Party systems research has proceeded along two parallel lines of inquiry, one predominantly “qualitative” and the other “quantitative.” This article attempts to bridge this divide in two ways. First, by showing that qualitative information can be valuable in the construction of quantitative measures. Second, by showing that the results from applying theoretically sensitive measurement tools can be useful for qualitative classification. These analyses are performed using an original dataset of party system changes in Sub‐Saharan Africa.Related Articles Nwokora, Zim, and Riccardo Pelizzo. 2015. “.” Politics & Policy 43 (): 453‐473. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12124/abstract Tusalem, Rollin F. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 712‐750. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12166/abstract Vercesi, Michelangelo. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 168‐219. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12154/abstract Related Media . “Democracy in Africa: 5 Myths Explored.” https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/datablog/2016/feb/25/democracy-in-african-countries-five-myths-explored . “Africa's Rocky Road to Democracy.” http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/01/opinion/africa-democracy-mbaku/