This paper provides a discussion of the comparative advantages of using QCA alongside more traditional small-N methods for typology construction and uncovering causal relationships. Drawing on substantive research in the emerging field of participatory democratic innovations, the paper presents a QCA analysis of the conditions for empowered participatory governance in Brazil, using the same cases and conditions as Brian Wampler in his comparison of Brazilian participatory budgets (2008). The paper shows that QCA can provide significant added value to interpretations and explanations of case-researchers using traditional tools in comparative methods. It discusses the consequences of combining tools and approaches and makes recommendations for future use of QCA in small-N research.
