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jop-theory-building

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Use when turning a The Journal of Politics (JOP) idea into a theoretically innovative argument — formal/game-theoretic, empirical, or normative. JOP explicitly prizes theoretical innovation across all subfields and counts pages, so the argument must be sharp, general, and economical. Builds the argument; it does not run analyses.

When to use

• Turning an idea into a theoretically innovative argument
• Specifying mechanisms, assumptions, and observable implications
• Linking a formal model to its empirical or substantive test
• Building arguments for formal, empirical, or normative subfields
• Addressing reviewer feedback on thin or non-novel theory
• Ensuring arguments fit the JOP page budget

When not to use

• Running analyses
• Polishing format
• Providing submission-ready advice before checking official source maps

Skill page

Source