POLS 051 Chapter NA: September 2 and 5 Readings

• School: University of Vermont
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLS 051
• Professor: Melissa Ma Willard- Foster

Document Summary

Policy makers need: (1) purely factual knowledge (2) simple decisions acquired through experience (3) typologies classifications of phenomena based on traits (4) empirical laws observed correspondence between two or more phenomena (5) theories they must be simple and easily comprehensible. A prediction in international relations theory helps policy makers anticipate events by identifying the central causal forces at work. Evaluation is how policymakers identify benchmarks that show them if they are yielding the desired results policy predicted. A theory is a set of propositions to explain or predict phenomena: you start with a set of assumptions that are used to explain the outcome based on a set of causes. A paradigm is a collection of theories that share assumptions, variables, propositions. Abandonment is the fear that allies will abandon you in your time of need. Entrapment is the fear of abandonment causing the weaker party to fear the more powerful is tricking it.