POLI2438 Lecture 7: Anthony Downs Political Information Introduction
Document Summary
Problem: increased incidence of civil war wars within states have become more frequent implies incentives to go to con ict have increased. Value of the good outcome has increased relative to value of bad outcome di erences have widened. Probability of achieving the good outcome by going to war has increased di erence has increased. Possible goals gain political power or autonomy gain control over economic resources (oil, water diamonds) good outcome is that you do achieve, bad is opposite. V1 - good outcome - is to ain political power. V2 - bad outcome - is to remain under the political control of others v1-v2 has gotten bigger over time, either v1 increases or v2 decreases. Knowledge about liberal democracies would make people value political autonomy people"s aspirations to liberal democracy have increased. War has become higher in achieving these goals probability of autonomy has increased through war alternative means of autonomy has decreased.
