Alexander L. George

Alexander L. George (May 31, 1920 Chicago – August 16, 2006 Seattle) was an American behavioral scientist. He was the Graham H. Stuart Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Stanford University. He made influential contributions to political psychology, international relations, and social science methodology.

Life His parents were Assyrians from Urmia in north-west Persia. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Chicago, where he received his doctorate in political science in 1958.

George appropriated the term process tracing from psychology in 1979 to describe the use of evidence from within case studies to make inferences about historical explanations.

According to David A. Hamburg he was among the first to lead behavioral scientists into studying the "very painful and dangerous" issues of nuclear crisis management during the Cold War era and to carry knowledge directly to policy leaders. George "focused a great deal of attention on reducing nuclear danger," he added. "I regard him as a truly great scholar and human being." 1998 Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science 2000 membership to the American Philosophical Society

Works

George, Alexander/Simons William E., 1994: The Limits of Coercive Diplomacy, Colorado/Oxford: Westview Press