POLA02H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Path Dependence, Consensus Decision-Making, Collective Action
Document Summary
Institutions: every group has rules (or norms) for decision making. Determine consequences for non-decisions: rules help form institutions. Effective, inclusive institutions provide for stability and harmony, while remaining flexible to meet new demands: people find ways to communicate with subtle cues without explicitly making a verbal decision. Coordination without communication (cid:862)to(cid:373)orro(cid:449) at 4p(cid:373) you ha(cid:448)e to (cid:373)eet a stra(cid:374)ger i(cid:374) nyc. Where a(cid:374)d (cid:449)he(cid:374) do you (cid:373)eet the(cid:373)? (cid:863: focal points facilitate coordination-sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes by design. Decided a referendum was best plan- make few concessions but keep euroskeptic support. Referedum as focal point: referendu(cid:373) (cid:272)a(cid:373)paig(cid:374) u(cid:374)ited di(cid:448)erse a(cid:272)tors to support (cid:862)lea(cid:448)e(cid:863) eu, voters a(cid:374)d elites (cid:449)ho (cid:449)ould (cid:374)ot (cid:271)e a(cid:271)le to agree o(cid:374) (cid:373)u(cid:272)h (cid:373)ore tha(cid:374) (cid:862)lea(cid:448)e(cid:863) Allies of cameron to those eager to embarrass cameron: would probably have hard time working together except on a single issue referendum. Referendum was the focal point that facilitated. Elections as focal points: more generally, elections often unite like-minded people.
