Path dependency and comparative historical studies

Abstract

This paper aims at presenting the path dependency concept by showing that the most recent political science perspective has its source in the comparative political sociology. In doing so we focus attention on essential aspects o f the concept: its theoretical origins in technology economy and its links to the historical institutionalist aproach. Finally the article analyses both the theoretical and methodological perspectives of comparative historical studies in po­litical sociology in order to show its proximity with the path dependency approach.