UAP 1024 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Group Theory, Elite Theory, Institutional Theory
20 Feb 2017
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Social science: theories describe why things happened, example: human empathy drives interest in solving problems (dewey, models describe what happened b. Policy change driven by: elite theory: values/interests of governing elites, group theory: struggle between organized groups. iii. Institutional theory: structure of government, its rules (explicit and implicit) influence policy: rational choice/public choice/formal theory: individuals maximize their preference, choose policy based on knowledge. Aggregation of individual choices creates policy: political systems theory: more general and systematic, considers both individuals, groups, and government institutions. Individuals and groups demand and support (or oppose) change, government supports(or opposes) changes, change does/does not result. Assumptio n: the values and preference s of the general public are less influential in shaping public policy than those of smaller, unreprese nted groups of people, or elites. Power is pluralistic rather than concentrat ed in only a few elites.
