Theoretical Methodology of Political Science The purpose of this research is t

In order to understand Waltz's approach to theory building from a neorealist standpoint, it is useful to explore George's contemporaneous article on methodology, which is concerned in significant part with "the contribution that historians and political scientists can make to the development of policy-relevant theory that is grounded in systematic examination of historical experience" (George, 1979, p. 44). A key component of George's approach is the suspicion he harbors of theories that rely heavily on generalizations that for a variety of reasons may be exposed as invalid or as unequal to the tasx of explanation. George asserts that ready acceptance or formulation of generalizations that arise because of the supposed lessons of history are often inconsistent or contradictory. In other words, one historian's generalization may differ from that of another even though both historians may have reviewed the same set of facts. Meanwhile, however, historians can be of value because their perspective may

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r of distinct and demanding tests. 7 If a test is not passed, ask whether the theory flunks completely, needs repair and restatement, or requires a narrowing of the scope of its explanatory claims (Waltz, 1979/1986, pp. 41-42). It has to be noted that the first four of Waltz's seven steps can be roughly compared to the first three of George's five-task list. When in Step 5 Waltz says that perturbing variables should be controlled for, he is engaging in George's Task 4, which also deals with the trouble that relevant and irrelevant variables can pose to theories. Waltz's steps 6 and 7, regarding the design for the testing of a theory, may be compared to George's assertion that data requirements must be satisfied. Waltz's approach formally involves the systematic review of the constituents of one or more cases, while George's approach necessitates a bit of prescreening before what might be called the real theoretical examination begins. This explains George's need to "undertake a preliminary examination of a variety of cases before selecting those for the controlled comparison" (p. 57). In this key component, Waltz is more strictly formalist in approach than is George, for it is the examination and systematic discarding of prospec
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1794
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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