Principles of Politics

Principles of Politics PDF

Author: Joe Oppenheimer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2012-07-30

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1107014883

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This book presents the rational choice theories of collective action and social choice, applying them to problems of public policy and social justice. Joe Oppenheimer has crafted a basic survey of, and pedagogic guide to, the findings of public choice theory for political scientists. He describes the problems of collective action, institutional structures, regime change, and political leadership.

Politics as Rational Action

Politics as Rational Action PDF

Author: L. Lewin

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 9400989555

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One of the most promising trends in modem political science is the develop ment of a theory of politics as rational action. Focussing on choice as the central topic of study, rational choice theorists set out to specify what alter native an actor should prefer if he has some given knowledge of the conse quences of each alternative and wants to see his preference system as fully realized as possible. But rational choice theory is not confmed to the norma tive sphere of science. It can also be used for explanatory purposes. Then, the alternatives actually chosen are specified and the task is to explain the decisions by fmding out what considerations lay behind them. The starting point for an emerging research program at the Department of Government, Uppsala University, on 'Politics as Rational Action' is to describe the major choices in fifteen different policy areas of Swedish domes tic politics and explain why they were made.

Rational Choice and Democratic Government

Rational Choice and Democratic Government PDF

Author: Tibor Rutar

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-09-22

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 1000440885

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Drawing on a range of data from across disciplines, this book explores a series of fundamental questions surrounding the nature, working and effects of democracy, considering the reasons for the emergence and spread of democratic government, the conditions under which it endures or collapses – and the role of wealth in this process – and the peaceful nature of dealings between democracies. With emphasis on the ‘ordinary’ voter, the author employs rational choice theory to examine the motivations of voters and their levels of political knowledge and rationality, as well as the special interests, incentives and corruption of politicians. A theoretically informed and empirically illustrated study of the birth and downfall of democracies, the extent of voters’ political knowledge and ignorance, the logic of political behaviour in both open and closed regimes, and the international effects of democratic rule, Rational Choice and Democratic Government: A Sociological Approach will appeal to scholars with interests in political sociology, political psychology, economics and political science.

Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory

Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory PDF

Author: Donald Green

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 1994-09-28

Total Pages: 415

ISBN-13: 0300187084

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This is the first comprehensive critical evaluation of the use of rational choice theory in political science. Writing in an accessible and nontechnical style, Donald P. Green and Ian Shapiro assess rational choice theory where it is reputed to be most successful: the study of collective action, the behavior of political parties and politicians, and such phenomena as voting cycles and Prisoner's Dilemmas. In their hard-hitting critique, Green and Shapiro demonstrate that the much heralded achievements of rational choice theory are in fact deeply suspect and that fundamental rethinking is needed if rational choice theorists are to contribute to the understanding of politics. In their final chapters, they anticipate and respond to a variety of possible rational choice responses to their arguments, thereby initiating a dialogue that is bound to continue for some time.

Rational Choice and Political Power

Rational Choice and Political Power PDF

Author: Dowding, Keith

Publisher: Bristol University Press

Published: 2019-07-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1529206332

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Featuring a substantial new introduction and two new chapters in the Postscript, this new edition makes one of the most significant works on power available in paperback and online for the first time. The author extensively engages with a body of new literature to elucidate and expand upon the original work, using rational choice theory to provide: • An examination of how, due to the collective action problem, groups can be powerless despite not facing any resistance • Timely engagement with feminist accounts of power • An explanation of the relationship of structure and agency and how to measure power comparatively across societies This book’s unique interaction with both classical and contemporary debates makes it an essential resource for anyone teaching or studying power in the disciplines of sociology, philosophy, politics or international relations.

Private Desires, Political Action

Private Desires, Political Action PDF

Author: Michael Laver

Publisher: SAGE

Published: 1997-02-28

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9780761951155

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Private Desires, Political Action is an accessible overview of one of the most important approaches to the study of politics in the modern world - rational choice theory. Michael Laver does not set out to review this entire field, but rather to discuss how we might use rational choice theory to analyze the political competition that affects almost every aspect of our lives. The broad-ranging scope of the book introduces the theory at many levels of analysis, including: the private desires of individuals; the social context of how people fulfil their desires; and the problems of collective action. The discussion of these problems extends into the arena of politics, where the activities of `political entrepreneurs' or

Nested Games

Nested Games PDF

Author: George Tsebelis

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1991-08-12

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0520911970

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Clearly written and easily understood by the nonspecialist, Nested Games provides a systematic, empirically accurate, and theoretically coherent account of apparently irrational political actions.

Politics and Rationality

Politics and Rationality PDF

Author: William James Booth

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1993

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 9780521435680

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A collection of outstanding scholarship applying rational choice theory to three principal fields of political inquiry: comparative politics, international relations and political philosophy.

Politics from Anarchy to Democracy

Politics from Anarchy to Democracy PDF

Author: Irwin Lester Morris

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780804745840

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Although the study of politics dates to ancient Greece, the basic questions that interested those earliest political scientists still linger with us today: What are the origins of government? What should government do? What conditions foster effective governance? Rational choice theory offers a new means for developing correctable answers to these questions. This volume illustrates the promise of rational choice theory and demonstrates how theory can help us develop interesting, fresh conclusions about the fundamental processes of politics. Each of the book’s three sections begins with a pedagogical overview that is accessible to those with little knowledge of rational choice theory. The first group of essays then discusses various ways in which rational choice contributes to our understanding of the foundations of government. The second set focuses on the contributions of rational choice theory to institutional analysis. The final group demonstrates ways in which rational choice theory helps to understand the character of popular government.

The Rationality Of Political Protest

The Rationality Of Political Protest PDF

Author: Karl-dieter Opp

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-09-16

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1000305066

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The authors systematically apply rational choice theory in order to suggest hypotheses about political protest. They test these hypotheses by means of surveys and compare their rational choice hypotheses with competing hypotheses.