A Model Discipline: Political Science and the Logic of Representations
"This is an outstanding book that should be read, thought about, and discussed by every political scientist. Professors Clarke and Primo provide a clear discussion of what models are, a persuasive critique of current practice in the discipline, and solid guidance for how to effectively assess models of all types. This is a must-read."--Andrew D. Martin, Professor of Law and Political Science, Washington University in St. Louis"This is not a book for those who need the comforts of conventional wisdom. It mounts a powerful challenge to our prevailing orthodoxies, both theoretical and methodological. This is fresh, aggressive thinking--a joy to encounter."--Christopher Achen, Princeton University"This smart book proposes two things simultaneously for political scientists. First, we ought to have a consensus on what we should not do with our models, and that is we should not insist on testing them as models. But second, we also ought to allow for diversity in what our theoretical models can do, how they are judged, and how they are structured. They argue that models ought to be judged based on how useful they are. The same can be said for books-and this is a very useful book."--Ken Kollman, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor