Comparative Historical Analysis

Comparative historical analysis (CHA) is a macro-causal research tradition that explains large-scale outcomes — revolutions, regime change, welfare states, development paths — by systematically comparing a small number of cases reconstructed in depth across historical time. It combines cross-case comparison with close attention to temporality: sequences, timing, critical junctures, and path dependence. Associated with Barrington Moore, Theda Skocpol, and codified by Mahoney and Rueschemeyer, CHA treats history not as background but as the medium through which causes operate.