Politics through the microscope: the use of experiments in European political science

The chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the use and influence of experimental methods in European political science. Through a combination of content and citation analyses of studies published in flagship journals of leading political science societies over the past decade, it examines the extent, purposes and impact of experimental designs in European political research. Employing both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the chapter sheds light on the development, implementation and dissemination of experimental methods within the field. A qualitative review, grounded in the recent adoption and integration of this method, maps the landscape of experimentation by European political scientists across national contexts and over time. Building on this, a citation analysis of experimental articles in prominent European journals evaluates their academic impact, accounting for various attributes of the manuscripts. The chapter also investigates innovations and extensions of experimental methods into new subfields, highlighting their contributions to advancing theoretical and methodological discussions and addressing causation challenges. Finally, it critically assesses the strengths and limitations of experimental approaches, providing insights into their role and potential within the discipline.