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Insights from the Field

Globalization Trend in Political Science Research, Yet Unequal Geographical Focus Persists Across Subfields.


geographical focus
comparative politics
international relations
United States
Western Europe
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Geographical Coverage in Political Science Research was authored by Matthew Wilson and Carl Henrik Knutsen. It was published by Cambridge in POP in 2022.

Political science research has historically centered on North America and Western Europe. While "globalization" brings increased attention to other regions today, this geographical imbalance remains notable.

Historical Pattern: Studies from 1890-2023 reveal a strong focus on select countries in these continents.

Recent Changes: There is evidence of growing interest beyond traditional centers, though unevenly distributed across subfields and nations.

Understudied Regions: Many countries receive minimal scholarly attention despite the push for more inclusive research.

Key Findings:

* Unequal Attention: Geographical emphasis shows systematic variation based on country characteristics.

* Subfield Differences: International relations publications show greater focus on large Western European nations and the US compared to comparative politics journals.

* Correlates of Focus: Factors including language, income, population size, democracy level, and conflict experience influence geographical concentration.

Implications for Research: This unequal coverage challenges assumptions about the generalizability of findings. It limits our understanding by constraining where theories are developed.

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