Unit name | Rational Choice |
---|---|
Unit code | POLI21203 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Professor. Wickham-Jones |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The central aims of this unit are to provide an introduction to different theories of rational choice, including game theory, and to examine their application to political problems. Rational choice theories involve the application of rationality to explain the decisions people make. They encompass analysing matters such as: How and why do individuals choose to cooperate with each other rather than engage in conflict? Do individuals act in a deliberate and calculating way at all times, and do they always seek to promote their own self-interest? The ability of rational choice theories to explain political phenomena will be considered in both theoretical and empirical terms.
The unit will consider how rational choice explains such matters as voting decisions, the strategies and policies that parties choose, the nature of the state, and the problem of collective action.
Aims:
2 x 1hr lecture and 1hr seminar.