Systematic Matching and Contrasting of Cases

Abstract

The broader historical, social-structural, political-cultural, institutional and so on features, on which the respective similarities and dissimilarities of our cases are based, constitute the givens in any particular crisis situation against which the specific impact and extent of the crisis and the reactions of the major actors have to be assessed. These are indicated by the additional variables of categories 8 and 9 in the Appendix. In this way, both longer-term structure-oriented approaches and specific actor-oriented analyses or, in Jon Elster’s (1989) terms, the “opportunity set” in any given situation and the specific choices made can be integrated into a more encompassing perspective. We also concur with Michel Dobry’s (1986) conceptualization of major political crises which stress, within certain limits, the fluidity of such situations where some of the given structures may become somewhat more malleable and create a somewhat broader space of manoeuvre for the major actors and certain moves than had hitherto been conceivable.