POLI 243 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Totalitarianism, Falsifiability
13 May 2013
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Chapter 5: theories based on idiosyncratic characteristics of individuals. Individual level for analysis builds causal theories by exploring decision-makers" idiosyncratic features. Focusing on what ideas or policies individuals will put forth, practitioners of individual level focus on attributes to specific individual. Idiosyncratic features individual personalities, beliefs, psychological make-up, experiences may influence decision more than their roles. Different people look at same even and perceive it differently. Thinking questions utility of assumption about rational calculations and assumes individuals have predilections for certain kinds of responses. Decision makers often hold sets of beliefs (grounded in ideology/ personal experience) which force them to interpret or perceive other countries" actions in particular ways. George developed value- complexity to describe situations where policies may entail trade-offs in values the decision-maker would rather not face. For ex: instead of making tough decision, decision maker can discount info they don"t want to deal w/, ignore info, forget bits of confusing info etc.
