Sometimes I think there's a cycle to political science and economics research:
Year 0: conventional wisdom exists; little formal research done.
Year 1: Researcher becomes first to formally research area; proposes and defends theoretical framework that runs counter to conventional wisdom and is therefore totally exciting.
Year 2-20: Researcher's theoretical framework takes field by storm; becomes consensus approach.
Year 25: Younger researcher proposes thinly veiled version of Year 0 conventional wisdom as "novel theoretical framework".
Year 26-40: Younger researcher's "novel theoretical framework" becomes integrated into field as "challenging counter-intuitive approach".
Year 40-forever: Outside observers are mystified.
This made me smile. I'd love to hear some of the examples you're thinking of, because I don't know much about political science and economics research.
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