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Taking Mechanisms Seriously?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Derek Beach
Derek Beach*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, University of Aarhus, Bartholinsalle 7, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
*
E-mail: derek@ps.au.dk
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Abstract

The questions address the ontological and epistemological implications of taking the ‘mechanismic’ view of causal mechanisms seriously, suggesting that they are more than events or series of intervening variables. Peter Hall is asked his views on the nature of causal mechanisms, and the logics of inference that we can use to study them in within-case analysis.

Keywords

causal mechanismswithin-case analysisprocess tracingcase studiesvariables

Information

Type
Symposium
Information
European Political Science , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , March 2013, pp. 13 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © 2013 European Consortium for Political Research

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