Abstract

BOSCAN CARRASQUERO, Guillermo. Formal Modelling in Political Sciences: Applications, possibilities and limitations. Polít. gob [online]. 2010, vol.17, n.1, pp.127-167. ISSN 1665-2037.

Formal modelling is a methodological tool in expansion within current political science. Its use is based on a deductive strategy that allows us to obtain propositions, prediction or results from a series of assumption, through the use of mathematical methods. To do so, the scientists have to convert the informal model into a mathematical one, resolve it analytically or numerically and empirically asses the results. This validation will determine the usefulness of the model and the extent to which generalize the findings. Both possibilities and limitations of this methodology are determined on the basis of the specific properties of the mathematical techniques used.

Keywords : models; modelling; methodology; political science; empirical evaluation.

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