties in the 21st century: old dogs, new tricks? ................... 43 3.2. West European Politics opening up: one step at a time ....................... 44 Conclusion........................................................................................................ 45 CHAPTER 2. – Assessing Party Research Decline: A View from the British Journal of Political Science Caroline CLOSE ................................................................................................. 47 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 47 1. Data and methods ......................................................................................... 51 2. Assessing the decline in party research: a view from the British Journal of Political Science ....................................................................................... 52 2.1. General perspectives ............................................................................ 52 2.2. The three faces of parties .................................................................... 54 3. Is party research in decline? ........................................................................ 58 CHAPTER 3. – Context Sensitivity and Biases in Political Science: the Case of Economic Voting Studies in the Journal Electoral Studies Lidia NÚÑEZ ..................................................................................................... 61 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 61 1. The impact of the context and its consequences .......................................... 62 2. The method: systematic analysis and its advantages ................................... 64 3. The theory put to the test: economic voting ................................................. 65 3.1. Methodological notes ........................................................................... 66 3.2. Changes in treatment of the issue in the journal: an unbiased evolution? ......................................................................... 67 3.3. The big two .......................................................................................... 70 Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 73 CHAPTER 4. – Toward the Inclusion of Political-Philosophical Articles in the Revue Française de Science Politique: Is a Return Possible? Manuel CERVERA-MARZAL