Book Review "Cambridge handbook of experimental political science"

Abstract

Experimentation has formed the basis for modern scientific discovery. Francis Bacon (1561– 1626), “the father of empiricism,” was one of the first to propose a method of science based on experimentation that results in new theories that can again be tested by experimentation. At first, experiments seemed to be suitable only for the natural sciences. The method was later adopted by the “softer” sciences such as psychology and economics. Until recently, political scientists thought that classic experiments were not suitable for political science because of the complex and dynamic character of the field. In the first chapter of this edited volume by James N. Druckman, Donald P. Green, James H. Kuklinski, and Arthur Lupia, Lawrence Lowell (1910) is cited: “We are limited by the impossibility of experiment. Politics is an observational, not an experimental science . . .” (p. 3). However, the growing interest in causation and the empirically guided theory development have caused a growth in the number of experiments in political science. Scholars are encouraged by the ways in which experiments facilitate causation and use transparent procedures. Experimental political science has gained momentum, and this handbook comes at the right time to capture this moment and usher experimental political science forward.