The foundations of empirical political research often seem at odds with those of normative political theory (Bauböck 2008). As a result, despite the clear need for dialogue between the two (Gerring and Yesnowitz 2006), research into their precise relationship remains limited. Our Workshop aims to better connect the two fields, by involving practicing scholars on both sides The goal is to develop methodologies that better justify empirical research’s conceptual premises and pin down how normative political theory should use empirical evidence. The results of this would enhance both fields, as well as provide rich material for future collaborations.
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?
1: Methodological innovations bridging empirical and normative inquiry
2: Innovative frameworks for testing normative assumptions empirically
3: Normative theory informed by comparative or experimental evidence
4: Exploring tensions between normative claims and empirical political findings
5: Reconciling conflicting empirical evidence with normative claims
6: Justifying normative political claims without empirical support
7: Using behavioural data to inform justice, legitimacy, and democracy theory
8: How empirical evidence can challenge our understanding of justice, legitimacy, and democracy
