Between Norms and Evidence: Connecting Normative Political Theory and Political Science

Political scientists and normative political theorists often seem to speak ‘different languages’, working in isolation despite their interdependence. Empirical research questions are shaped by conceptual and normative assumptions, while normative theorising requires empirical input to ground and test its claims. Yet exchange between the two traditions remains rare. One force against this divide is the ‘methodological’ turn in political theory, led in particular by members of ECPR’s Standing Group on Methods of Normative Political Theory (Baderin 2014; Křepelová 2019; Dowding 2020; Perez 2023; Floyd 2022). This agenda, however, is still emerging (Perez 2024), while a ‘normative turn’ in political science has gained little traction, with only a few exceptions (Bauböck 2008; Gerring and Yesnowitz 2006). The limited cases of cross-fertilisation, for instance in normative democratic theory (Bowman 2022), highlight the promise of closer engagement. This Workshop will build on these developments by actively bridging the gap. It will bring together scholars from both traditions to explore how normative and empirical approaches can enrich one another in concrete methodological terms. Participants will examine how empirical methods of description and explanation can inform normative argument, and how normative frameworks can sharpen empirical analysis. By fostering dialogue and collaboration, the Workshop seeks to demonstrate that greater integration not only advances academic inquiry but also strengthens the capacity to provide robust policy advice. In doing so, it will break new ground, as the first ever Joint Sessions Workshop to explore the relationship between normative and empirical political research.

1: How can empirical research expand the scope of normative debate?
2: What key methodological issues arise in linking normative theory with political science?
3: How should normative theory respond when empirical evidence contradicts its claims?
4: Can normative claims be justified without reference to empirical evidence?
5: How can facts about behaviour inform theories of justice, legitimacy, and democracy?

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