The Strategy of Paired Comparison: Toward a Theory of Practice

“By carefully studying a small number of cases, comparative researchers gather evidence at a level of granularity that is difficult if not impossible to incorporate in quantitative studies, which tend to focus on larger samples but employ much coarser descriptions of the sample units.”

“Second, without knowledge of the causal processes operative in a typical case, one can hardly discern the reason(s) for the deviance of a case (Tarrow 2010).”

“107 Tarrow 2010.”

“…the single case are present in other similar cases is that we can justify that the set of cases we are working with is causally homogeneous by mapping the population using comparative methods (Collier and Mahoney 1996; George and Bennett 2005:164; Ragin 1987; Skocpol and Somers 1980; Tarrow 2010).”

“…that perfect control is impossible and that in the course of inquiry we are likely to discover unanticipated differences across compared cases (Tarrow 2010), we minimize variance on issue characteristics (control variables), facilitating analysis of the relationship of network and actor…”

“The old strongman presidents were toppled by “electoral revolutions” during the same span of a few months, with both new presidents assuming a 20 George and Bennett 2005; Tarrow 2010.”

“These groups were selected following the principle of paired comparison (Tarrow 2010).”

“A number of political scientists (Gerring 2007; Lieberman 2005; Sekhon 2004; Tarrow 1995, 2010) have called for using quantitative methods to complement qualitative case studies in comparative analysis, so section III employs a synthetic control methodology to compare Israel’s institutional…”

“A paired comparison of most-similar ‘crucial cases’ (Eckstein, 1975) enables strong internal validity leading to generalisations for further testing across a number of cases to increase external validity (Tarrow, 2010).”

“They all draw on the same methods: dyads (if not triads) are targeted to test a preliminary hypothesis – in line with epistemological arguments favoring paired comparisons over monographs and large N samples (Tarrow, 2010).”

“Many methodologists advocate matching as a viable way of selecting paired cases (Gerring, 2006a; Nielsen, 2016; Seawright & Gerring, 2008; Tarrow, 2010) and although it is a relatively new technique, a growing number of studies employ it (Genovese, Wassmann, & Schneider, 2016; Glynn & Ichino, 2016; Lyall, 2014; Madrig…”

“In recent years, there has been renewed interest in controlled comparisons in qualitative research designs within political science (e.g., Dunning 2012; Gisselquist 2014; Slater and Ziblatt 2013; Snyder 2001; Tarrow 2010).”

“The urban centers for the study were chosen deliberately, not randomly, through a paired comparison approach to data analysis.(51) Diré, the administrative center of the Diré Cercle, is a town and commune on the left bank of the Niger River in the Timbuktu Region of Mali.”

“Tarrow (2010) and Slater and Ziblatt (2013) provide more recent statements that could easily translate to testing formal models, so we will not discuss this approach here.”

“The paired comparison allows for retaining the in-depth qualitative analysis, while also making some inferences about the relative importance of factors highlighted in single-case studies across other cases (Brady and Collier 2004; Tarrow 2010).”

“Consideration of India and China as a ‘twinned comparison’, in the form of similarity to reveal difference, provides a clear illustration of the argument (Tarrow, 2010).”

“…based for instance on the analyst’s regional interests, and thus do not contribute much to the development and testing of social science theories (tarrow 2010). this project speaks to such concerns through more intentional focus on methods: here, the editor made the initial selection of cases…”

“A paired comparative approach is adopted to provide ‘intimacy of analysis’ that is derived from rich descriptive data (Tarrow, 2010: 243), this is particularly important for exploring the nuances surrounding approaches to diversity and for addressing the comparative effects of the mechanisms…”

“It is used to compare two case studies to highlight their critical differences or similarities (Tarrow, 2010).”

“Our choice of paired comparison enables us to draw on our regional expertise, and provide the in-depth analysis considered to be a key strength of this method (Tarrow 2010, p. 244) while moving beyond the limitations of a single case study.”

“…1).12 I compare these three campaigns at the two levels identified in the theoretical argument—(i) choice of methods of action and (ii) level of confrontation involved in the campaign—using two sets of paired comparisons (Tarrow, 2010): first, Joppaz and the PCSJA, and then the PCSJA and the ATCC.”

“Thus, our study represents a ‘most-dissimilar systems design’ (Tarrow 2010, p. 234): with governmental position, broad RWP ideology, the relatively weak status of green parties in domestic politics and high salience of the issue in the public (over 80% of public support for environmental policies…”

“We suggest that the utility of rival concepts could best be explored through the use of what Tarrow (2010) terms a paired comparison study.”

“This article is a work of what Tarrow (2010) calls paired comparison.”

“Each of the three approaches to paired comparison described previously can contribute to the identifi cation of causal variables, theory testing, and theory building (see Tarrow 2010, 235).”

“As a comparative method, this has some advantages over both single case studies and large-N comparisons (Tarrow, 2010, pp. 243-246), first because it allows for more intimate analysis based on deeper background knowledge than is available in the latter method, second because it enables the…”

“A paired comparison within the same systemic context provided an analytical baseline with which to assess the distinctiveness of the RN-led case (Tarrow 2010: 244).”

“…comparison: by treating the evolution of these two sets of policies, largely developed, implemented, and enforced by the same government agencies, we can holdmany institutional factors to be constant while ensuring that a comparable case upon which the study can be anchored exists (Tarrow 2010).”

“This is a paired comparison (Tarrow, 2010) which has relied on a qualitative and discourse analysis of EKRE’s and NA’s political programmes and other party documents (e.g. electoral manifestos) as well as official statements and declarations.”

“The quantitative method of this research is the paired comparison analysis, used to determine the relative importance of a number of different options (Tarrow 2010).”

“…are very profitable sectors”18 and heavily protected by the EU.19 To identify intersystemic differences while holding “common systemic characteristics” (Tarrow 2010) constant, I use a “most-similar systems” design (Teune and Przeworski 1970) and pair otherwise similar communes (i.e., low levels…”

“This ‘paired comparison’ is consistent with the research strategy: it offers a way to implement the ‘dual process tracing’ (Tarrow, 2010: 244) of two cases that differ in their contexts, here in terms of urban hierarchy and regimes, in order to highlight the role of their similar structure of…”

“In terms of methodology, this is a single-case study that suggests a general relationship in theory building.(1) The scope of this article is primarily empirical and aims at strengthening the academic literature on right-wing populism in Estonia, the Baltic States, and, by extension, Central and Eastern Europe.”

“…(including the need to rely on deep background information of the contexts being examined and the facilitation of causal-process analysis), paired comparison is a distinct analytical strategy which increases the inferential power of the design over the single-case study (Tarrow, 2010, p. 244).”

“…with the tradition of controlled comparisons and paired comparisons (e.g. Dunning, 2012; Gisselquist, 2014; Slater & Ziblatt, 2013; Snyder, 2001; Tarrow, 2010), many studies focus on when and why certain phenomena or outcomes occur, what mechanisms led to those outcomes, and what explains…”

“To answer this question, we conduct a paired comparison (Tarrow 2010) of two campaigns in China, one led by an IENGO (Greenpeace’s campaign against APP’s deforestation activities), and one led by local NGOs (against”

“For this purpose, the case selection is based on the Most Different Systems Design, attributing similar outcomes to the operation of similar processes in the two countries (Tarrow, 2010).”

“We use a paired comparison and dual-process tracing method (Tarrow, 2010) in relation to major critical events (Meyer & Staggenborg, 1996) to analyze the strategies, frames, and outcomes of the localized anti-gender movements.”

“In that sense, our study is premised on a most-different system design (MDSD) approach, where the differences between the systems studies are maximized but the phenomena studied (in our case, the determinants of negative campaigning) are expected to be similar (see, e.g., Gerring 2007; Tarrow 2010).”

“This article is built on a ‘paired comparison’ (Tarrow 2010) of two country cases, namely Finland and Sweden.”

“As McAdam and Tarrow (2010) aptly stated, after these heydays of party-movement interactions, electoral and party research has neglected the importance of social movements and protest for understanding transformations in party competition.”

“We ensured that our case firms were quite similar in their capability to reallocate their resources in response to radical technological change as this parallel process tracing is an integral part of most similar case analysis (Tarrow, 2010).”

“Following Sartori (1991) and Tarrow (2010), we believe there is a value in comparing very different cases as an ‘intermediary step in theory building’ (Tarrow, 2010, p. 245).”

“Moreover, unlike the large-N analysis, it draws on large qualitative evidence, allowing us to confidently draw connections between different variables (Tarrow, 2010).”

“Despite differences in regime settings and protest forms, these cases share dazzling similarities in issue framing and movement dynamics (Tarrow, 2010).”

“…diversity of our sample, which are rare in qualitative studies, enabled us to combine the “intimacy of analysis” of qualitative comparative analysis (Tarrow 2010, 243)—facilitating the identification and tracing of similar mechanisms in different geographical, cultural, and sociopolitical…”

“The strength of paired comparison is that it allows us to draw on advantages from both strategies and ‘to examine how common mechanisms are influenced by the particular features of each case’ without compromising on the in-depth case analysis (Tarrow 2010).”

“Selecting two cases rather than a single case adds a degree of confidence to the findings, reducing risks of over-emphasising variables that seem critical in a single-case analysis (Tarrow 2010: 244).”

“In the second part of this paper, I employ a paired comparison (Tarrow, 2010) of Brazil and the United States before and during the Covid-19 Pandemic to illustrate and dissect these three tactics (a) Attempts to weaken transparency institutions via noncompliance and regulation, (b) The erasure and…”

“Building on the Millian method of difference, we adopted the Most Similar Systems Design method (Tarrow 2010, 233–35; Anckar 2008; Gisselquist 2014, 478; Mill 2009 [1882], 483).”

“Matched pairs provide a framework for thinking about what would have happened if not for the rise of the far right in one country by considering what happened in a country similar except for a successful far right party (Tarrow 2010).”

“Based on the ‘most different systems design’ (MDSD), this study identifies similar relations between independent and dependent variables within Turkey and Morocco (Przeworski and Teune 1970) in order to understand similar outcomes for the two states (Tarrow 2010).”

“This provides further evidence against endogeneity (on the variants and logics of paired comparisons, see Tarrow 2010).”

“For a more comprehensive theoretical justification of the merits of using paired comparisons in comparative research see a recent insightful article by Tarrow (2010).”

“Parallels between Japan and South Korea (hereafter Korea)—two countries that have received less attention from law and courts scholars— provide a rare opportunity to use the method of paired comparison to limit potential alternative explanations for varying participation (Tarrow, 2010).”

“Within the Nordic‒Baltic area, we conduct a paired comparison (Tarrow 2010)”