Organized to complement an introductory course in political science research methods, this text is designed to help students move beyond concepts to a richer understanding of research as it is actually practiced.

Each chapter opens with a clear and concise explanation of basic concepts and methods of political research. The editor then introduces one or more excellent examples, excerpted from the political science literature, of the research technique in action. An introduction to each selection outlines the researcher's objectives and the context in which the inquiry was conducted.

Following each selection are discussion questions and a commentary by the editor that points out key choices made by the researcher and the strengths and weaknesses of the findings. A glossary of methods terminology and an annotated bibliography for each topic are also included.

Preface
1. Introduction: A Science of Politics
2. The Logic of Research Design: Experiments and Quasi-Experiments
Excerpt 1. Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr., and Shanto Iyengar, "Prime Suspects: The Influence of Local Television News on the Viewing Public."
Excerpt 2. J. Eric Oliver and Tali Mendelberg, "Reconsidering the Environmental Determinants of White Racial Attitudes."
3. Measurement and Operationalization I: Variables Pertaining to Aggregate Units
Excerpt 3. William D. Berry, Evan J. Ringquist, Richard C. Fording, and Russell L. Hanson, "Measuring Citizen and Government Ideology in the American States, 1960-1993."
Excerpt 4. Charles D. Brockett, "Measuring Political Violence and Land Inequality in Central America."
4. Measurement and Operationalization II: Variables Pertaining to Individual Behavior
Excerpt 5. Lyn Ragsdale and Jerrold G. Rusk, "Who Are Nonvoters? Profiles from the 1990 Senate Elections."
Excerpt 6. Nancy Burns, Kay Lehman Schlozman, and Sidney Verba, "The Public Consequences of Private Inequality: Family Life and Citizen Participation."
5. Surveys
Excerpt 7. Stanley Feldman and John Zaller, "The Political Culture of Ambivalence: Ideological Responses to the Welfare State."
Excerpt 8. James L. Gibson, "Social Networks, Civil Society, and the Prospects for Consolidating Russia's Democratic Transition."
6. Indexing
Excerpt 9. Thomas M. Holbrook and Emily Van Dunk, "Electoral Competition in the American States."
7. Content Analysis
Excerpt 10. Russell J. Dalton, Paul A. Beck, and Robert Huckfeldt, "Partisan Cues and the Media: Information Flows in the 1992 Presidential Election."
8. Sampling
Excerpt 11. J. Eric Oliver, "City Size and Civic Involvement in Metropolitan America."
9. Rational Choice Analysis
Excerpt 12. Morris P. Fiorina, "Divided Government in the American States: A Byproduct of Legislative Professionalism?"
10. Univariate Analysis: Statistics of a Single Variable
Excerpt 13. Fred I. Greenstein, "The Benevolent Leader Revisited: Children's Images of Political Leaders in Three Democracies."
11. Bivariate Analysis: Statistics of Two Variables
Excerpt 14. Charles Cameron, David Epstein, and Sharyn O'Halloran, "Do Majority-Minority Districts Maximize Substantive Black Representation in Congress?"
12. Multivariate Analysis: Statistics of More Than Two Variables
Excerpt 15. J. Eric Oliver, "City Size and Civic Involvement in Metropolitan America."
Excerpt 16. Diana C. Mutz, "Mass Media and the Depoliticization of Personal Experience."
13. Scientific Principles in Political Study: Some Enduring Controversies
Glossary
Bibliography
Index