Experimental Political Science

Experiments have gained a substantial visibility in political science over the past few years. Building both on the traditions developed in psychology and economics, an “experimental political science” is emerging. Understanding the variety and maybe the distinctive characters of the experimental method in political science is at the core of this section. By taking the methodology of experimentation as the common denominator of the section, we intend to foster exchange among political scientists –and all other social scientists interested in political issues- doing experimental work. Thus, while the substantive results are certainly important, we would like to focus debates on the procedures of obtaining the results both in terms of designs and methods of data analysis. We hope that the section will contribute to strengthening the ties among European experimentalists and to initiating collaborative work. The section is open to any topics relating to core problems of politics and political science, provided that the analysis is based on experimentation broadly defined. Panels may be organized with a focus on established research areas, such as, for example, voting behavior, party politics, bargaining and negotiation, deliberation, networks, or collective action and common pool resource problems. We can also imagine panels focusing on particular outcome variables such as redistribution or social welfare. Finally, panels can also focus on a specific method of experimentation, such as lab or field experiments. In this regard, innovations and new developments in experimentation methods are particularly welcome. Panel proposals should contain 2-3 core paper proposals but leave at least two slots for unsolicited contributions. The issue of methods should naturally be central in proposals for this section.