Revisiting dependent variables: Principal Component Analysis and Policy Synergy Analysis in political and social science (SPS-WS-AN-HEM-25)
SPS-WS-AN-HEM-25
| Department |
SPS |
| Course category |
SPS Workshop |
| Course type |
Workshop |
| Academic year |
2025-2026 |
| Term |
3RD TERM |
| Credits |
10 (EUI SPS Department) |
| Professors |
|
| Contact |
Fanti, Claudia
|
| Course materials |
| Sessions |
|
| Enrolment info |
01/03/2026 - 30/06/2026 |
Purpose
Comparative politics and sociology have long relied on typologies—of party systems, welfare states, or policy fields—to group countries with similar characteristics. Yet, such classifications often rest on broad descriptive data which can be misleading when analysing institutional change and policy performance over time. This workshop introduces Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Policy Synergy Analysis (PSA) as novel methods to test, refine, validate typologies, and account for change, helping researchers sharpen their dependent variables and revisit established debates with stronger empirical foundations.
The full syllabus will be available on the webpage: https://www.eui.eu/en/academic-units/political-and-social-sciences/seminars-and-teaching.
Register for this course
Page last updated on 05 September 2023