Comparative Theories: Structural, Rational and Cultural Approaches
Comparative politics uses three named theoretical approaches to explain why similar countries, such as the USA and the UK, develop different political institutions and behaviour.
Before you start
No specific prerequisites - this is a good place to start.
Method
- Learn all three theories by name, in a fixed order if it helps memory, and be able to state in one sentence what each treats as the main cause of political behaviour: structural, the formal institutions; rational, individual self-interest; cultural, inherited values and history.
- Practise applying all three theories to a single example difference between the USA and the UK, so you can see how the same fact (e.g. the US having a codified constitution and the UK not) can be explained in three different, valid ways depending on which theory is applied.
- Learn to distinguish a structural explanation from a rational one: a structural explanation points to the shape of an institution itself (e.g. 'the separation of powers structurally prevents this'), while a rational explanation points to what an individual actor gains or loses by acting a certain way within that institution (e.g. 'a member of Congress votes this way because it maximises their re-election chances').
- Learn to distinguish a cultural explanation from the other two: a cultural explanation does not point to a rule or an individual's calculation at all, but to a longstanding shared value or historical experience that shapes what a country's institutions and actors consider normal or acceptable in the first place.
- In every comparative essay in this course, apply one of the three theories by name in each paragraph rather than describing the US then the UK and leaving the comparative reasoning implicit; examiners specifically credit explicit, correctly applied use of a named theory.
- For an evaluate question asking which theory best explains a given difference, do not simply describe all three: pick the strongest explanation, justify why it outperforms the alternatives for that specific example, and acknowledge briefly why a rival theory is weaker rather than ignoring it.
Worked example
Using all three comparative theories, explain why the USA has a codified, entrenched constitution while the UK does not.
- State the fact to be explained clearly: the US Constitution is a single codified document requiring the demanding Article V process to amend, while the UK constitution is uncodified and can, in principle, be changed by an ordinary Act of Parliament.
- Apply the structural approach: the US was founded through a deliberate constitutional convention that needed to bind thirteen separate former colonies into a single federal union, which structurally required a single, agreed, written settlement; the UK's constitution instead evolved gradually over centuries with no equivalent single founding moment requiring codification.
- Apply the rational approach: the framers of the US Constitution had a direct self-interest in constraining a powerful central government, having just thrown off a monarchy, so they rationally chose to entrench limits on federal power in a way that would be hard for any future majority to undo; UK political actors across history had less incentive to give up the flexibility that lets a sitting parliamentary majority govern without such constraints.
- Apply the cultural approach: American political culture developed a foundational, and lasting, suspicion of concentrated, unchecked power, reflected in strong rights-consciousness, while British political culture developed a tradition of trust in evolutionary change and parliamentary sovereignty, making a codified, entrenched restraint on Parliament culturally unnecessary in the UK's own self-understanding.
- Conclude by comparing the three explanations directly, noting that they are not mutually exclusive: the structural explanation accounts for the timing and form of codification, the rational explanation accounts for why entrenchment specifically was chosen, and the cultural explanation accounts for why each country's political culture has continued to accept its own model since.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Name the three comparative theories.Show answer
Answer: The structural (institutional), rational and cultural approaches.
Q2What does the structural approach treat as the main cause of political behaviour?Show answer
Answer: A country's formal institutions and constitutional arrangements.
Q3What does the rational approach treat as the main cause of political behaviour?Show answer
Answer: Individual political actors pursuing their own self-interest within the rules they face.
Q4What does the cultural approach treat as the main cause of political behaviour?Show answer
Answer: A country's inherited political history, ideas and values, transmitted across generations.
Q5Give an example of a structural explanation for a difference between US and UK legislatures.Show answer
Answer: That Congress and Parliament behave differently mainly because Congress operates under a separation of powers while Parliament operates under a fusion of powers.
Q6Give an example of a rational explanation for a difference in party discipline between the USA and the UK.Show answer
Answer: That UK MPs are more loyal to their party because their promotion and reselection depend on party leadership approval, while US members of Congress depend more on primary voters, weakening the leadership's hold over their incentives.
Q7Why should a strong comparative essay name a specific theory in each paragraph, rather than just describing both countries?Show answer
Answer: Because the comparative element of the mark scheme specifically rewards explicit, correctly applied use of a named theory to explain a similarity or difference, not just accurate description of each country separately.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a A Level Politics exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Using all three comparative theories, explain why the USA has a codified, entrenched constitution while the UK does not.
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'The rational approach explains differences between US and UK politics better than the structural or cultural approaches.' Evaluate this view.
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See real A Level Politics past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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